Carlton and Lucille Lepage Sedgeley donated $1 million to support the construction of a new behavioral unit at St. Mary’s Health System. Submitted photo

LEWISTON — There is nothing Carlton and Lucille Lepage Sedgeley take more seriously than access to mental health care.

It explains why the couple recently donated $1 million to St. Mary’s Health System to support the construction of its new adult behavioral inpatient unit.

“We grew up in Lewiston-Auburn. While we moved away at a young age, we always felt a strong connection to the community,” the Sedgeleys said in a statement released Friday. “Giving back, especially for this cause, is critical for the well-being of everyone. Through our careers we’ve become close to many people who’ve struggled with behavioral health diseases, and we have learned how vitally important it is to have strong services in place.

“We also have seen how the stigma associated with behavioral health can drag someone down even further. We hope through our gift and through this campaign that the stigma associated with addiction and mental health problems will be lessened. Nobody should ever feel ashamed of having any kind of medical problem, including these.”

Carlton Sedgeley and Lucy Lepage were raised in Auburn and graduated from Edward Little High School. In 1967, they formed the Royce Carlton Agency, one of the most successful speakers’ agencies in the world.

Clients included Pulitzer Prize winners, news correspondents, authors, scientists, actors and various thought leaders as well as several speakers on issues of behavioral wellness. The Sedgeleys sold their company to ICM Partners in 2017.

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“We are thrilled to be contributing to St. Mary’s campaign,” said the Sedgeleys, who now live in New York City. “St. Mary’s has been at the forefront in behavioral medicine since the late 1960s. However, its inpatient care facility must be in alignment with the skills of its exceptional staff. It will be when this is finished.”

St. Mary’s is in the process of selecting a construction company to build the new unit. It will be in a newer part of the hospital, according to officials.  

“Their gift has energized our efforts and will have a lasting impact for patients coming to St. Mary’s for help,” St. Mary’s Health System President Steven Jorgensen said of the Sedgeleys. “I am especially grateful to them for caring so much about the community where they are from.”

According to hospital officials, the total cost of the three-phase project is $12.5 million, with $6.5 million from donations and the rest financed. The announcement of the donation Friday begins the hospital’s public phase of the fund-raising campaign.

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