PORTLAND—
On Monday, February 13, at South Portland’s Marriott Hotel, Maine’s credit unions made a major announcement on the success of their efforts towards “thawing” out hunger in Maine in 2011 at the ‘Thaw to End Hunger’ Celebration Event. At this annual event, credit unions were recognized for their success in raising the most funds ever for the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger, and the official, record-breaking total was announced. The total raised in 2011 was $446,929.56, an increase of nearly $45,000 over last year’s record. In addition to raising a record-setting amount in 2011, the Campaign also surpassed the $4 million milestone in funds raised since the Campaign began 22 years ago.
Three credit unions with ties to York County placed in the Top 25 in Total Funds Raised and Highest Per Member Contributions: Saco Valley CU, which has branches in Saco and Waterboro; York County FCU, which has branches in Biddeford, Saco, Sanford, North Berwick and York; and PeoplesChoice CU, which has branches in Biddeford, Saco, Sanford and Wells. Also, Ocean Communities FCU, with branches in Biddeford, Kennebunk, Saco, Sanford and York, and Shaw’s Employees FCU of Wells, participated in the fundraising Campaign.
“The generosity of the over 615,000 credit union members in Maine is extraordinary,” explained John Murphy, President of the Maine Credit Union League. “This marks the sixteenth consecutive year that the Campaign has raised a record-setting total, and the milestone of the Campaign surpassing the $4 million mark in funds raised since the Campaign began—a remarkable effort in such a challenging economy.”
The celebration was a luncheon event, and featured an address by award-winning author Ernest Thompson. In addition to giving the keynote address on community-service and the “can do” attitude and the “neighbor helping neighbor spirit” he learned from spending nearly every summer in Maine, Thompson helped to unveil the big check announcing the total raised during the 2011 Ending Hunger Campaign. Thompson also had his picture taken with representatives from each credit union in attendance and presented them with certificates and envelopes containing the total funds each credit union has to distribute in their own community.
Ernest Thompson won an Academy Award and Golden Globe for writing the classic film, On Golden Pond, which is based on Thompson’s summers at Belgrade Lakes in Maine. On Golden Pond was named by the American Film Institute as one of the Top 100 romantic films of all-time.
Since 1990, the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger has raised more than $4.3 million to help end hunger in Maine.
About the Maine Credit Union League
Formed in 1938, the Maine Credit Union League is the State Trade Association for Maine’s 63 credit unions providing a variety of services and products to assist credit unions in meeting the needs of their membership. For more information, please visit www.mainecul.org.
Photo Caption: York County FCU’s Brenda Robbins (second from left) represented her CU at the Luncheon announcing the record-setting results raised by the Maine CUs’ Campaign for Ending Hunger in 2011. Pictured with her are (l-r) Luke Labbe, Academy Award-winner Ernest Thompson, and John Murphy. (Courtesy Photo)
