LEWISTON – Fans weren’t as quick to make their usual mad dash to the snack bar or bathrooms during the first intermission at Sunday’s Maineiacs game.

Many of the 2,000-plus who attended the game watched in wonder as team personnel stretched oversized bungee cords across the ice. They scratched their heads as cheerleaders lined up life-size bowling pins in front of the overturned blow-up house their beloved hockey players stormed through just 20 minutes before.

And after an exciting first period packed full of goals and penalties, the Androscoggin Bank Colisee erupted in cheers as Maineiac mascot Lewy became the first human to be propelled slingshot-like across the ice in a saucer for a good cause.

“We’re trying to raise awareness in our own backyard,” said Jason Hall, director of agency relations at Good Shepherd Food-Bank, sponsor of the human slingshot at Maineiacs games.

A new partnership between the Maineiacs and Good Shepherd calls for the special event to take place monthly through March 2009 in an effort to raise awareness and donations for the state’s largest food bank. Hall hopes the publicity ultimately leads to much-needed volunteers to help sort the massive amounts of food donated each week.

“There are people in the world who need more stuff. Some people can’t afford food, so it really helps to donate and help out,” said 12-year-old Ryan Hemenway.

He was one of two area youngsters lucky enough to join Lewy in being shot across the arena. But unlike Lewy, who missed all the bowling pins, the Poland boy took out five of the six blow-up pins.

Anyone attending home games on Oct. 10, Nov. 9, Dec. 14, Jan. 14, Feb. 22 and March 8, can enter to win a chance to be a human slingshot, donating either money or a food item at the Good Shepherd table near the entrance to the arena. Chris Manson, manager of promotions and merchandise for the Maineiacs, said team officials will choose at least two people to take to the ice each month as part of the promotion.

“We do a lot of different promotions,” Manson said of how the team partners with community programs. “We wanted to partner with the food bank because it’s well known in the community.”

The food bank looked to the public last month for help sorting food from Hannaford and other suppliers. Officials reported the decline in volunteer manpower made it tougher for the food bank to prepare for a fall and winter many predict will be plagued with high fuel costs and increased need.

“We’re trying to educate people. Too often, when people think of Good Shepherd, they think we’re just serving Androscoggin County. They don’t understand that we serve hundreds of communities across the entire state.”

Through its 600-plus agencies, the food bank distributes enough food each month to make about 1.5 million meals. Every dollar donated during the promotion provides five meals for Maine’s neediest families.

“A lot of people don’t have food and it’s good to know that you helped a lot of people,” said Jessica Roy, who was the second youngster to slide across the ice Sunday.

The 10-year-old Lewiston girl and her mom brought cans of food to the game.

As for her wild ride that took out four pins, Roy said, “It was really, really, really fun because you went really, really, really fast, and it was really, really scary at first,” she said.

For more information on Good Shepherd Food Bank, visit www.gsfb.org.

The Human Slingshot will be featured at the following Maineiacs games: Oct. 10, Nov. 9, Dec. 14, Jan. 14, Feb. 22 and March 8.