PORTLAND – The March of Dimes has presented the national Franklin Delano Roosevelt Leadership Award to William J. Ryan, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Banknorth Group Inc., at the organization’s annual testimonial dinner.

The national award has never before been awarded to someone in Maine and has only been presented a few times in the history of the national, nonprofit organization.

Banknorth Group also announced a $90,000 contribution to be given to the March of Dimes over the next three years through the Banknorth Charitable Foundation. The donation, which is for $30,000 a year for three years, will fund the organization’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Family Support Project at Maine Medical Center, which helps families who have a baby in intensive care. The March of Dimes will match the donation.

“Over nearly a decade, Bill (Ryan) has been an unsung hero within the March of Dimes, until tonight,” said Judith C. Soucier, director of the March of Dimes in Central Maine. “He is genuinely compassionate to others, and has as a priority that every baby has the chance to be born healthy.”

According to the March of Dimes, the award was established to honor those leaders who embody the vision and courage of their founder, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Presented few times in the March of Dimes’ 60-year history and never before this time in Maine, the award symbolizes the highest level of personal and professional commitment to the mission of the March of Dimes.

Ryan’s association with the March of Dimes began in 1990 when he served as the chairman of the organization’s annual WalkAmerica fund-raising campaign in Maine. Since then, he has supported the organization in a number of ways, including serving as the group’s spokesman in Portland. Ryan, a resident of Cumberland, serves on a number of boards, including as a trustee of Colby College, trustee of the Libra Foundation and on the Board of Advisers of the University of New England.

Nearly 300 members of the business community attended the testimonial dinner Sept. 30 at the Sheraton. For more information, visit the Web at www.marchofdimes.com/maine. More information on Banknorth can be found at www.banknorth.com.