CREDIT UNIONS DONATE

The Maine Credit Union League held a ceremony, “The Giving of the Green,” on St. Patrick’s Day, donating $20,000 to the Good Shepherd Food Bank through the league’s Campaign for Ending Hunger. The donation is the largest one-time donation ever made and represents Maine’s credit unions’ 20 years of raising funds to end hunger. The donation was given in memory of JoAnn Pike, the founder of the food bank, and will benefit hunger organizations throughout Maine.

GARDENS AT EVERGREEN

The Friends of Evergreen received $5,000 each from the Rines Thompson Fund of the Maine Community Foundation and the Davis Family Foundation Cultural Arts Grant. The funds will be used to develop a master plan for the 6-acre Brentwood Parcel, adjacent to the Brentwood Gates in the Evergreen Cemetery in Portland.

The cemetery is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Recently, the city entered a lease agreement with Deering Center Neighborhood Association, allowing the group to use a 21⁄2-acre parcel as a community garden for five years. The next public meeting of the planning advisory board is scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, at the Wilde Memorial Chapel in Evergreen Cemetery.
For more information, contact Cynthia Loebenstein, vice president of Friends of Evergreen at 774-1812.

KINGS SUPPORT ALLAGASH PROJECT

The Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation has awarded a grant to the Allagash Alliance for the Literacy Project. “An Allagash Haunting, The Story of Emile Camille,” written by Tim Caverly, former Allagash Waterway supervisor, and illustrated by Frank Manzo, will be distributed to schools across the state. The story takes readers along the journey of 10-year-old Olivia as she travels this legendary canoe route. The project started last fall, encouraging students to learn about their home state. Private donations as well as funding from financial institutions, Lions clubs and rotaries, provided books to schools in the towns of Bethel, Medway, Millinocket, Katahdin, Lubec and Whiting.

STORE SUPPORTS BIDDEFORD HIGH

The new Cumberland Farms location at 564 Alfred St. in Biddeford celebrated it’s grand opening with a fund raiser to support the repairs being planned to Biddeford High School. The company donated 20 cents from every “ChillZone” beverage and cup of coffee sold at the new store, with the goal of raising at least $1,000 for the renovation fund. By the end of the fund raiser, a total of $1,169 was donated.

DERBY RAISES $2,500

The Second Annual Ray Haskell Ford & Hafford’s Restaurant Ice Fishing Derby raised $2,500 for the Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers, a nonprofit agency that operates Maine’s longest-running adoption program. The event has raised $6,500 over the past two years. The derby helps to raise awareness about the agency’s services and the funds support adoption services, as well as counseling, teen parenting programs and early childhood care.

OAKIE JOINS WINTERKIDS’ FUN

Oakhurst Dairy joined with WinterKids recently during the “Welcome Winter Event” at Payson Park in Portland. The day was an opportunity for kids who may be new to the area to see how much fun snowy outdoor activities can be and to encourage them to be active and healthy throughout the year. Children tried sledding, snowshoeing, snow forts and other recreational activities they may not normally have the chance to try. Oakhurst provided milk and chocolate milk at the park for the kids to enjoy while they ran and played, and mascot Oakie joined in and made a few sledding runs himself.  Outdoor activities – with or without snow –- are an important part of an active childhood, and Oakhurst supports WinterKids efforts to make sure every child has the opportunity to experience them.