STUDENTS LEND A HELPING HAND

Additional Photos

Maine Health's Trek Across Maine riders included Sally Nason, Judy Gilman, Julie Osgood and Donna McGrew. Courtesy photo

Saco & Biddeford Savings funded Special Olympics uniforms for athletes like Alex Clark, left, Bob Daney, Scott Hanson and Melissa Knox. Courtesy photo

Kennebunk Savings employees celebrate the donation of $80,000 as part of the bank’s annual Customer Ballot. Courtesy photo

The fifth-grade class at St. Brigid School in Portland spent the day at a local Port Resources residence sprucing up the grounds. With help from their teachers, siblings, parents and Cheverus High School volunteers, they picked up the yard, weeded gardens and planted flowers.

HOSPITALITY FOR HABITAT

Hospitality for Habitat attracted a record number of travelers to Maine this spring. The program is designed by Maine Innkeepers Association to raise funds for Maine chapters of Habitat for Humanity through discounted spring room rates. Visitors to Maine during the month of May are offered discounted rates of up to 50 percent off in exchange for a donation of $35 to Habitat for Humanity. This year, 33 association member properties, with help from their guests, raised $21,5000 for the organization, exceeding donations from the previous years. Of that total, $13,435 was donated directly to local chapters.

EQUIPMENT DONATED TO LOCAL NONPROFITS

Organizations such as Bread of Life Ministries, Spectrum Generations, Children’s Center of Augusta, Augusta Angel Food Network, local Knights of Columbus, Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion groups and a new youth center all received donated restaurant equipment and supplies courtesy of cPort Credit Union. The credit union purchased the property of the former Bonanza Restaurant in Augusta, with plans to build another branch. Gene Ardito, president and CEO of cPort Credit Union, said he was pleased with the turnout and with the chance to donate useful restaurant equipment to organizations in need.

DUNKIN’ DONUTS DONATES

As the town of Yarmouth geared up for the Yarmouth Clam Festival, the Dunkin’ Donuts location in Yarmouth dubbed July 15 “Festival Run Up Day.” The location provided coffee and doughnuts to festival volunteers setting up and donated $5,000 in proceeds from that day’s sales to the festival. Main Street store owner Ed Wolak presented the check to festival director Holly Guy at the beginning of the Firefighters’ Muster, one of the festival’s original cornerstone events.

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS

Bob’s Discount Furniture, with 39 retail stores throughout the Northeast, announced “Random Acts of Kindness” in July throughout the state through Bob’s Outreach Program. Store customers were able to participate by donating to collection bins in the store’s cafe. The store randomly selected George E. Jack Elementary School and Bonny Eagle High School, both in Standish; Eight Corners School and Scarborough High School, both in Scarborough, and Governor John Fairfield Elementary School in Saco. In addition, Bob’s Discount Furniture donated $1,500 to Port Resources in South Portland and The Center for Grieving Children and the Wayside Soup Kitchen, both in Portland.

KEEP LOCAL FARMS

Hannaford Supermarkets presented a $10,500 check to the Keep Local Farms program, representing contributions made by market customers during the month of February. This donation will support the program and the 1,300 dairy farms that are members. These funds will be used to support the sustainability of local dairy farms in New England and ensure a supply of local, fresh milk and dairy products to the region.

BACK TO SCHOOL

DoSomething.org and Staples are teaming up for the third annual Staples/Do Something 101 national school supply drive. Supplies and donations will be collected through Sept. 18 and distributed to York County Community Action Corp., Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine and Youthlinks. Drop-off locations include Staples in Biddeford, Falmouth, North Windham, Rockland and South Portland. For more information, visit www.dosomething101.org/staples.

HAITI EARTHQUAKE RELIEF CONTINUES

Catholic parishioners donated during a special collection, enabling $472,806 to be sent to the Diocesan Missions Office to be forwarded to the National Office of Catholic Relief Services for use in Haiti. The Diocese of Portland has donated $164,428.85 directly to the office. Since an earthquake hit Haiti on Jan. 12, Catholic Relief Services has provided 10.6 million rations of food, given emergency shelter materials to more than 114,000 people, performed 960 emergency operations, and supported adults and children, many orphans, with food, water, sanitation, shelter materials and protection.

FLOWER POWER FASHION

The Kennebunk-Kennebunkport Chamber of Commerce presented the Maine Cancer Fund with $7,700. The donation consisted of proceeds from the chamber’s Flower Power Fashion Show, held in June, including $2,700 raised during the silent auction and $300 from a raffle of an original painting by area artist Tina Ambrose.

TEES AND TEXTBOOKS

The sixth annual Tees & Textbook event — held by the Maine Innkeepers Association, in affiliation with the Maine Innkeepers Association Education Foundation – raised money for scholarships awarded to 11 students this year. Named scholarships totaling $9,200 were awarded in a range from $500 to $2,500 to students entering a field of study connected to hospitality. More than $134,000 has been awarded to 230 students since the foundation was created in 1984.

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