PORTLAND – Ten Maine high school graduates were awarded $2,500 each by Peoples Heritage Bank as part of the bank’s annual Peoples Promise scholarship program to reward Maine students for academic excellence and help offset their higher education costs.

Students receiving the $2,500 scholarships were: Ashley A. Barnard of Unity, Mount View High School; Jessica M. Belhumeur of Stockholm, Caribou High School; Katarina DeKhan of Westport, Kents Hill School; Zachary C. Drew of Lovell, Fryeburg Academy; Katelyn A. Hallowell of Caribou, Caribou High School; Ryan H. McIntyre of Waldoboro, Georges Valley High School; Cherelle J. Oakes of Dover-Foxcroft, Foxcroft Academy; Katherine A. Porter of Van Buren, Maine School of Mathematics and Science; Jenessa L. Vance of Windham, Windham High School; and Delwyn E. Webster of Vinalhaven, Vinalhaven High School.

Peoples Heritage Bank has pledged $250,000 to establish a 10-year scholarship fund to help young people in Maine attain marketable skills through education. The scholarships are being administered by the MES Foundation. This is the fifth year for the program.

Scholarship recipients also are offered a three-month paid internship at Peoples following their first year of post-secondary education. The Peoples Promise program also includes a school outreach program whereby employees volunteer more than 400 hours in classrooms throughout the year to teach more than 1,000 sixth-graders about economic concepts.

The annual Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race held in Cape Elizabeth also benefits a different children’s charity each year. This year’s race, which will be held on Aug. 2, will benefit Seeds of Peace, a group that promotes tolerance and understanding among youth around the world through its various camps, including one in Otisfield.

Peoples will provide a cash donation of $30,000 from race proceeds, and Seeds of Peace will further benefit from fund-raising opportunities and publicity valued at more than $40,000.