Matthew Turnbull’s ‘Livin’ the Dream’ Scholarship Benefit

By Theron Larkins
Staff Writer
    CARIBOU, Maine — The Caribou Inn and Convention Center will be host to the second annual Matthew Turnbull’s Livin’ the Dream Scholarship Benefit held on Saturday, March 13, from 7 p.m. until midnight. The benefit will begin with a social and silent auction at 7 p.m., with a dance following from 8 p.m.-midnight.
The Livin’ the Dream Scholarship benefit is in honor of Matthew Forbes Turnbull, who passed away at the age of 23, after being involved in a tragic automobile accident on his way to work, on Nov. 8, 2012.    Turnbull was a New Sweden native, who graduated from Caribou High School in 2007. He then went on to begin studies at Northern Maine Community College, where he focused on welding and commercial truck driving.
In memory of Matthew, his parents, Alan and Lynn Turnbull, along with the rest of the Turnbull family, decided to establish a scholarship endowment for community college students choosing to embark on a trades education, at NMCC.
Two scholarships will be awarded annually to aspiring NMCC students, pursuing an education in the trades the Presque Isle-based campus has to offer.
On the eve of the anniversary of Matthew’s passing, the Turnbulls were invited to attend the annual meeting of the NMCC Foundation. There, Alan and Lynn listened to the testimonies of scholarship recipients, learning what this legacy would surely provide countless young people in the future.
One of Matthew’s favorite bands was northern Maine’s own Common Crossing, whom he avidly supported. The band will be playing the Livin’ the Dream Scholarship Benefit in honor of all that Matthew stood for when it came to giving back to his local area.
Those who knew Matthew considered him a kind and generous spirit, who had an unmatched enthusiasm for life. He was someone always quick to deliver a joke and a smile, as he would often tell those who asked how he was doing that he was “living the dream.” It was a phrase Matthew adopted as his own, and to this day, the legacy of those words lives on through, not only the memory of Matthew, but those close to him who continue to work tirelessly and dedicate their efforts to a scholarship endowment that will hopefully continue to help NMCC students. Those scholarship recipients will, in turn, help contribute to the community.
The goal is to grow the endowment to support a full semester for  two students annually to encourage County students to achieve an education that will directly benefit a community struggling to combat the outward migration of graduated college students.
The benefit will have a $10 cover charge. All proceeds from the event will benefit Matthew Turnbull’s Livin’ the Dream Scholarship Endowment, as founders of the endowment urge everyone to please join in supporting education through Matthew’s spirit of giving in The County.