HOULTON, Maine — It was another busy summer for volunteers in the Adopt-a-Block program, as the volunteer organization has wrapped up another full slate of activities culminating Aug. 28 with the unveiling of a new playground for area youth.
According to Tammy Goetsch, spokesperson for Adopt-a-Block, the playground equipment was erected thanks to many volunteer hours and donations from several local businesses.
The equipment was donated to AABA from the Houlton Recreation Department’s Just for Kids program when that group installed a new playground last summer. However, it took more than a year to get that repurposed playground installed.
“There really was nothing on this end of town for kids,” Goetsch said. “Plus during the summer, the Just for Kids playground is in use during the day for that program. Now there is an alternative for families.”
A private donation of $3,500 was given to AABA for groundwork construction of the playground and work was soon in motion piecing the metalwork back together. Unfortunately, that process took longer than expected because Goetsch lost the blueprints for how the set was supposed to look.
“It became a bit of a puzzle,” she said. “It was like a big erector set. The configuration is a little different than how it was at Just for Kids, but it looks great.”
A group of high school students from St. Catherine’s School in Norwood came to The County this summer and gave the equipment a fresh coat of paint. Additional equipment for younger children was also donated to the program.
In addition to the playground, AABA held its fifth annual “4 Boys Summer Camp” for three weeks in July, where participants hiked, swam, camped outside and went on field trips. “We teach about respect, community and choices that every person has in life,” Goetsch said. “Many of the campers who have aged out of camp are now coming back as junior mentors.”
AABA also received a donation from Darlings’ Auto in Bangor of a new Dodge Caravan to use for delivering goods and shuttling youth. The program also held its eighth annual Back to School Block Party, with a large crowd coming out to play games and receive clothing and other items.
Goetsch said the idea behind Adopt-a-Block originated from a trip Goetsch and others made to Los Angeles called “The Dream Center,” an inner-city program that provides assistance for those in need.
“Adopt-a-Block is not our idea, we just wanted to bring the idea to Aroostook County,” she said. “We have helped start programs in Mapleton, Bangor and even a group in Virginia. A lot of times when people mention Adopt-A-Block, they think we are just represented by Military Street Baptist Church. We have two churches who are big supporters — Military Street Baptist and Houlton Wesleyan.”
For more information about AABA, call 532-2783 ext. 102 or email aab@houltonmsbc.org.
