Students to support Heidi’s Hope
EASTON, Maine — With summer winding down and harvest fast approaching, winter preparation is well underway across The County. In Easton, however, there’s a bit of a different spin on preparation as local middle and high school students get ready for a series of projects that will not only benefit the town, but will strengthen the students’ connections to the unique community in which they live.
Easton students are among a throng of young people across the county who are lining up to participate in the first ever Heidi’s Hope Serve-a-Thon, a community service effort developed by the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative (AAI). Heidi’s Hope is an annual event, which this year takes place Oct. 18. This unique project provides the opportunity for students to come together on a variety of community service projects and to raise money for scholarships for county kids.
In Easton, the projects focus on repairing, restoring, organizing and creating. The first involves cleaning up the town’s largest, oldest and most historic cemetery, Estes Park. Many of the graves are those of Civil War soldiers. Inscriptions on the tombstones provide an opportunity to take a walk through history while helping preserve the heritage of the community. The students will help document the graves and create maps to upload to the web so they can be included in genealogy search sites.
The second project involves the town’s first one-room schoolhouse. Students and adult volunteers will spend the day cleaning and organizing the historic building and boxing its treasures.
Those with an eye for detail or an interest in government might prefer helping the town office staff with filing, shredding and cleaning the building that houses the town’s government functions and records — a perfect project for those students who are unable to do the more intensive, outdoor labor.
Finally, for those with an artistic inclination, students will be creating handmade Pick-Me-Up cards to distribute to the volunteers for Heidi’s Hope and to help town and school officials, and non-profit organizations across The County, spread a little unexpected cheer. This is the only project that will be done at all eight pilot schools. The project goal across Aroostook County is to make 3,000 cards.
“Adults love receiving cards from students. It is amazing how just one can change the whole course of your day,” said April Flagg, AAI executive director. “We hope to offer some of that cheer throughout Aroostook County. At some time in our lives, we all need a little pep for our step. These cards, handmade by students in Aroostook County, are a perfect pick-me-up.”
The Heidi’s Hope Serve-a-Thon honors Heidi Graham, who was AAI founder Ray Gauvin’s partner in Advantage Payroll Service for 26 years. Graham lost a two-year battle to breast cancer in 2013. The Serve-a-Thon honors her spirit and determination and her commitment to community service and education.
For additional information, please visit www.gauvinfund.org and click on the pink Heidi’s Hope tab.
