PREBLE STREET RECEIVES $4,000

Organizers of Maine Restaurant Week recently donated $4,000 to Preble Street in Portland for food and supplies. These funds were raised through two signature events during Restaurant Week, March 1 through 10, including the Cold River Vodka Maine Bartenders Bash and the Sea Dog Brewing Co. Incredible Breakfast Cook-off.

KIDS LEARN ABOUT WATER’S VALUE

Poland Spring marked World Water Day on March 22 with the delivery of Project WET education kits to nearly 300 fourth-graders in School Administrative District 6, including schools in Hollis, Buxton, Standish and Limington. The kits contain materials that help teach students the importance of water and using it sustainably.

EVENTS AID HANDICAPPED SKIERS

The 20th annual Eat the Heat Cook Off and 25th annual Ski-A-Thon, held the weekend of March 27-28 at Sunday River, helped raise more than $300,000 for Maine Handicapped Skiing. This is the third-largest amount ever raised during this benefit for the nonprofit. As part of the ski-a-thon, 115 teams of five submitted pledges they had raised and participated in various activities at the resort. This is the organization’s largest source of revenue. The same weekend, the 20th annual Firefighters Race was held. The Auburn Fire Department claimed first place by a margin of .29 seconds.

EGGS DONATED TO FOOD BANK

Maine egg farmers gave the Easter Bunny a hand this year, as Radlo Foods and Dorothy Egg Farms donated more than 108,000 fresh brown eggs from New England to Good Shepherd Food-Bank just before Easter weekend. For the third year in a row, United Egg Producers and Feeding America are teaming up to fight hunger, and egg farmers across the country have donated truckloads of protein to food banks. The partnership in Maine and nationwide will help feed the nearly 49 million Americans who are at risk of hunger.

BENEFIT FOR CANCER RESEARCH

In honor of a colleague battling cancer, Town & Country employees, family, friends and members walked and raised money for the 12th annual Mary’s Walk in Saco. They raised $7,700 at the March 28 event. Proceeds from the walk go to the Maine Cancer Foundation to help fund cancer research in Maine.

HANNAFORD HELPS CAMP SUNSHINE

Camp Sunshine, a national retreat in Casco for children with life-threatening illnesses, received a $50,000 donation from Hannaford Bros. That money will provide a free week at camp for 40 children with cancer, along with their families, in 2010. Since 2006, Hannaford and the Hannaford Charitable Foundation have collectively donated $200,000 to Camp Sunshine, with previous funds going toward the addition of a second floor to the camp’s main building. The completed second level now features a teen center, library and parents’ discussion room.