Community involvement in Maine and NH

Because community is our bottom line at Downeast Energy and Building Supply.

Downeast Energy and Building Supply, and our people, have a long history of giving time and money to community efforts in Maine and New Hampshire. We have always believed that this involvement is a critical component of our business. Whether education, arts, or human services, we pick projects that will benefit both our employees and the larger community.

Below are some examples of our involvement.

Annual Events

Moonlight Charity Challenge
Downeast Energy was the presenting sponsor of the 2010 Moonlight Charity Challenge. This year marked our seventh straight year as the lead sponsor. The 2010 Challenge was held on February 5th at Shawnee Peak Ski Area. 2010 marked the fifthteenth edition of the Moonlight Charity Challenge to benefit Camp Sunshine and Shawnee Peak Adaptive Ski Program. This years Challenge was in the form of a Ski-a-Thon. The goal was for skiers and snowboarders to make as many runs as possible from 2-7pm. With the help of all participants, nearly $22,000 was raised.

Sweetser Holiday Toy Drive
Downeast Energy participated again this year in Sweetser's. annual Holiday Toy Drive program and collected hundreds of toys at each of our locations. The toys were donated to the children and families served by Sweetser, Maine's most comprehensive behavioral and mental health care organization dedicated to serving children, adults and families.

American Cancer Society's-RELAY FOR LIFE
A number of Downeast Energy employees and their families participated in The American Cancer Society's Relay For Life which was held at the Brunswick, Maine High School athletic field on May 15 & 16. Close to 100 teams of 12-15 people participated in this years event. Downeast was excited to participate again this year as a Silver level sponsor. The Relay began at 5pm on May 15 and continued through the night and concluded at noon on May 16. Relay highlights included the Survivors Walk and the Luminary Ceremony, both held Friday evening. up to 1500 Relay participants, volunteers and survivors, made this years event one of the most successful ever!

16th Annual Downeast Energy Classic
Downeast Energy's 16th Annual Downeast Energy Classic was held on Monday, June 8th at the Brunswick Golf Club. The two beneficiaries if this year's tournament were Family Focus and Tedford Housing. The mission of Family Focus is to provide affordable, quality child care and education to children of working families in the Mid Coast area. The mission of the Tedford Shelter is to provide shelter and services to families and individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in mid coast Maine. Thanks to all participants who helped us raise $20,000 this year!

Ongoing support

Maine State Music Theatre
Downeast Energy is excited to share in the Maine State Music Theatre's 52nd season. 2010 marks the 19th year that Downeast will be a show sponsor. We are proud sponsors of My Fair Lady. Always...Patsy Cline, Chicago and Monty Python's SPAMALOT are this seasons other performances. We will also be sponsoring a children's show this year - Alice in Wonderland.

The Puffin Project - restored the nearly extinct Puffin to Maine
In the 1980's the Puffin Project was started by the National Audubon Society to bring puffins back to their historic Maine habitat. They are now successfully colonized on several islands. We have been a major sponsor from the beginning, and continue to fund one intern each year and the annual brochure for Puffin watchers. We are particularly proud of our involvement in a school education program used throughout the state.

Captain Puffin, our mascot
Nearly six feet tall, our puffin mascot appears regularly in all kinds of events and parades.

Projects

Mid-coast Hospital - a state-of-the-art regional hospital
Opened in December 2001, Mid-coast Hospital was the culmination of 5 years of effort. Dick Morrell, Co-Board Chair of Downeast Energy and Building Supply, is also Chairman of the Board for the new facility. The new campus was the final step in merging Bath General Hospital and Brunswick Regional Hospital, providing the region with state-of-the-art medical care, including cardiac and maternity units.

Joshua Chamberlain Memorial
Civil War hero and four-term Maine governor Joshua Chamberlain lived in Brunswick, Maine from 1856 until his death in 1914, yet there was no memorial to him in town. Downeast Energy and Building Supply took a key leadership and sponsorship role in remedying the omission. Joseph R. Query of Swanville was the sculptor; Todd Richardson was the landscape artist. The committee raised $150,000 to create the statue, which was dedicated on May 31, 2003, and build an endowment for its future care and preservation.
In July, 1863, Joshua Chamberlain led the 20th Maine regiment to victory in the battle of Little Round Top, at Gettysburg. Later he was chosen to accept the surrender of the Confederate infantry's arms and flags at Appomattox, where he gave the controversial order for Union soldiers to salute the defeated troops.