I would like to thank the people of Poland Spring for donating bottled water for the third annual Jimmy the Greek Maine Mall 5K for Lyme Disease Awareness, which was held on Sunday, April 27 at Jimmy the Greeks South Portland restaurant.

Each year, more than 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to Centers for Disease Control, making it the most commonly reported tick-borne illness in the United States. The new estimate suggests that the total number of people diagnosed with Lyme disease is roughly 10 times higher than the yearly reported number. 

The State of Maine has one of the highest rates of infection and it is crucial to have events like the 5K race to raise awareness about the disease. The bottles of water helped quench the thirst of those runners, walkers and other participants who turned up in force to help raise awareness about the disease and support the Lyme community, a community badly in need of such support.

Lyme disease receives so little support that to have the support of Poland Spring made a huge difference on the day, one that the Lyme community will never forget. We want the community to know how much we appreciate Poland Spring’s support.

-Angela Coulombe,Saco, co-founder, Lymebuddies, www.lymebuddies.com