RUMFORD – A combined $10,000 grant from the town of Rumford and the Bangor Savings Bank Foundation will pay for the River Valley Growth Council to develop a marketing DVD.

Another $5,000 grant from Bangor Savings to Med-Care Ambulance Service will pay to begin an outreach program in the SADs 43 and 21 elementary schools focused on injury prevention.

The grants were announced Thursday afternoon.

“We’re excited to have this community and municipal support,” said Rich Allen, growth council president.

Planned for launch in 2009 is a DVD that will include information about area touting its medical and educational facilities, businesses, and opportunities.

The DVD will allow changes as necessary, said growth council Vice President Richard Lovejoy.

It can be sent to people requesting information about the area and be available as a link on local Web sites.

Allen said the title of the DVD is “Come for a Visit, Stay for a Lifetime.”

Dean Milligan, director of Med-Care, and Laurieann Milligan, Med-Care’s community outreach coordinator, said their grant will be used to buy Risk Watch, a national school curriculum used to teach children how to prevent injuries.

Whether Med-Care employees or classroom teachers will teach the information will be determined after Med-Care representatives work out a plan with school officials or nurses.

“This will be a good start,” said Laurieann Milligan.

The ambulance service eventually wants to provide similar education for all grade levels.

The program is expected to begin sometime in early 2009.

Kelly Greene, manager of Rumford’s Bangor Savings Bank branch, said the bank’s foundation, made up of employee contributions and banking funds, provided $1.1 million to improve health, education, culture and the economy throughout the state this year.

“We want to help the local economy,” said Greene.

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