With the passing of Jeannette Hughes, Sidney has lost an extremely inspiring, creative and hard working community-minded citizen.
The Mary Winspear Christmas dinner has been a community annual event for the past 13 years. While there was a small group that started the dinner, there was no doubt that Jeannette was the organizational heart and soul of this initiative that brings together 250 people each Christmas day to share the seasonal dinner.
Jeanette was the one who was out and about running her wheelchair all over the town getting everything in place, doing the publicity and gathering the donations and volunteers to make it a successful annual event. For the volunteers and the Christmas dinner committee our Little General would not rest until everyone was reminded that they were important and needed — and we better do our jobs well.
The dinner of December 2012 was particularly poignant and was “so Jeannette.”
Realizing that she was very ill, Jeanette was adamant that we all step up — learn and take over her organizational responsibilities. Jeannette was there in the beginning 13 years ago and she planned the succession of her last Mary Winspear Sidney Christmas Dinner of 2012.
On behalf of everyone who volunteered and those who enjoyed the dinner throughout the last 13 years: Our compliments Jeannette, thank you for a job extremely well done!
The Mary Winspear
Christmas Dinner Committee
