WINDHAM – The Maine McDonald’s® Owner/Operator Association presented its fourth annual Maine McDonald’s Spirit of the Game Award to Stacia Caron of Presque Isle High School and James Blanchard of Windham High School, the organization announced in a press release. The student-athletes received their awards at the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches Awards Banquet on March 9 at Husson University in Bangor. In addition, the recipients each received a $500 Spirit Scholarship to assist with their higher education needs.

The 2009 Spirit of the Game Award recipients Josh Titus and Patrick Thibodeau assisted in presenting the awards which are named in their honor. The East Division Award is the Joshua Titus Spirit of the Game Award and the West Division Award is the Patrick Thibodeau Spirit of the Game Award.

East Division recipient Stacia Caron has served as the manager of Presque Isle High School’s girls varsity basketball team for four years and the girls varsity soccer team for three years. As team manager, Stacia has overcome physical challenges and has kept the teams’ scorebooks at away games – all with perfect penmanship. Opposing players can’t help but smile back at this small, joyous girl giving them high-fives in the post-game line-up. In 2010, Stacia was presented with the Athlete of the Week award for being an exceptional girls soccer team manager, an award that traditionally had been given only to players.

West Division recipient James Blanchard has loved the game of basketball since he was little. Overcoming the challenges of autism, he has been a member of the Windham High School varsity basketball program for four years. He has had the opportunity to play in several games, often times in the last minute of the game. And, to the delight of the fans and his teammates, James always scores a basket.