The United way of Mid Coast Maine’s fundraising campaign announced at its fundraising campaign finale Thursday afternoon at Bowdoin College that it has met its goal by raising $1,915,702.

“This campaign makes it possible for people who are hungry to get food, poele who are sick to get care, people who are isolated and lonley to get companionshiop and rides, youth who are at risk to get mentors, and children to get the very best start in life,” said United Way board chair George Reichert.

This money raised should make it possible for about 20,000 Mid-coast residents to improve their education, financial stability and health over the coming year, Reichert said.

Campaign Chair Larissa Darcy, regional vice president of The Bank of Maine, said the United Way works on the core building blocks of education, financial stability and health for a better life. Any and all dreams start with a solid foundation, Darcy said. “You can build anything and you can build everything once you have that solid foundation.”

Also present at the finale and standing for an ovation were local community members featured in the United Way video who talked about how service offered by its partner agenices impacted them.

Nicole of Wiscasset, her husband Marc and 5-year-old daughter Willow were among them. After the finale, Nicole said her daughter attended Head Start last year and the family partook in Read with Me offered by Tri-County Literacy.

“It enabled all of the parents to get together, they received a book at no cost and we were able to get together and discuss the book and different methods on how we woudl introduce this book to our children and what htey woudl enjoy about it,” Nicole said. “It was really a group where we got together and got jazzed about reading with our kids.”

During one of those meetings, the Wiscasset Adult Education came to meet with the group, “and it opened my eyes to see how easy the avenues to get to a secondary school were,” said Nicole. “Now I’m all enrolled and I’m going to the Univeristy College of Bath/Brunswick, and it was painless. I had so many quesitons. I knew I wanted to go to college but I didn’t know where to start. It was very intimidating.”

Thanks to the connections made with the adult education program that broke those barreiers down, as her daughter attends her first year in public school, she’s attending college now: “I’m going for my bachelors in mental health and human services with my minor is psychology.”

L.L. Bean Inc. won United Way’s overall Campaign Excellence Award. The Workplace Division Awards went to FHC Inc. of Bowdoinham and awards went to Ray Labbe & Sons of Brunswick for the Commerce and Industry Division; Bowdoin College for the Education Division; Bath Savings Institution and Bath Savings Trust Company for Finance & Professional Firms Division; Lincoln County Healthcare, Health Division; the Starlight Cafe, Local Business Division; Independence Association, Public Service Division; and BIW Operations Division for the Bath Iron Works Division.

Bath Iron Works contributed more than $700,000 to United Way this year, more than any Mid-coast organization.

“Over 5,000 employees who work in different departments, locations, and shifts, have come together again, on behalf of our community,” Darcy said of BIW. “Thousands of people will be able to improve their lives because of this generosity. We owe you so much, and we are so grateful to you.”

The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to the Mid Coast Health Services United Way Campaign Team. Christina Hanson, Tricia Olson and Cindy Metivier worked with senior leadership surpassed the team’s fundraising goal and raised $92,000.