Want to see a fantastic show and help raise funds for a good cause at the same time? If your answer is "Yes!", then come see some of the area's headliners of the belly dance world perform in the fourth annual Belly Dance Karavan at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. This year's family-friendly Karavan fundraiser benefits accessibility improvements to Foxborough's oldest church building and the oldest building on the town common.

Arising from the culture of the Middle-Eastern world, belly dancing is traditionally performed at weddings and parties, as well as in the best nightclubs and theaters. This form of dance depends on fine muscle control of the torso, arms, and hips, and on interpretation of the music. Middle-Eastern dance is neither a tease nor a come-on nor are there nude dancers - it is family friendly! The dance is an expression of feeling: joy, love, sorrow, friendliness, passion, contemplation, and all the complex emotions of life.

Audiences of all ages will be delighted as the performers meld visually stunning costumes, intricate belly dance techiques, and popular music into their own creative interpretation of the song's story. For this show, Dorothea, Ioke, Aneckha, Sumora, Sabrina, Samantha, Ameena, Odalisque Dancers, LilaJolene, Rosalia, Troupe Shakti, Dobersheik Dames Tribal Dance Collective, Nehira, Neylan, and Kendal have chosen non-traditional music ranging from Bill Haley And His Comets to Wild Cherry to Gwen Stefani to Primus.

Dorothea is a talented teacher who has performed in numerous Rakassah Dance Festivals and performed her original "Pharonic Dance" at the grand opening of the Ramses Exhibit at the Museum of Science in Boston. An award winning choreographer and dancer, Sabrina is the House Dancer of the Middle East Restaurant in Cambridge. She is also a belly dance instructor and performs with several local dance troupes including her own troupe, The Odalisque Dancers.

Ioke is a forerunner of tribal fusion style and was the founder and artistic director of CAJISA (Boston's first tribal style troupe). Performing in Improvisational Tribal Style, the Dobersheik Dames Tribal Dance Collective blend Middle Eastern, Indian, Flamenco, North African, and a bit of sass into a unique dance experience. Recently appearing at Effendi's Mediterranean Grill in Cranston, Sumora is both a performer and teacher of belly dance. She also directs and choreographsTroupe Shakti.

There will be an intermission with light refreshments downstairs. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; the show starts at 8:00 p.m. Tickets, available at the door, are $15 for adults, $10 for students, and $10 for seniors. There is a $30 maximum for families.

The dancers are donating their time and talent to the fundraiser. All proceeds will be devoted to accessibility improvements to the historic Foxborough Universalist Church building which will allow more people to access community events held at the church. If you need directions to the venue (Foxborough Universalist Church, UUA, 6 Bird Street, on the town common/Route 140), or want more information about the show, please call the event coordinator, Sumora, at 508-561-4229.

"Belly Dance Raqs" promises something for all attendees. Come, join the fun on May 3, as the Belly Dance Karavan stops in at Foxborough's belly dancing oasis!

The Firehouse Band is bringing contemporary American folk music to the Coffeehouse On The Common located at Foxborough Universalist Church at 8:00 p.m., on Saturday, November 17, 2007.

The Firehouse Band consists of Carolyn Hotchkiss (guitar and banjo), Eric Semple (guitar and dobro), Sara Weeks (vocals), and Charlie Weeks (bass). The band performs unique renditions of songs by familiar artists such as: Cat Stevens; Elvis Costello; Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young; and Patti Smith. Their wide range of musical influences and tight harmonies make this group a must see for contemporary folk music fans.

This highly acclaimed band will play two 45 minute sets of popular folk music. Fairly traded Equal Exchange coffee, fresh baked desserts, and other refreshments will be sold during the show.

Tickets cost $10/adults, $7/seniors, $5/children, and $32/families and are available in advance via phone (508-543-4002), and will be available at the door on concert night. Tickets are also available in advance via Brown Paper Tickets by clicking here. At this time, Brown Paper Tickets accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

This is a family friendly event so bring the kids and bring your friends. The church is located at 6 Bird Street (on the common), Route 140, Foxborough, MA. Join us, sing along or listen, and enjoy refreshments as The Firehouse Band kicks off Thanksgiving week with a bang!

