Helping Others

Email message from Matt Cunningham:

It is hard to believe that it’s been more than a year since he passed. For me, not a single day has gone by where I have not thought of him and wished for a different outcome.

I am writing to you today because I thought you might be interested to learn about a collective opportunity to memorialize Alexander in a meaningful way that I think he would appreciate, and in a manner that will not only recall his joyful spirit and many passions but – most importantly – will also serve to help others who share the burden of substance addiction.

The idea, specifically, is to sponsor the construction and outfitting of a fitness center to be located at Enders Island in Stonington, CT. For those of you who are not familiar with Enders Island, it is an 11-acre island off the coast of Mystic, Connecticut and the site of St. Edmund's Retreat. As a 501(c)3 religious nonprofit, Enders Island is dedicated to the work of spiritual care, recovery from addiction, and education in a variety of fine arts within the Christian tradition.

One of the principal missions embraced on the island by The Society of St. Edmund is to enable individuals to discover the means of living a sober, balanced, joyful, peaceful life—free from the imprisonment of addiction, and they provide post-rehab residential recovery services for young men who form a community of mutual support and lasting recovery. Moreover, Alexander spent time here in retreats, and I know he found his visits there to be comforting.

Linda and I have already contributed funds to plant a peach tree** with a memorial stone near the soon-to-be-built Kenyon Recovery Cottage on Enders Island. The total cost to construct the recovery cottage and prepare it for use is $2.5 million. The Cottage will include single rooms for up to 12 residents in recovery as well as two apartments for residential counselors and a long-term resident. There will be a great room for programs, an ADA compatible unit, seating areas, and bathrooms. Further, the plans create a library/study space as well as a one-on-one counseling room. Although the Society of St. Edmund has yet to determine the specific cost to build and equip the Cottage’s 300 square-foot fitness center, I think it is safe to presume that such a number will contain at least 5 digits, if not 6 (and that’s to the left of the decimal point).

Please know that there is absolutely no pressure for you to respond, let alone contribute to or participate in the required fundraising, as Linda & I intend to ensure the realization of the Alexander W. Cunningham Fitness Center in any event. Please reach out to me directly by phone/text or email if this is an idea you’d like to learn more about or if you already know that you’d like to join us as we move forward with this opportunity (instructions for donating by check or online are below) to add Alexander’s name to a place/program that just might help turn around, or even save, someone’s life and prevent a loss of the sort we’ve all been enduring for the past year+. You can also feel free to share this with anyone you think might want to know more about what the plan is.

I am attaching a couple documents that further describe the activities at Enders Island and the proposed construction. I also encourage you to visit their website (www.endersisland.org) for more information about the Society of St. Edmund and the impact of their Recovery Residence Community. Thanks for your attention to my message, which I hope finds each of you in good health and spirit, and I look forward to the next time we speak.

With shared fondness and love for Alexander,

Matt

** WHY A PEACH TREE? That was one of the choices offered, and Alexander and I shared freshly picked peaches shortly after he witnessed my last disc golf hole-in-one on 08/08/21. The good luck he brought me that day was discussed the last time I spoke to him (08/19/21) when he reminded me we’d need more fresh peaches to be available if it was to happen again.

A fund called The Alexander W. Cunningham Fitness Center has been set up to which friends and family can donate. Checks should be made out to St. Edmund's Retreat and they should put the name of the fund in the memo line so that we can allocate their donation to it. Mailing address is St. Edmund's Retreat, Attn: Deb Neuman, PO Box 399, Mystic, CT 06355.

To donate online visit:

https://www.endersisland.org/donate

Be sure to add a note on the donation form that the gift is for The Alexander W. Cunningham Fitness Center.