MEXICO — With a fresh coating of snow and a cold wind, the 23rd annual Blessing of the Sleds was held Saturday at Mountain Valley Middle School.

The event was hosted by the Mexico Trailblazers Snowmobile Club and the Poodunck Snowmobile Club in Dixfield.

“This is our biggest fundraiser for the year,” Jon Holmes of Poodunck said. “It’s how we get money to pay for our groomer insurance, repairs to the machine, and regular trail maintenance.

At Saturday’s Blessing of the Sleds ceremony in Mexico, State Sen. Lisa Keim, R-Oxford, presents a Legislative Sentiment in memoriam of Susan R. Holmes, who died unexpectedly on Jan. 6, to her husband, Jon Holmes. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times

“If you ride our trails, we need your support. Club members spend a ton of time working on the trails, especially after a wind storm and new snow. Plus the hours spent in the drag machine and signing the trails,” he said.

Fr. Nathan March of the Parish of the Holy Savior in Rumford performed the blessing.

Following the blessing, people gathered in the lobby of the school for the raffle drawings.

Advertisement

Before those drawings, Rene Chartier, treasurer for the Poodunck Club, spoke about how vital Holmes and his wife, Susan Holmes, have been for the sport of snowmobiling in Dixfield.

State Sen. Lisa Keim, R-Oxford, read a Legislative Sentiment in memoriam of Susan Holmes, who died unexpectedly on Jan. 6. The document was then presented to her husband.

The document noted that Susan Holmes was an avid supporter of Dirigo athletics and helped to raise money with the Booster Club to support high school athletes.

Later in life, she became a staunch advocate for the study and treatment of Lyme disease in Maine. She also volunteered her time to the town Planning Board.

The Legislative Sentiment was co-sponsored by Rep. Richard Pickett of Dixfield.

At Saturday’s Blessing of the Sleds ceremony in Mexico, Elliot Knox, vice president of the Mexico Trailblazers Snowmobile Club, accepts the donations as Fr. Nathan March, right, of the Parish of the Holy Savior in Rumford performs the blessing. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: