Attendees take part in the activities provided at last year’s “Fuel Rally” in Scarborough. Contributed / Photo by Ember Earl Photography

This year’s Keep Our Neighbors Warm Fuel Rally will take place at the Scarborough Public Library on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon.

The nonprofit Project GRACE puts on the fundraiser annually to raise money to supplement the cost of heat for families in need.

“Our goal is to raise $25,000 to put into our fund for mostly oil, but also kerosene, wood – anything that heats people’s homes,” said Bert Follansbee, president of the nonprofit’s board of directors.

That $25,000 is enough to purchase about 7,000 gallons of oil, which can serve about 70 families, according to the Scarborough-based nonprofit.

There are plenty of activities packed into the two-hour event. “Chowder and chili and soup offerings, some fun things for kids and adults, raffles, crafts,” Follansbee said.

There will also be a bake sale, book sale, bottle drive and live music from the Hadacol Bouncers.

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New this year is a photo contest in which attendees can bring photos in for judging with prizes on the line.

“We’re going to have a little gallery for people to look at and check them out and we’ll have a few judges to award some prizes,” Follansbee said.

The Fuel Rally consistently either hits or comes close to its $25,000 goal, and Follansbee said that’s due to the sheer volume of “great support from the community with a whole bunch of civic organizations and groups helping us at the actual event and also supporting the whole effort.”

The Scarborough Police and Fire departments have hosted the event in past years and will once again be present at the 13th annual rally. Project GRACE, which stands for Granting Resources and Assistance through Community Effort, has been around for about two decades.

“Scarborough Public Safety is proud to partner with Project GRACE once again this year to assist in collecting donations from citizens to provide a helping hand to those who struggle to pay for home heating resources,” Police Chief Mark Holmquist wrote in an email. “Our police officers, firefighters and Volunteers in Police Services will be on site to greet citizens and facilitate the donations drop-off. We appreciate the generosity of our citizens in helping their neighbors in need during these difficult winter months.”

The Scarborough Public Library is delighted to host the event this year, as it has done in the past.

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Project GRACE is ubiquitous within the library through the many facets of our partnership,” said Library Director Chip Schrader. “We always jump at the opportunity to host the Fuel Rally. This event has a monumental impact on Scarborough citizens and strengthens our community’s bond.”

Follansbee urges all community members to attend the rally, donate and take part in the activities they have to offer.

“It’s one of those events that’s very affirming to see the support of our neighbors in town,” Follansbee said. “We don’t have as many opportunities for that as we used to and this is just a really nice way to see that in action.”

This year’s sponsors and leadership donors are KCV Trailer Rentals, Town and Country Federal Credit Union, Woodin and Co., Modern Woodman Fraternal Financial, Scarborough Chamber of Commerce, Piper Shores, Katahdin Trust, and West Scarborough United Methodist Church.

This year’s partners are the town of Scarborough, Scarborough Fire and Public Safety departments, Scarborough Public Library and Friends of the Scarborough Library, Scarborough Lions Club, Volunteers in Police Service, Scarborough Rotary, Kiwanis Club of Scarborough, Scarborough Historical Society, Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center, and Scarborough Community Services.

For more information on Project GRACE, go to projectgracemaine.org. For more information on the Fuel Rally, go to fuelrally.org.

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