NORWAY — Norway Savings Bank has recently donated a total of $36,500 to area school programs, as well as a housing project and an environmental organization, both based in Norway.

The bank donated $10,000 in October to Viking FUNds, named in honor of the Oxford Hills School District’s mascot. The program pays for field trips at elementary schools throughout Maine School Administrative District 17, benefiting students at schools in Norway, Oxford, West Paris, South Paris, Otisfield, Harrison Hebron, and Waterford.

The latest donation brings the total to $40,000 since January 2023. The money has sent children on field trips to over 20 locations around New England, from Maine Wildlife Park in Gray to the Freedom Trail in Boston.

Meanwhile, cohorts of students from Bethel and surrounding towns have in recent years participated in a pilot program at Bryant Pond village in Woodstock  that aims to expand horizons, increase self-resilience, and showcase leadership skills for young people in rural communities. An ongoing supporter of the University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Bryant Pond, the bank is fully funding the experience for students at Telstar Middle and High schools in Bethel from 2022-27, including a new $20,000 contribution in October.

Also in October, bank representatives presented Scott Vlaun, executive director of the Center for an Ecology-Based Economy, with a $5,000 check to benefit the Norway Equitable Housing Cooperative.

Additionally, the bank recently donated $1,500 to the Lakes Association of Norway, the steward of Sand Pond, Hobbs Pond, North Pond and Lake Pennesseewassee.

The bank also recently contributed $5,000 to Portland-based Family-Owned Business, which has provided information, resources, and guidance to enable Maine’s business-owning families to prosper and achieve their fullest potential.