AUGUSTA

Children’s advocacy group announces Giraffe Awards

The Maine Children’s Alliance announced its list of 2015 Giraffe Awards winners, who are community members that “stick out their necks” as advocates, service providers and policy-makers who routinely go above and beyond their job description to invest their time, energy and talent on behalf of Maine children and families.

Sue Mackey Andrews will receive the Director’s Award for promoting policy change and advocating for Maine children and families through her role on the Maine Children’s Growth Council and as co-founder and co-facilitator of the Maine Resilience Building Network.

Judith Feinstein, of the Maine CDC Oral Health Program, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for consistently finding ways to improve oral health for Maine children.

Jim Wellehan, president and co-owner of Lamey Wellehan, will receive the Corporate Award for developing and promoting workplace policies that work for Maine families.

John Woods and Full Plates, Full Potential will receive the Organization Award for their work to alleviate student hunger in Maine.

Nakia Dana, education resource coordinator for the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township, will receive the Individual Award for advocating for greater school resources and collaborations that help students achieve better futures.

My Place Teen Center, a free after-school program that serves Maine’s most vulnerable youth, will receive the Youth Award for providing children with food, resources and a place to grow and develop.

Donald Sanders, a School Administrative District 75 bus driver, will receive the Out-of-the-Box Award for founding the innovative Bus Book Bags literacy project that pairs student riders with fresh reading material.

The awards ceremony is set for Oct. 27 in Lewiston. It is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased on the Maine Children’s Alliance website at www.mekids.org.

ELLSWORTH

Woodlawn Museum receives $4 million matching grant

Woodlawn Museum, Gardens & Park has received a $4 million matching grant from a private foundation to support its Campaign for Woodlawn to fund a multipurpose facility on the 180-acre estate.

The building project will provide space for Woodlawn’s educational and recreational programs; visitor services; and events, exhibitions and organizational support. It will also provide the community with needed space for gatherings, meetings and functions.

The project’s estimated price is $8.2 million.

Donations to the Campaign for Woodlawn can be sent to: Woodlawn, P.O. Box 1478, Ellsworth 04605. For more details, call 667-8671 or go to www.woodlawnmuseum.org.

BRUNSWICK

Auburn writer, teacher wins MWPA scholarship

Brandon Dudley has been named the winner of the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance’s inaugural scholarship for a member to attend the fifth annual Slice Literary Writers’ Conference, set for Sept. 12-13 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Dudley is a master of fine arts candidate in fiction at Sierra Nevada College. He is a former journalist who teaches English at Edward Little High School in Auburn.

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