GRAY – Almost all large-scale public events are only possible through the generosity of major donors. But it is special when that generosity is homegrown.

Such is the case with Saturday’s Crystal Lake Ice Fishing Derby in Gray, where the main sponsor is the Liberty Family Foundation, a Gray-based charity established last year that funnels money toward worthy projects in town, most of which revolve around recreation.

The benefactor behind the foundation is Michael A. Liberty, who grew up in the Dry Mills section of Gray, next to Crystal Lake. Though he travels often, Liberty still maintains his primary residence on the lake, in a large, gated home across from the entrance to the Maine Wildlife Park.

The 50-year-old Liberty is a well-known real estate developer who was born and raised in Gray, graduated from Gray-New Gloucester High School and still attends St. Gregory’s Parish.

Liberty made a name – as well as a fortune – for himself beginning in the early 1980s investing in government-subsidized housing. He taught himself the intricate ins and outs of the real estate business and gradually branched into other fields. His most recent endeavor is Mozido, a cashless banking system that drastically cuts transaction fees for people wiring money.

According to Liberty’s cousin, April Liberty, who acts as president of the foundation, the Crystal Lake Derby is a cause close to the foundation’s heart.

“Mike became very successful and now has come back to his roots, and using that success he has now returned it, through the foundation, to the kids who really don’t have much and try to enrich their lives in different ways,” April Liberty said.

While Michael Liberty has been donating to causes in Gray “for years and years,” his cousin said, “the foundation makes it much more centered and now we have volunteers able to direct the funds and find the best needs for the funds.”

The foundation has donated more than $50,000 toward this year’s derby, most of which would go to the angler who catches a specially marked trout that was dropped in the lake earlier this week. The large prize purse and the numerous other donations are welcome, especially since the foundation is a local group, said derby founder Todd Bagetis.

“As event coordinator, we’ve had a lot of sponsors,” Bagetis said. “Finding a lead sponsor, even in this difficult economic time, was pretty easy to do. We’ve had a lot of interest. But we selected the Liberty Family Foundation because they’re really easy to work with. They have a vested interest in the community. They’re from the community. They cherish it. They have good hearts and make things a lot easier.”

While his sponsorship has ramped up this year, Liberty was a silent sponsor of the derby last year, as well.

“The night before the event last year was the first time I met him,” Bagetis said. “He thanked me for putting this on and he asked me a little about the charities. I told him about the charities, and I know this is amazing but he ripped out a checkbook from his back pocket, wrote a check for $10,000 and he said, ‘Here you go, this is for the charities.’ And I said, ‘I don’t have any banners, I can’t promote you.’ And he said, ‘No, I’m just doing it for the cause. I don’t need any attention.’

“The general public doesn’t know that. He was actually the biggest donor last year.”

Richard Liberty, Michael’s first cousin and April’s father, confirmed Liberty’s sizeable derby donation last year, saying that helped spark organizing a foundation.

“Michael gave $10,000 last year, and subsequent to that – because Michael’s been doing a lot of this kind of philanthropy for years – we established the Liberty Family Foundation to create a conduit for all these various activities he’s been involved with,” he said.

Formative years

According to friends of the Liberty family, Michael Liberty doesn’t get home to Gray very often due to business, but his roots in Gray are deep and have helped form his personality.

Jason Wilson, owner of Wilson Funeral Home in Gray and a childhood friend of Liberty’s, said the businessman started giving quietly starting when he first made it big back in the ’80s.

“He bought the first Nautilus weight system for Gray-New Gloucester High School in 1983,” Wilson said. “He’s sponsored lots of (Gray) Parks and Rec programs. He helped pay for the basketball court behind Newbegin Gym. He’s given money to people no one knows about.

“So what he’s doing now is really nothing new. He’s done things quietly, and as his fortune has grown he’s just doing more and more with it.”

Wilson credits Liberty’s parents and church for the philanthropist’s giving ways.

“It was his environment,” Wilson said. “His mother, May, and (her friend) Agnes Forsley, and other women at St. Gregory’s helped a lot of people in Gray. So, St. Gregory’s Parish was a big influence. He had a strong group of female leaders that always helped out people around town who needed it. And he saw that influence.”

Wilson also believes Liberty’s work ethic, which has helped him amass his fortune despite some economic recessions along the way, came from his father, Arthur Liberty Sr., who owned a small business where Michael would work long hours as a kid.

“He was one of these guys who had a good work ethic all the way through. He worked hard. His mom and dad were normal people. They all had dreams and plugged away at it. It was rough, though,” Wilson said. “His dad ran a brickyard, a small family business. So that was probably instrumental on his business acumen.”

Former Gray state Rep. Sue Austin, who has attended St. Gregory’s her entire life, remembers Liberty in his younger years. She also remembers his mother May and aunt Cecelia as women always willing to lend a hand.

“As a young boy growing up, I think those two ladies probably had quite a bit to do with forming his sociability and caring and his being inclusive,” Austin said. “He’s a gentleman who likes to include everybody. If he’s going to do something, he’s going to get a lot of people involved. He’s not exclusive. That’s just his personality. And I think they had a lot to do with it.”

According to April Liberty, the Liberty Foundation also supports the annual Patriot Parents 5K road race, which benefits the Gray-New Gloucester PTO; the G-NG Youth Basketball Association; Fiddlehead Arts Center; and has begun handing out $1,000 scholarships for college-bound graduates of Gray-New Gloucester High School at the rate of 10 a year. He also supports individual sports teams and the G-NG athletic booster club, providing valuable infrastructure and subsidized equipment costs for poor families.

April Liberty is proud the foundation is able to provide sponsorship, but she’s hoping others follow their lead.

“The foundation’s efforts not only enrich the lives of the youth, it’s also calling for other civic leaders in the town and globally to try to do the same. It’s trying to inspire other servant leaders to stand up also,” she said. “Michael just really wants to bring the community together, because once the community is together they can do amazing things to help each other.”

Michael Liberty
April Liberty