Plymouth, Newfound communities come together for beloved police chief, teacher

PLYMOUTH — Police Chief Alex Hutchins and elementary school teacher Sarah Sanborn both suffered medical emergencies in late August, and the community is coming together for a basketball fundraiser on Oct. 17, to assist their families with unexpected expenses.

The event is Stronger Together: An Evening of Support for the Hutchins and Sanborn Families. The game will take place at Plymouth Regional High School, with doors opening at 5 p.m.

Third through sixth grade basketball players from both Plymouth and Newfound schools will square off, and at halftime, first responders and teachers will go head-to-head to raise funds.

According to organizer Krista Larsen, the event will be emceed by Fred Caruso and Amy Bates of Mix 94.1. There will be a chuck-a-duck game, plenty of food for sale, and a silent auction with more than $5,000 worth of donated items. The featured prize is a four-pack of lift tickets to Ragged Mountain Resort. There is also a six-month membership to White Mountain Karate, and donated items and services from a variety of other local businesses.

“These were both serious medical emergencies, and the funds will be able to help their families as they go through this,” Larsen said. “There has been an outpouring of support for them already.”

Both Hutchins and Sanborn are active and known in their respective communities. Hutchins, who is an Alexandria native, is known by many for working his way up the ranks to chief of the Plymouth Police Department.

Sanborn is not only a Plymouth teacher of 29 years, but also has three children in the school system, and is married to Plymouth Regional High football coach Chris Sanborn. She is also a Plymouth high school graduate.

“The event is one that shows how many people they have both affected, and we want to show how many people are coming out to support and encourage them,” Larsen said.

According to school Superintendent Kyla Welch, the community response goes well beyond the basketball game. There have been numerous other fundraisers put together to help the families in need.

“These medical incidents happened within days of each other,” Welch said. “It has been a pretty good hardship to have them in the hospital. Almost every weekend there has been something to help. This community shows up unbelievably.”

She said The Common Man donated food for a football game, and there were donation buckets put out at the entrance. There was also a bake sale at the beginning of September, and on Sept. 26, a 50/50 raffle at Movie in the Common sent funds to both families. Kosta Alexandropoulos of Plymouth's Yamas Greek Eatery shared on Facebook the restaurant raised $13,000 in a fundraiser last month.

Hutchins suffered his injury on Aug. 25, and immediately an outpouring of support through social media was apparent from regional law enforcement agencies. Police departments and communities statewide posted the following day, sending out prayers and words of encouragement.

Plymouth police and town staff both posted on social media about Hutchins and Sanborn, and thanked the public for their help.

“As many of you know, our police chief, Alex Hutchins, and our dedicated elementary school teacher, Sarah Sanborn, recently suffered truly traumatic injuries,” the Town of Plymouth posted on Facebook. “Their lives — and the lives of their families — were instantly changed by a single devastating moment. But out of that darkness, our community has shone brighter than ever.

“Every dollar raised, and every heartfelt prayer has been a powerful source of strength for Chief Hutchins and Sarah. These injuries demand a long and difficult road to recovery, but your unwavering support makes that journey possible. You have given them the peace of mind to focus on healing, knowing their families are cared for.”

Entry to the basketball game is by cash donation, but you don’t need to attend the event to contribute. Donations can be made to Camden National Bank, either in person or by mail, under the Hutchins Family Fund and Sanborn Family Fund.

For more information, log onto facebook.com/1964639494077460.