3rd Pay It Forward Pink Envelope Initiative
Awesome Gloucester and Awesome Rockport Collaborate to Create a Weekend of Awesome Giving!
The Pink Envelope Initiative is coming to Gloucester and Rockport this weekend!
Two years ago, several members of the Awesome Gloucester and Awesome Rockport chapters met to discuss a new way to share with the communities of Rockport and Gloucester ways to be Awesome. In addition to Gloucester’s monthly and Rockport’s quarterly micro-grant competitions which are given away to successful project pitchers, the group conceived this “guerrilla philanthropy” initiative to bring more attention to the Awesome Foundation’s credo: to forward the interest of Awesome in the universe.
The idea is simple: to distribute 123 pink envelopes containing undisclosed amounts of cash across the neighboring communities of Rockport and Gloucester. Together, the two Awesome chapters will give away a total of $2000 in free cash over the course of a single weekend. The dates of distribution are August 11 and August 12.
In addition to the cash, each envelope will contain a brief note requesting that recipients (a) do something awesome with the money and (b) share a story about what they did via email or through social media.
The envelopes will be hidden as well as placed in clear sight all over two communities. It’s the intention that this “pay it forward” initiative will persuade the lucky envelope finders to help spread the interests of Awesome on Cape Ann. Founder of both Awesome chapters Sal Zerilli says: “This will be the third straight year we’ve run this experiment in community philanthropy.  We’ve decided to do it again because the community response the past two years has been awesome.  Trustees from both chapters are excited to see how our fellow community members pay it forward this year.  Like in previous years, we’re hopeful that people will share stories on social media about the awesome things they do with the cash.” 
Since its inception in 2014, Awesome Gloucester has awarded $1000 micro-grants each month.  To date the chapter has funded 66 projects and awarded $66,000 to local initiatives. Awesome Rockport has been awarding quarterly micro-grants since 2015, supporting 13 projects and awarding a total of $13,000. Projects have included the Cape Ann World War 2 Portraits Project and Little River Little Library in Gloucester, and a Buddy Bench at Rockport Elementary School and a solar powered light at Millbrook Meadow in Rockport.
Residents and visitors alike should keep their eyes peeled for these pink envelopes all over Gloucester and Rockport this upcoming weekend!

Joanne Moceri-Taveira submits-

thought you might like to share this pic of my husband, Steve, and I, taken by crew on the Lannon.  We are on trash patrol in the harbor.  If everyone in pleasure craft picked up a least 3 pieces of the disappointingly large quantity of plastic, we could begin to make a difference.

Before I headed out of town Sunday for a few days I thought I’d get up for sunrise and see if I could catch the Oliver Hazard Perry in the early morning light.   It took me a while to even make out the shadow of the ship looming in the dense fog, but I did get a few clicks in between fog banks before I had to hit the road.

These sweet young ladies were selling lemonade on a hot downtown street this week. Of course, GMG Jimmy always stops at these stands to pitch in.  I hope the girls had a good day for themselves! Their sweetness made the lemonade even better! And props to their security guy! Pretty sure that’s Dad…..I can see him in their faces.