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For two years running, WGME CBS 13 has hosted School Spirit Challenges at high schools across southern and central Maine to raise funds and collect food for the Good Shepherd Food Bank. Maine’s Credit Unions have sponsored the winter season of School Spirit Challenges for the second time this year, every Friday morning at 6:00 a.m. between January, 9, and February 27. On Friday, March 6, the winning school was announced and the efforts of Maine's credit unions received lots of airtime.
It was announced on Good Day Maine last week, that the first place winner was awarded to Gould Academy in Bethel after raising 108,618 pounds of food for Good Shepherd. The first runners up went to Saint Dominic Academy in Lewiston for 75,883 pounds of food raised. Additionally, the second runners up went to Kent’s Hill School in Readfield for 64,571 pounds raised.
At the celebration and announcement of the winner, Jon Paradise, VP of Governmental & Public Affairs for your League, was interviewed about the connection of Maine's credit unions to ending hunger. "Since 1990, Maine's credit unions have come together to help end hunger in Maine, an effort that has raised $5.9 million including a record-setting $552,000 in 2014. Credit unions are about helping their members and their communities, and making sure that people have enough to eat is an important part of that. We congratulate the winners and all of the schools who participated. It was great to see schools and communities get involved with so much enthusiasm and spirit."
In addition to the winning school receiving a trophy from Good Shepherd Food Bank, Maine's credit unions presented a check for $1,000 to be used towards financial education to the winning school.
In four seasons, the School Spirit Challenge as has provided more than 1 million pounds of food to help end hunger in Maine.
Resources:
WGME CBS 13 and FOX 23 Winter 2015 School Spirit Challenge Recap