The Winchendon Courier
Serving the community since 1878 ~ A By Light Unseen Media publication
Week of September 9 to September 16, 2021

Murdock Annual Football Coupon Fundraiser Looking for Your Support


It's that time of year again--the classroom doors are open, the students are regaining their strides, practices and games are scheduled, with parents and students planning rides. Now Murdock football student athletes are asking for your school sports support. Spend just $20 and demonstrate that great Murdock pride to help them not come up short!

Murdock High School Football players and their families have again united their valiant collective efforts, and are looking for your support to spend just $20 and purchase the new annual Murdock Football discount card, which, thanks to many kind businesses, provides discounts to twenty-seven popular businesses and establishments! From Winchendon to Gardner, Ashburnham to Fitchburg and even Rindge over the state line, there is something for almost everybody because when you purchase the discount card all the savings fall in line.

discount card
discount card
Support Murdock Blue Devil Sports! Members of the Murdock High School Varsity and Middle school football teams and their families are currently selling their annual fund drive discount coupon passes for a variety of businesses for just $20 each. These discount coupons can be purchased at the MHS front office, or from individual student football athletes and their families.
Photos by Keith Kent

Want it on your key ring? There are six business discount tabs for that with McDonald's, Domino's Pizza, The Tavern on Central, Papa Gino's, Vavoline Instant Oil Change, and even Uno Pizzeria and Grill. Not stopping their in value, on the wallet card itself, another twenty businesses, for twenty-seven in total with the plethora of potential savings listed as the following (all discounts valid through August 31, 2022):
  • Dunkin Donuts - Free purchase of a donut with the purchase of a large beverage (participating locations)
  • Lickity Splitz - Free little league ice cream with a purchase of $10 or more
  • Domino's - Free large pizza with purchase of a large pizza of = or greater value at menu price (carry out only) Gardner/participating stores
  • Friends Garden - Free crab rangoon with purchase of $35 or more
  • Lizzy's - Buy 1 Fish N' Chips and get 2nd one at 1/2 price
  • Subway - Free 20 oz drink with purchase of any footlong
  • KFC/Taco Bell - Free regular Taco with purchase of $5 or more (Gardner & participating locations)
  • Hometown Cafe - Free pastry with purchase of $12 or more
  • Kenny's Chinese - $5 off $35 or more, excludes Kenny's Special
  • Cinema World - Free small drink with the purchase of any size popcorn
  • John's Sports Shop - $10 off any purchse of $40 or more
  • South Side Grill - $5 off any food purchase of $35 or more, (not to be combined with other offers)
  • Supercuts - $2 off a Haircut (Gardner and participating locations)
  • Gabby's Pizza - $1 off any purchase of $15 or more (not to be combined with other offers)
  • Play It Again Sports - 10% off any new (non-sale/non-consignment items)
  • Williams Restaurant - 10% off the purchase of an entree- not to be combined
  • Friendly's - 10% off any purchase (Gardner and participating locations)
  • Applebee's - 10% off ANY FOOD PURCHASE (Excludes alcohol) Leominster and participating locations
  • Cafe Edesia - 10% off all smoothies (Gardner)
  • Town Fair Tire - Free flat repair, Free tire rotation, 5% off lowest advertised price
  • Advance Auto Parts - 10% off any purchase of $10 or more (Excludes sale items, oil products, FDO's, special orders, and batteries)
  • Vavoline Instant Oil Change - $10 off any oil change, (Rindge, NH and participating locations, exclusions may apply)
  • McDonald's - Free sandwich with the purchase of a medium fry and medium soft drink (Winchendon)
  • Papa Gino's - $5 off any purchase of $25 or more (All locations)
  • Uno Pizzeria and Grill - $5 off any food purchase of $25 or more (Leominster and participating locations)
  • Tavern on Central - $5 off any food purchase of $25 or more, (Not to be combined with other offers)
  • Hibernate Luxury Bed Sheets with a listed promo code for $20 off a purchase of $50 or more.
Murdock High School Athletic Director and Middle School Physical Education teacher Jenna Whitaker would like the public at large to know MHS varsity and middle school football student athletes will be selling the remainder of their coupon cards over the next few weeks. All proceeds raise additional necessary funds for the Murdock Football program. "Varsity Coach Jim Tandy brought these cards back and it has been a great success for the teams selling these Blue Devil discount cards. This is Jim adding one more thing to his plate," said Whitaker.

