Alene Candles Names Milford Luminaries

Alene Candles named four community leaders as Milford Luminaries for its inaugural program, donating $4,000 to organizations designated by the recipients. Launched in September by Alene Candles, the Milford Luminaries program honors local leaders for their outstanding contributions to the community, while providing additional resources to area nonprofits.

After reviewing more than 20 nominations, Alene Candles selected four Milford Luminaries and made $1,000 donations to Beaver Brook Association on behalf of Celeste Philbrick Barr; Opportunity Networks on behalf of Rocky Morelli; the Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley on behalf of Alan Woolfson; and SHARE Outreach on behalf of Frank Xydias.

“We were overwhelmed by the tremendous nominations we received for the inaugural Milford Luminaries program. It reinforced to us that it’s truly the people who live and work in Milford who make the community great,” said Rod Harl, president of Alene Candles. “We are proud to recognize the contributions of these four outstanding individuals by making donations to nonprofit organizations that are close to their hearts.”

• Rocky Morelli, executive director of Opportunity Networks in Amherst and Nashua, has worked hard to ensure that those living with disabilities have the support and opportunities necessary to pursue the highest quality of life possible. 
• Celeste Philbrick Barr, education & community affairs director at Beaver Brook Association, has been an instrumental pioneer in promoting local conservation and recycling efforts in Milford and throughout the region.
• Alan Woolfson has been a pillar in the community ever since he moved to Milford in 1988, making his mark with several different roles. He has served on the Milford Improvement Team’s board for more than 18 years, including 15 as president, working to promote, revitalize and enhance downtown Milford. 
• Frank Xydias has been a celebrated science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) champion in the region for nearly 20 years, blazing a trail for work-based learning as the Pre-Engineering Career and Technical Education teacher at Milford High School & Applied Technology Center. 

For more information about Milford Luminaries, visit www.alene.com/milfordluminaries. For more information about Alene Candles, visit www.alene.com.

Photo: Rod Harl, President of Alene Candles (right), presents a donation to the Beaver Brook Association on behalf of Milford Luminary recipient Celeste Philbrick Barr (second from right). Becky Kellner (left) and Gail Basiliere (second from left) from Beaver Brook’s education department accept the donation.