Laura Brayden Townsend ’65 – 04/14/2024

Posted by amherstalumnioffice on 2024-04-29
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Laura Brayden Townsend, 77, of Crestview Hills, KY, passed away on Sunday, April 14, 2024, at her home, after multiple courageous battles with cancer. Born on November 15, 1946, in Buffalo, New York, she was the only child of the late William Giles and Mary Howell Brayden. Steeped in southern traditions from her time in South Carolina, Laura loved spending time with her family and friends, often surrounded by comfort food, barbecue, sweet tea or fresh seafood. Laura worked for Support Systems International, a former division of Hillenbrand Industries, and she was a member of Immanuel United Methodist Church.

She raised three boys, with whom she shared many adventures. Laura always remained thankful that she met and later married William Renaker Townsend, her husband of 32 years who preceded her in death on August 26, 2022. Together, they had a world of fun: enjoying their time with family and friends, traveling, skiing, and making countless memories. To say she liked pigs would be an understatement. Her home (both inside and out) reflected decades of collecting pig memorabilia.

Laura is survived by three sons: Kelley McIntyre (Esther), Brayden McIntyre (Heather), and Gregg Dennison (Sam); nine grandchildren: Kiley Monfils, Molly, Alex (Allie), Luke, Gabe, Benjamin, and Ian William Dennison, Duncan and Claire McIntyre; three step-children: Bob Townsend (Karen), Dave Townsend (Lauren), and Patricia Bruin; several step-grandchildren, including Jennifer Osbourne, who helped to care for Laura in the kindest of ways; and a host of extended family and friends.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Highland Cemetery Chapel: 2167 Dixie Highway, Ft. Mitchell, KY 41017, with visitation from 10-11 a.m. at the chapel. Interment will follow at Highland Cemetery. Woodhead Funeral Home, Falmouth is caring for the family.

Original Obituary:

https://www.woodheadfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Laura-Townsend-2/#!/Obituary

Bea Massman plaque dedication ceremony Thursday, May 2 at 4:15

Posted by amherstalumnioffice on 2024-04-24
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The Amherst Tigers Booster Club is pleased to recognize Bea Massman’s incredible accomplishments and dedication to the Central Amherst High School Tennis program.

IN MEMORY OF BEA MASSMAN 1912 – 1992

  • First Woman to Coach Boys High School Varsity Tennis Team
  • Coached Amherst High School to 16 Consecutive Undefeated ECIC Seasons
  • Named New York State High School Coach of the Year – 1973
  • Won 26 Buffalo City Open MUNY Tennis Titles
  • Buffalo Tennis Hall of Fame – 2008
  • Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame – 1991
  • Amherst High School Athletic Hall of Fame (inaugural class) – 1990
  • USA Badminton Hall of Fame – 1969

Please attend if you can.

Amherst Central Alumni Foundation, Inc. announces $23,557 in Grant Awards for 2023-24 school year

Posted by amherstalumnioffice on 2024-04-24
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The Amherst Central Alumni Foundation, Inc. Grant Committee awarded $23,557 for requests submitted by faculty and staff for the 2023-24 school year. Grants were awarded in all four schools for academics, technology, sports, arts, and special education. Among the grants awarded were: Books for the Amherst Central School District Family Support Center; High School – Italian Exchange Program, Pit Orchestra Stand Lights, Student Council Leadership Conference, Black History Month Activities; Middle School – 8th grade field trips, Adult-Student Mentoring Program, Life Skills Supplies for Developmental Disability Class, Lumber for the Annual Musical, Woodwind Instrument Repairs; Windermere Elementary – Pickleball Equipment, Storyteller Speaker; Smallwood Elementary – Supplies for Kindergarten Integrated Classroom, 2nd Grade Field Trip.

Grants are fully funded by generous alumni donations and other fundraising activities. Grants are awarded for programs that are not funded by the school district budget and are selected based on the most students that will be positively affected.

The Amherst Central Alumni Foundation, Inc. has awarded over $189,000 in grants over the past 20+ years. For more information, please visit our website www.amherstalumni.org.

If you are interested in donating to the foundation, visit https://www.amherstalumni.org/Donate.htm.

Join the Amherst Central Alumni Foundation’s Board of Directors

Posted by amherstalumnioffice on 2024-04-24
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The Amherst Central Alumni Foundation, Inc. is looking to grow our alumni Board of Directors for the 2024-2025 school year. The Directors manage the Foundation and all of its activities and events. Our board committees help perform a variety of tasks and support functions for the Foundation and our Grant Program.

If you have a special talent you would like to share or would like to give back to the Amherst Central School District by volunteering for the Foundation, please fill out our brief questionnaire by clicking here.

Please respond by Friday, May 3, 2024.

The Foundation Board meets monthly throughout the school year, generally the third Thursday of every month.

Read more about the foundation by visiting www.amherstalumni.org.

If you have any questions, please contact the Alumni Office at 716.362.8259 or email at alumni@amherstschools.org.

Grants In Action: Supporting ACSD Family Support Center’s Lending Library

Posted by amherstalumnioffice on 2024-04-18
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One of the foundation’s spring grant requests was by Amherst Central School Distict’s Family Support Center.

Marlana Howard, LCSW, School Social Worker sent us a nice thank you note for helping fund the center’s lending library.

“Thank you again for choosing the Amherst CSD Family Support Center as a recipient of one of your generous Alumni grants.  This grant helped get our SEL Lending Library off the ground.  As a result of the Alumni Association grant we were able to purchase 204 books and have received several other donations from Amherst families.  

As a grant recipient, we wanted to report back some of the measures taken towards the establishment of the SEL Lending Library, aside from the purchase of books. Those include: 

  • Maintaining our Amazon Wish List for families to peruse and donate if they are interested in contributing.  
  • Acquiring some new bookshelves to accommodate new books.  
  • Purchasing a stamp to mark the cover of each book to identify it as property of Amherst FSC’s 
  • Creating a comprehensive database that lists all of the books that we have and breaks it down so that we are more easily able to recommend and lend books to families based on specific issues they or their children may be struggling with and based on their age ranges. 
  • Developing a lending library agreement that will be utilized for every family who wants to borrow a book.

Below we have included some photos and a screen shot of the database.  Unfortunately, the photos are not with the new bookshelves yet.“

Grants like this are made possible because of the generosity of Amherst Alumni and their donations. If you are interested in donating to the Amherst Central Alumni Foundation to help fund grants like these, visit https://www.amherstalumni.org/Donate.htm.