From the left, Maine West members Mike Wilson, Northern Forest Center, and Brendan Schauffler, Oxford County Wellness Collaborative, present a check to Aaron and Amanda Ouellette of the Daddy O’s Acts of Kindness Foundation. Contributed
From the left, Maine West coordinator Mike Wilson, Northern Forest Center, presents a check to Kelly Porter for the RSU 56 school pantries at Dirigo High and Middle Schools. They are joined by, from left, RSU 56 Superintendent Pam Doyen and Maine West partners Allie Burke, River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition, and Brendan Schauffler, Oxford County Wellness Collaborative. Contributed
From the left, Maine West member Brendan Schauffler, Oxford County Wellness Collaborative, presents a check to Phil Merrill of the Woodstock Food Pantry. They are joined by, from left, rear, Maine West Coordinator Mike Wilson, Northern Forest Center, and Woodstock Town Manager Vern Maxfield. Contributed
OXFORD — Local community members recently met the Second Nature Adventure Challenge: to get active outdoors during school vacation week for some healthy fun and to generate $3,000 in cash donations to local food pantries.
One hundred seventy-seven people registered their visits to local trails, including winter hikes, walks, cross country ski trips and fat bike rides, between Feb. 12-21, surpassing the challenge goal of getting 100 people from the Oxford Hills, greater Bethel and the River Valley areas to participate.
Meeting that goal resulted in the Maine West delivering $1,000 checks each to three area food pantries. In the Bethel area, Woodstock Food Pantry in Woodstock; in Oxford Hills, Daddy O’s Act of Kindness Foundation, Oxford; and in River Valley, RSU 56 Food Pantries, Dixfield.
The Second Nature Adventure Challenge is a project of Maine West (mainewest.org), a partnership of local and regional organizations working to position rural communities in northern Oxford County as viable and attractive places to live, work, do business and raise families. In the fall, Maine West donated $6,000 to food pantries after Second Nature Adventure Challenge participants logged 709 outdoor activities. The group plans to continue offering challenges.
Maine West works across the Oxford Hills, River Valley and Bethel-Mahoosuc areas to provide network-based, collaborative programming in three focal areas: active communities, broadband access and adoption, and educational attainment and aspirations.
To learn more about the Second Nature Adventure Challenge, visit secondnaturemaine.com.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
