SACO

Donations for pet drive include food, leashes

The Hampton Inn’s Saco Hampton Cares team is holding a two-week pet food and items drive from Friday through March 3 to benefit the Kennebunk Animal Welfare Society.

Items being collected include wet and dry dog food, cat food, pet treats, collars, leashes and harnesses. Donations can be dropped at the Hampton Inn lobby, at 48 Industrial Park Road.

For additional information, contact Melissa Lannon via email at sacohamptoncares@gmail.com or go to Facebook.com/SacoHamptonCares.

PORTLAND

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Churches raise $13,000 to help combat hunger

Maine Catholic Youth raised more than $13,000 and collected hundreds of food items during a “Souper” Bowl of Caring event benefiting local charities who help tackle hunger in the community.

Participants were: St. Michael Parish of Augusta, $2,820; All Saints Parish of Brunswick, $2,175; St. Bartholomew Parish of Cape Elizabeth, $1,247.45; St. Gregory Church of Gray, $695; Good Shepherd Parish of Saco, $4,328.60; St. Maximilian Kolbe of Scarborough, $1,247.45; and St. John & Holy Cross Parish of South Portland, $1,247.45.

WELLS

Parents may now enroll youths in kindergarten

The Wells-Ogunquit Community School District will accept kindergarten registrations during the month of March for parents who wish to enroll their children for the 2019-20 school year. Children ages 5 on or before Oct. 15 are eligible to register to attend school this fall.

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Enrollment forms are available to complete online at http://bit.ly/weskinder. Click on “2019-20 Complete Packet.” Completed forms and necessary documents should be dropped off by March 29 at the Wells Elementary School office from 8 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Copies of the forms also are available by calling 646-5953.

A parent information night, for parents of incoming students, also will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. March 28 at the Wells Elementary cafeteria. Child care is not available.

WESTBROOK

Anti-hunger campaign aids 285 organizations

Credit unions from across Maine gathered in Freeport recently to celebrate the end of the Maine Credit Unions 2018 Campaign for Ending Hunger. The initiative, backed by all of Maine’s 55 credit unions, raised $787,360, more than $40,000 beyond the amount raised in 2017.

All funds raised by the campaign stay in Maine and support local food banks, pantries, nonprofits and schools. About 285 organizations received financial support last year.

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Maine State Credit Union in Augusta was the “Top Credit Union Fundraiser,” raising more than $83,000, and Gardiner Federal Credit Union was awarded first place for “Highest Per-Member Contributions.”

STATEWIDE

High schoolers advance to WorldQuest nationals

Lake Region High School has been named the top high school team at Academic WorldQuest 2019 by the World Affairs Council of Maine and will represent the state at the nationals in Washington, D.C., this spring.

Teammates Madison Cohoon, Olivia Thompson, Andrew Gianattasio and Adam Ranco, coached by Scott Nye, competed against 14 school teams for the honor in the challenging global knowledge competition.

Hosted by the Council on International Educational Exchange, 120 student competitors answered questions in six categories: North Korea, space policy, NATO, global migration, World Trade Organization and current events.

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Lake Region won first place and was awarded a $4,000 travel stipend to attend the national contest. Students from the winning team got a $2,500 scholarship for study abroad.

Thornton Academy teammates Dex Ho, Madeline Nguyen, David Nguyen and William Tuong, coached by Mike Nelson and Tom Rackmales, were runners-up in the high school division. The top community team was Unum, with the Maine International Trade Center as runner-up.

GORHAM

With $150,000, bank helps grant 79 wishes

Gorham Savings Bank recently wrapped up its wish tree program, granting 79 wishes totaling $150,000. The initiative, called the GSB Wish Tree, marks the bank’s 150th anniversary.

Gorham Savings Bank team members showed up at branches to surprise unsuspecting individuals and families. The wishes granted include: for the son and grandchildren of a Windham man who has been battling ALS for 11 years to visit him at Christmas; funds to help pay for a new handicapped-accessible van for three brothers from Gorham with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease; gymnastics classes for a 9-year-old Kennebunk girl who has experienced many hardships; funding for local backpack and school meal programs; heating assistance for 10 local families; restoration of running water for a Parsonsfield farmer whose wife recently died; airfare for a Topsham woman to fly to Vietnam for her son’s wedding and to meet his wife; Strive University tuition for a Scarborough boy with autism; and a karaoke machine for a 4-year-old Windham boy who recently lost his sister to cancer – they loved to sing together.

To learn more, visit gorhamsavings.bank/wishtree.