Brenda Davis receives a plaque from Luke Labbe, President/CEO of PeoplesChoice CU, a member of the Maine CU League’s board, and chair of the Maine CUs’ Campaign for Ending Hunger, at an event to announce the record-breaking final totals from the 2007 Maine Credit Unions’ Ending Hunger Walking Tour.

Officials from the sixth annual Maine Credit Unions’ Ending Hunger Walking Tour announced last Thursday that the tour visited a record-setting 52 communities and made contributions to 52 food pantries, one in each community, and covered 755 miles on foot, also a new record.

At a special ceremony at the Maine Credit Union League, Maine’s credit unions recognized the hard work and dedication of Brenda Davis, executive director of Cross Roads Ministries in Old Town, a food pantry that serves thousands in eastern Maine, with a special plaque and also announced that this year’s tour set new records by raising and contributing $25,000 to the cause of ending hunger.

In Cumberland County, the tour visited and made contributions in Brunswick, Falmouth, Gorham, Portland, South Portland, Scarborough, Westbrook and Windham.

In recognizing Davis and announcing the results, Luke Labbe, president/CEO of PeoplesChoice CU and the chair of the Maine Credit Union League’s Social Responsibility Committee, which coordinates the tour, remarked, “There was a common theme this year, the need for food assistance is on the rise and the need for help is great. From Kittery to Fort Kent and everywhere in between, the rising costs of everything from fuel to food has taken its toll on thousands of Mainers.”

Started in 2002, the tour is an effort on the part of Maine’s credit unions and Davis to build awareness about the problem of hunger in Maine during the month of November, which has been designated as Ending Hunger month. In its six years, the Tour has raised and contributed more than $115,000 to the cause of ending hunger, and covered 4,000 miles. The Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger has contributed more than $100,000 to the Walk since it began in 2002.

Formed in 1938, the Maine Credit Union League is the State Trade Association for Maine’s 67-affiliated credit unions providing a variety of services and products to assist credit unions in meeting the needs of their membership.