Whitaker went on to explain, "Each player starts with twenty-five cards total to sell. There are check points during the sales. If a player sells ten cards by the first check point, they would get a free Murdock Blue Devil bucket hat. On Wednesday, September 9, varsity players because they are a little older held a 'Blitz Night' where they went to different areas of town to sell their cards both knocking on doors and standing at businesses. After the Blitz Night, Coach Tandy held a pizza party for the players at the high school." With a next sales checkpoint coming up, Whitaker also said if players sold all their cards, they get to make a pick from a grab bag, where different items and cash prizes are inside. Whitaker also added the "Top seller also gets $2.00 for each card they sold!"

Whitaker was asked, where can these cards also be purchased? Whitaker replied, "If you can't find a football player or family member from either the Varsity of Middle School teams, you can reach out to MHS Principal Secretary and Athletic Secretary Deb Connelly at the MHS front office, and she will have them at the front desk available for purchase."

In closing, A.D. Whitaker said, "We hope people will support the Murdock Football team by buying a Murdock Blue Devil card. The money goes towards great use, and these boys on the teams are out there every day at practice trying hard to get wins for our Blue Devils and the Town of Winchendon. We are hoping that people will support them with these purchases to get the necessities they need to be able to have productive and successful season and make the Town of Winchendon proud."

Please support your Murdock sports booster club, student athletes, and their families with your one time $20 purchase. You will not only be supporting local student athletes, but you will be supporting keeping children active with a positive outlook, especially during these challenging times they live in, while feeling good about your effort to support theirs.

Mount Wachusett Community College Awarded Department of Education Talent Search Program Grants

GARDNER, MA - September 7, 2021 - The US Department of Education has selected Mount Wachusett Community College to received funding under the Talent Search Program in two grants totaling $662,926.

Launched in 1965, the Higher Education Act created Talent Search. Along with the Upward Bound Program and Student Support Services, the three services make up the TRIO of federally funded programs aimed at encouraging access to higher education for low-income students.

Talent Search identifies and assists individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. Talent Search projects provide tutorial services, career exploration, aptitude assessments, counseling, mentoring, financial aid and college application assistance.

The first program, Educational Talent Search, was launched at MWCC in 1990. The grant of $385,551 enables MWCC to serve 695 middle and high school students from Fitchburg, Gardner, and Leominster public schools.

"I am looking forward to building upon the success that Talent Search has had over the past thirty years," notes Ramon Gonzales, Director of Educational Talent Search.

The second grant program, the North Central Mass. Talent Search (NCMTS) was founded in 2011. NCMTS will use the $277,375 grant to serve 500 middle and high school students from seven public schools located in the communities of Athol, Clinton, Winchendon, Fitchburg, and Royalston, Massachusetts.

"Our Talent Search programs, and their talented staff, provide the critical boost needed for these students to access higher education," states James Vander Hooven, President of MWCC. "These programs enable us to help students not only see their own potential, but to achieve it."

The Talent Search programs are designed to prepare students to graduate high school and go on to complete a college degree. Two-thirds of students served under the Talent Search program students are low-income and have the potential to be the first generation in their family to complete college. The program objectives are improved persistence of students to the next grade level, high school graduation, college enrollment and degree completion.

The Talent Search programs are administered by the MWCC Division of Access & Transition, which also manages the colleges Upward Bound Math and Science program, GEAR UP, and Early College programs including Early College Academy, Gateway to College, and Pathways Early College Experience.