Mark Flaherty is a multifaceted man. He is: A painter, an amateur photographer, a former model, a philanthropist, and overall good Samaritan. And, he’s humble, because if you met him at TK O’Malley’s for a beer, you wouldn’t hear him talk about any of that. Instead, he’d be flanked by friends who just want to laugh it up with ‘Flap’. (Guess we can add ‘entertainer’ to his list of credentials).

For the last few months you’ve probably seen Flaherty posting signs and coordinating tents at the Scituate Farmers’ market that takes place every Wednesday from early summer to end of October (or maybe even November if the weather holds out!). The market, which has grown from a handful of vendors to over 15 this year, has been getting a lot of attention in the local papers, as it is a venue for farmers, fishermen, bakers, and craftspeople to sell their fresh fruit and vegetables, just-caught lobsters, baked goods, and even some apparel and jewelry.

What most people don’t realize, however, is, if it were not for Flaherty, there would be no Scituate Farmers’ Market.

Over a year ago, he was chatting with his friend Angelle Trafton who was thinking about selling her handmade jewelry from her front porch.

“You don’t want people in your house,” Flaherty remembers telling her. Instead, he decided that between her jewelry and his vegetable garden, they could start a Farmers’ Market. So he showed up at the Tuesday night selectmens’ meeting and made the pitch.

They liked it, and now we have it, thanks to Mark--- and, he is quick to point out, thanks to  Angelle and Jessi Lane, who were with him in the beginning, and are now in charge of ‘running the show’ every week.

Mark shows up to lend a helping hand when he can, but he is busy with his business, Flaherty Painting, which he’s owned for 20 years. He is a trusted businessman on the South Shore, where he grew up. In fact, the Flaherty history here runs deep, dating back to the 1800s when two South Boston Flaherty families moved to Scituate. In 1997, the year his son was born, Mark and his wife, Liz, bought his grandfather’s house. (Mark’s brother, Tom, bought their father’s house and took over his plumbing business).

The tight-knit Flaherty clan are familiar faces in Scituate. And, they care about this town and the people in it.

A perfect example is when Mark took a painting job at the Hoffman house. Here he met Ricky, then a two-year old kid. Over the years as Ricky grew up and Mark continued to paint at the house, the two formed a close bond. Then, Ricky was diagnosed with a brain tumor that turned out to be cancer.

Ricky died last year, at age 11.

People cry when a child dies. They go to the funeral. They hug the parents and hearts break. Mark did all that. And then he started the Ricky Hoffman Foundation. Set up in affiliation with the Knights of Columbus, Ricky’s fund is for any kid in town who needs help.

Mark, together with Ricky’s parents, manages the fund. And, he’ll continue to help whoever and whenever he can, because, he says: “I like to be involved.”

Thank you, Mark, for getting involved and making a difference.

To donate in memory of Ricky, contact:

The Ricky Hoffman Foundation

c/o South Shore Coastal Bank

54 Front St.

Scituate, MA 02066

781-545-5500

By Stephanie Neil

Stephanie Neil is a journalist. Her business, technology, and human interest stories have appeared in a variety of print and online newspapers and magazines including eWeek, Managing Automation, The Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Huggies Baby Network, South Shore Woman, and The Boston Globe.  She lives on the South Shore with her two kids, two cats, and a dog. Contact info: stephanieneil@comcast.net  or 781-378-1652. Follow her on Twitter @StephanieNeil