On Thursday, officials from NorState Federal Credit Union presented the management team for the Aroostook chapter of Special Olympics Maine a check for nearly $8,000.
The funds — $7,827.28 — were collected from the user fees of coin sorter machines, located at NorState branches in Presque Isle, Madawaska and Fort Kent in 2017. Every year NorState chooses one local charity to target and last year picked the County chapter of Special Olympics Maine.
The check was presented at a press conference held Thursday morning at NorState’s Presque Isle location.
Steve Richard, a member of the Special Olympics Maine management team for Aroostook County, said that the organization likely will use the money to buy hoodies, signs and banners with logos for their soccer, aquatics, basketball, and track and field teams.
“When you have over 300 athletes, it’s not always easy to make purchases like that, but we’re grateful that this donation will help us give back to the teams and that all the money will stay in Aroostook County,” Richard said.
NorState’s coin sorter user fees are 2 percent for members of the credit union and 5 percent for non-members. At the same press conference, NorState announced that United Veterans of Maine had been selected as this year’s charity to receive funds collected from coin sorter user fees throughout 2018.
United Veterans of Maine is a nonprofit organization located at 358 Washburn Street in Caribou that provides shelter, medical care and assistance programs to veterans who struggle with transitioning back into their community due to mental and/or physical health challenges and homelessness.
The organization, which relies solely on community volunteers, operates four duplex cottages to house homeless veterans and partners with numerous local agencies including the Aroostook Mental Health Center, Cary Medical Center, Loring Job Corps, Maine Veterans Home in Caribou and the Loring Development Authority.
“We have built great relationships with NorState over the past year and we’re glad that they chose United Veterans of Maine as their charity for 2018,” John DeVeau, director of United Veterans of Maine, said Thursday. “This is another great example of the community recognizing the importance of helping our veterans transition back into the community.”
Tammy Wortman, manager of NorState’s Presque Isle location, said, “NorState is always looking for ways to give back to our community and the fees from our coin sorter machines is one of those ways.”
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- NorState Federal Credit Union CEO Susan Whitehead presents Steve Richard, of the Aroostook County chapter of Special Olympics Maine, a check for $7,827.28 collected from the user fees for coin sorter machines at NorState’s Presque Isle, Madawaska and Fort Kent locations. During a press conference held at NorState’s Presque Isle branch on Thursday, Jan. 11, NorState announced United Veterans of Maine, a nonprofit organization in Caribou, as the donation recipient for user fees that will be collected throughout 2018. Participating in Thursday’s presentation are, from left, Michelle Blackstone and Carl Michaud, members of the Special Olympics Maine Arooostook management team; Brian Hamel, coach of the Special Olympics’ Snowdogs basketball team; Richard; Whitehead; Denise Duperre, NorState executive marketing director; and Tammy Wortman, NorState Presque Isle branch manager. (Melissa Lizotte)
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- Officials from the NorState Federal Credit Union announced Thursday that the United Veterans of Maine will be the 2018 recipient for donations collected throughout the year from the user fees of coin sorter machines at NorState’s Presque Isle, Madawaska and Fort Kent locations. During the same press conference, NorState presented the Aroostook chapter of Special Olympics Maine a check for $7,827. (Melissa Lizotte)
