AUBURN — The Auburn-Lewiston YMCA kicked off their annual fund campaign, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, at a breakfast event held at Fish Bones Grill in Lewiston on March 13. The event was hosted by chef and owner of Fish Bones Grill, Paul Landry, who sits on the Auburn-Lewiston Board of Directors.

The event marked the start of the 12-week annual fund campaign that includes 50 community volunteers whose goal is to raise $70,000. The campaign provides financial assistance for individuals and families to access YMCA programs and services. Over the last year, the dollars provided by the campaign allowed more than 600 people to participate in life-changing services that they could not otherwise afford.

The kickoff event was opened by Mark Anthoine Sr., president of the Auburn-Lewiston YMCA board of directors, who welcomed the 50 attendees and thanked the volunteer campaigners for their dedication to the YMCA mission.

The campaign is being led by four team captains, Laura Garcia, Richard “Dick” DuBois, April Joyce and Brian DuBois. Dick DuBois was also recognized as the high fundraiser in last year’s campaign.

Brian DuBois, executive director of the Auburn-Lewiston YMCA, introduced the Neighbors Helping Neighbors campaign video that showed the impact the YMCA is having on various people in the community from young children to seniors, scholarship recipients to donors.

Walter Jackson Jr., an 11-year-old from Lewiston, attended the kickoff with his parents, Trena and Walter Sr. The campaign funds have been important to the Jackson family as the YMCA helped to send Walter Jr. to summer camp while his parents were at work. In the video, young Walter talks about being at camp instead of staying home all summer. “At home, I just sit and watch TV but at camp, I’m doing a whole bunch of activities, I get to have fun.”

Brian DuBois reinforces the purpose of the campaign in the video and asks for community support, “To ensure that everyone regardless of age, income or background has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive; we need your help.”

For more information, contact Kristin Melville, development director, or Brian DuBois, executive director, at 207-795-4095, [email protected] or [email protected] respectively.