Despite all the world renowned characteristics of the Shriners – the guys in little cars; clowns; marching bands and bagpipers; and the celebrated Shrine Circus – perhaps the most visible in Maine, as well as arguably the most important, is the annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic high school senior all-star football game. Sponsored by the Kora Temple in Lewiston, this is their only fundraiser from which 100% of the net proceeds is entirely dedicated to the Shriners Hospitals for Children, a unique network of 22 pediatric facilities dedicated to the treatment of a variety of orthopaedic conditions, spinal cord injuries, cleft lips and palates, and burn injuries, always without financial obligation to the patients or families. And certainly nothing better exemplifies the overarching purpose of the Shrine, founded in the 1870s to provide a new avenue of “fun and fellowship” to members of the Masonic movement.

Dedicated to the premise that, “Strong legs run so that weak legs may walk,” the Lobster Bowl has raised over $375,000 for Shriners Hospitals. Between five and six thousand people attend each year, plus 88 players, 16 coaches; parents and fans; and for the past 11 years, 45 cheerleaders and 10 cheering coaches per year. The 22nd annual game is scheduled to be played on Saturday, July 23, at Waterhouse Field in Biddeford.

“The Biddeford community has been a great host,” said Lobster Bowl general chairman, Tim Luttrell. “Fan support has been outstanding – this is their Super bowl! The athletic director, the boosters, the entire community – they just can’t do enough for us. They have been terrific,” he added.

The Maine State Coaches Association selects graduating senior players from around the state who have been nominated by the high school coach. All participating players and cheerleaders raise $300 each to help offset the costs of a week-long residency-based training camp. Five hundred people attend the awards banquet held the night before the game, when training camp breaks. For the past five years, the Lobster Bowl has also hosted an alumni golf tournament in what has become a successful effort to re-engage past players, cheerleaders and coaches back into the effort to support the Shrine’s dedicated philanthropic endeavor. Since their inception in 1922, the Shriners Hospitals for Children have treated a three-quarters of a million kids at no charge.

This past summer, the Lobster Bowl partnered with the Maine Games and hosted Maine’s segment of the NFL’s Punt, Pass and Kick competition for the first time. There were more than 40 participants and the fan-favorite passing finals were held on the field during halftime. Winners have the chance to advance to regional and national competitions.

“The game and all of the celebration surrounding it are as much about raising awareness of The Shrine and Shriners Hospitals, as about raising money,” Luttrell explained. Since its founding in 1872, the Shrine has focused on combining fun and fellowship among Master Masons, members of the ancient order of Freemasonry, with a dedication to good works.

The philanthropic mission of the Shrine was redefined to focus on the needs of children with particularly devastating orthopaedic conditions more than 80 years ago, and hundreds of Maine kids, along with tens of thousands from throughout New England and the entire continent have benefited from this particular dedication and expertise.

“The game has been a way to recognize some of the best athletes the state has produced, attract attention to the Shrine fraternity and especially to the hospitals. We have been fortunate to receive outstanding media coverage, as well. It has really come to represent the best of what Shriners are all about,” Luttrell added.

An active Board of Governors that meets 10 times a year manages the classic. The board is actively engaged in forming a formal Alumni Association, and is trying to track down 21 years’ worth of former players and coaches. The Lobster Bowl has assumed a life of its own, and while it has come to transcend the Temple, which continues as its sponsor, it continues to provide a unique bridge between the Fellowship, the hospitals, and the larger community of Maine.