September is a special month in Hopkinton, as community events ramp up following a slow summertime.

This year is no exception. The calendar is dotted with annual events such as PolyArts (at the Town Common), Blooms, Brews & BBQs (at Weston Nurseries) and the Porchfest musical festival (at homes in Hopkinton and Ashland). All three of those events take place on Saturday, Sept. 7. (Check the Independent website for more information on each.)

The following Saturday, Sept. 14, is Hopkinton Family Day, held at the middle school/high school complex. Organized by Friends of Hopkinton, the all-ages event features live entertainment, games, activities and refreshments from 2-6 p.m., followed by a fireworks display at 7:45.

Organizers — who have set a rain date of Sept. 28 following last year’s rainout — are expecting a big turnout.

“We’ve gotten a huge response, which is really nice,” said Dorothy Maruska, a member of the event’s organizing committee. “We have 30 different local organizations committed to attend, with multiple new activities. We had a really good outpouring of sponsors as well. People are really stepping up to help out.”

Among the highlights: Local business Under Pressure will have a water-shooting activity, the police will offer children’s DNA kits to parents, and the Fire Department will bring its mobile home display that burns up on-site. Other activities include a nine-hole mini-golf course, bounce houses, an obstacle course and a baseball game. The popular dunk tank returns, and volunteers are being sought for participation (contact the Hopkinton Lions if you are interested).

For entertainment, there will be balloon figures, face-painting, henna artists, bubbles, a magician, classical Indian dancing, a barbershop chorus, singers and a DJ.

Those working up an appetite will have their choice of a dozen food trucks that will be lined up behind Hopkinton Middle School. Fare includes Mexican food, Indian food, shawarma, Southern-style barbecue, Asian fusion, pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, pretzels, ice cream, fried dough, cotton candy, popcorn and fresh-squeezed lemonade.

Friends of Hopkinton (friendsofhopkinton.org) has been planning for close to a year, and the group welcomes anyone interested in helping this September or in years ahead.

“It takes a village to run this, and we would love to have new members of the committee to help with the planning, the day of, the website, social media and other things,” Maruska said. “There are so many things that people can be a part of, whether it’s a small or large part. We would love to have more activity from the community.”

Local HOSA team shines

A belated congratulations to the 34 Hopkinton students who took part in the HOSA-Future Health Professionals International Leadership Conference in Houston in late June.

In addition to an educational component, the conference featured competitive events, as students demonstrated their knowledge in various health-related categories.

Barbara Wagner made it to the final round in clinical nursing, and the team of Kaizar Rangwala, Pranamya Keshkamat and Shaurya Patni finished in the top 10 in medical innovation.

Hopkinton representatives at the HOSA-Future Health Professionals International Leadership Conference in Houston pose for a picture.

Other competitive event categories included community awareness, health career display, health education, job seeking skills, public health, and researched persuasive writing and speaking.

“All students competed in their chosen events, attended multiple workshops and seminars, participated in tournaments and had a great time learning more about health professions while meeting students from around the world,” shared Hopkinton High School HOSA Club advisor Marjorie Billeter, who teaches anatomy and physiology. “We also had the opportunity to visit NASA Space Center in Houston. It was an incredible experience for all involved.”

Hopkinton was well-represented in community service awards. Syesha Sen earned an American Red Cross Volunteer Service Individual Gold Level Award. Shrihitha Sunkara and Nandita Ramesh earned the Barbara James Service Gold Award for completing more than 250 hours of health-related community service, Anish Kulkarni received the Silver Award for 175-plus hours, and Anna Noroian, Piyusha Majgaonkar, Haasini Yarram, Annika Chan, Anagha Kulkarni, Rithikaa Vigneshwaran and Snigdha Marapally earned the Bronze Award for 100-plus hours.

Lifelong resident Guthrie turns 70

Carol (Drowne) Guthrie

A happy 70th to lifelong Hopkinton resident Carol (Drowne) Guthrie, whose birthday was Aug. 30. According to her daughter Patricia, Carol was born during Hurricane Carol in 1954 — in the car on the way to the hospital — which is how she got her name.

Carol lives in the house on Saddle Hill Road where she was raised. She used to run an in-home day care, which allowed her to stay home with her two daughters, Patricia and Sandra, and she later became a pre-K teacher at the former Golden Goose Academy in town. She also took care of her handicapped brother.

Carol, who used to enjoy going to Colella’s Supermarket on Main Street (where the CVS now is located, for those new to town), works part-time at Price Chopper.

“Through all of life’s challenges, she’s been everyone’s rock,” Patricia shared. “She is fierce, kind, positive and so much more!”