Pledge honors longtime local attorney Kirkpatrick
CARIBOU — Aroostook Savings and Loan recently presented Friends of Caribou Schools with a $100,000 pledge to support their campaign for the addition of a second gymnasium to the new RSU 39 school construction project.
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| Contributed photo
Aroostook Savings and Loan recently made a $100,000 donation to Friends of Caribou Schools to support the addition of a second gym and music room to the proposed RSU 39 building project. From left are Lynn McNeal, Friends of Caribou Schools committee member; John Swanberg, president of Aroostook Savings and Loan; and Sam Collins and Ron Willey, Friends committee co-chairs. |
The Friends of Caribou Schools committee is dedicated to raising funds for the expansion of the new RSU 39 PreK-8 school. The building committee has been working hard to establish a site as well as a building concept that will meet the future educational needs of the children of Caribou and the surrounding communities. An additional gymnasium is needed to greatly improve the school learning environment for the youth of Caribou and surrounding communities.
“The Board of directors has made the decision to partner with Friends of Caribou Schools and support the additional gymnasium project for two major reasons,” said John Swanberg, president of Aroostook Savings and Loan.
“First, the association strongly believes the construction of the additional gymnasium is necessary to provide our children and community members the necessary access to meet the current and future needs that the four gymnasiums currently provide for fitness, team sports and community events. Secondly, in celebration of Aroostook Savings and Loan’s 80th anniversary, the board wanted to honor someone who has done a great deal in helping our friends and neighbors in this community,” Swanberg said.
Therefore, he continued, the board of directors has pledged $100,000 in recognition of Hugh S. Kirkpatrick, a longtime community member, businessman and member of the Aroostook Savings and Loan Board for more than 50 years.
“Hugh grew up in Caribou and his five children were raised and educated in the Caribou school system. He has been a well respected attorney in the community for 56 years and has served our board with his expertise and great service for 52 years,” Swanberg said. “It is with great pleasure that we celebrate the association’s 80th anniversary and honor longtime board member Hugh S. Kirkpatrick by pledging the largest donation in the history of the association to benefit the youth of Caribou and our surrounding community members.”
Friends of Caribou Schools is a community group organized to build awareness and support for the addition of a second gymnasium and increased space for the music program to be incorporated into the design of the proposed state-funded RSU 39 school construction project. The committee is leading a campaign to generate the funding to pay for needed modifications that are not state funded.
According to the group, the estimated cost of the second full-sized gym and larger music space is approximately $2 million.
Swanberg urged businesses and community members to support the project.
“The modifications of the proposed new school design, to include an additional gymnasium and expanding music space, will greatly impact and benefit a greater number of our youth and future generations that are yet to come,” he said.
For more information, visit www.focsrsu39.wixsite.com/focs or call co-chairs Sam Collins, 492-0291, or Ron Willey, 496-4321.
