Biathlon countdown calendar
moved to Katahdin Trust
PRESQUE ISLE — With less than 100 days remaining until Aroostook County welcomes 350 of the world’s top biathletes to the region, the most visible reminder of the coming event has a new home. The official 2014 IBU Youth/Junior Biathlon World Championships countdown calendar has been relocated to the outside of the Katahdin Trust Co. office on the corner of Main and North streets in the Star City.
Photo courtesy of Jason Parent
THE OFFICIAL 2014 IBU Youth/Junior Biathlon World Championships countdown calendar has recently been relocated to the Katahdin Trust Co. location on the corner of Main and North streets in Presque Isle. Now with less than 100 days remaining, excitement is building for the coming event.
With the recent announcement that Katahdin Trust Co. has come on board as one of the two leading supporters for the large-scale winter sports competition, members of the event organizing committee felt locating the calendar, marking the days left to go before the event starts, at the bank was ideal as the event draws ever closer. Committee members felt the location offered a number of strategic advantages, including the fact that it sits at the intersection where many area residents turn to drive out to the Nordic Heritage Center, the site of the coming World Juniors.
“We are so pleased with the partnership we have with Katahdin Trust Co. This is just another example of their commitment to the 2014 IBU Youth/Junior Biathlon World Championships, and further underscores their appreciation of the significance of the coming event to the economic development of our region,” said Event Director Jane Towle. “We are most grateful to the management and employees of Katahdin Trust for their willingness to host and maintain the countdown calendar.”
Employees at Katahdin Trust’s Presque Isle branch have officially adopted the countdown clock and will change the numbers each day until the event starts Feb. 28, 2014. According to company officials, this is both consistent with the strong spirit of community engagement amongst Katahdin employees and a great way to build excitement for the coming event amongst staff, customers and the community.
“Our team of employees at Katahdin Trust Co. are fine examples of what people far and wide know to be true of people from Aroostook County. They have an incredibly strong work ethic and are committed to the betterment of their community,” said Vicki Smith, senior vice president of marketing and communications. “We look forward to sharing with our county friends and neighbors the enthusiasm that is growing within our organization for the coming 2014 IBU Youth/Junior Biathlon World Championships.”
The countdown clock is prominently displayed on the northwest corner of the bank building and is clearly visible to motorists traveling south on U.S. Route 1, as well as to those turning onto and exiting North Street. The sign has been placed nearby an existing outdoor light fixture on the building to help make it visible at night.
The original location for the championships countdown calendar was in the corner windows on the third floor of the former KeyBank building on State and Main streets in downtown Presque Isle. The recent move of KeyBank to their new location further north on Main Street required a new home be found for the sign.
The original installation of the countdown calendar was made possible through a partnership with KeyBank and the United Way of Aroostook. United Way of Aroostook staff members, whose offices until just recently were located on the third floor of the building, maintained the sign, changing the numbers regularly, beginning at 365 and until their recent move when 118 days remained before the event start.