Foxborough Founder's Day 2007
June 9, 2007
Raindate: None for the Trolley Tours - the trolley tours are set to roll, rain or shine!^*

Foxborough was established and incorporated as a town on June 10, 1778. We have an annual event to celebrate this. In the morning, there's a large parade [after the annual pancake breakfast] with antique and current fire trucks from Foxborough and area towns, marching bands, a gaelic band, antique cars, town organizations [like us], the schools, floats, local politicians, and others. There are booths, displays, games, and tournaments at Booth Playground on South Street after the parade. The festivities end with a spectacular fireworks display.

Hop aboard for this educational, fun, and nostalgic trolley ride through town. The trolley will be departing from the Igo Administration Building / Igo Elementary School's South Street parking lot at noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., & 3 p.m. Click here for location of Igo School.

Tickets are on sale at Cindi's Jewelry Shop (40 Central Street) and The Little Shop (17 Bird Street) and cost 6.00 each.

All money raised through the Trolley Tours is being devoted to improvements to and preservation of our historic building, not religious programs. This year we are focusing on updating the ceiling and the floor in the sanctuary and making the church handicapped accessible.

 We are extremely thankful to the following businesses for their help, sponsorships, and/or donations last year and thank them for their generosity in helping us preserve our gem of Foxborough's history.

Bank of America, Benjamin Franklin Bank, Cindi's Jewelry Shop, Foxboro Furniture, Invensys-Foxboro, Judy's Village Flowers, Lake View Pavilion, The Little Shop (17 Bird Street), RE/MAX (The Real Estate Center), Rodman Ford, and Sandwich Lantern Works

Historical Trolley Tours
Past themes of our "Historical Trolley Tours" have included “The Churches Of Foxborough”, “Foxborough's Homes And Businesses Of The 18th And 19th Centuries”, "The Schools Of Foxborough: Then And Now", “Foxborough’s Straw Hat Era”, and "Around The Common, Around The Town". All money raised through the Trolley Tours is devoted to improvements to and preservation of our historic building, not religious programs.

"Restocking The Shelves"
Our revived monthly Foxborough Food Pantry drive donation box is in the Sanctuary - eagerly awaiting a can or box or two. All items collected will be donated to the pantry at the beginning of next month. Please donate if you can!

Accessibility Improvements
We are currently in the process of designing and constructing a ramp so the church will be more accessible to everyone in the community.

First Thursdays Peace Vigils
To further: the congregation's hopes, adherences to their principles, and a beginning step in their participation in the Action Issue, the Social Action Committee of the Foxborough Universalist Church, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation, will hold a Peace Vigil from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. the first Thursday of every month.

Everyone from the larger community is invited to participate - please show up during the hour and stay as long or as short as your schedule allows. There will be a sign explaining what we are doing. Candles will be provided.

For more information and directions, please click here.

Preserve Our Historic Building Fund
Using funds we raised in the past, particularly through the generosity of our trolley tour corporate sponsors (Dolphin Development, Fleet Bank, Invensys Foxboro, Rodman Ford, Sandwich Lantern, Bill Rehill DrivingSchool, Foxborough Savings, and Tree Tech Inc) and all of our trolley riders we replaced the roof on our wonderful old church in July, 2003, and replaced the stained glass windows in early 2006. We will continue our fundraising because our project list to preserve our historic building and part of Foxborough's history is long. Thank you all!

Party For The Planet

The Green Sanctuary Committee of Foxborough Universalist Church invites you to a "Party For The Planet" at the church from noon to 2:00 p.m. on April 14. As part of the nationwide "Step It Up 2007" campaign to get the general public, lawmakers, and businesses to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2050, the event will include fun and games, earth-friendly snacks, and music. There will also be informative pamphlets and information on how you can reduce your carbon footprint. Be a part of a nationwide effort, with thousands of others who want to spare our children from the disastrous affects of global warming. Come hold signs and wave to passersby with us adjacent the Foxborough Common and Rotary, spreading the word about global warming. This event is open to the public and we urge anyone who is concerned about the environment to join our "Party For The Planet". The Foxborough Universalist Church is located at 6 Bird Street (on the common), across the street from the hardware store.