KRISTI! A Town Extends an Enthusiastic Welcome!

It’s been a year for women’s sports and it has certainly been a year for Franklin Olympian, Kristi Kirshe, daughter of Greg and Kathy Kirshe, who grew up in Franklin and officially was welcomed home by the town with ceremony and festivities on the Common Tuesday evening.

With a crowd of hundreds waiting expectantly for her arrival, they were not disappointed when a motorcade of public safety vehicles from the Fire Department and Police Department, led by a pair of motorcyclists, appeared coming down Main Street from the direction of the Brick School.

With a cacophony of horns and sirens and dazzling emergency lights, the crowd erupted when Kristi was spotted leaning out the window of a police vehicle and smiling and waving. The whole assembly made a full lap around the Common and returned to the Main Street side to deposit Kristi, where she was met by family and a niece bearing an American flag to escort her to the stage setup adjacent to the town bandstand.

Kristi herself was beaming the whole time as she walked among well-wishers.

On stage was MyFM 103.3 DJ, Ray Auger, Franklin Recreation Director Ryan Jette, Town Councilor Debbie Pellegri, and State Rep. Jeff Roy.

Each took turns congratulating Kristi and both Pellegri and Roy delivered proclamations from their respective legislative bodies. State Senator Becca Rausch also provided a proclamation but was unable to attend. Jette, instead, read her remarks to the crowd.

The event as a whole lasted more than an hour and was covered by Franklin TV and other news media.