CARIBOU, Maine — Dozens of kids braved the 38 degree weather on Sunday morning to took part in a Color Run race organized by Caribou High School’s JMG (Jobs for Maine Graduates). The event itself resulted in roughly $1,500 worth of contributions for local Anah Shriners to help children receive health care.
CHS JMG Specialist Dr. Valerie Waldemarson said that aside from the cash donations, the $1,500 includes “services, color, advertising, inflatables, water bottles, tents, food, decorations, equipment,” and the use of the facility.
This week, JMG students also will be attending a leadership conference in Rome, Maine, and presenting their project as an “event planning business” designed to combat a social issue.
“Students looked at treating illness in children,” said Dr. Waldemarson. “They believed that even though we can birth children in The County, they have to be sent downstate if they become sick.”
She said the students soon decided to partner with the Shriners in an effort to promote their mission to help children, as well as health, wellness, and fitness.
“The twist,” said Waldemarson, “is that one of our seniors, Brant Trombley, is a three-time survivor of brain cancer.”
Proceeds from the event will benefit a support system for local children who need to be transported downstate for medical procedures, a community support system that Trombley, who is now in remission, said he has had to rely on for most of his life.
“I personally went to school and explained everything to my classmates,” Trombley said. “I was out of eighth grade for five to six months undergoing surgery.”
Being in that situation himself, he said “all the students, teachers, and people you meet like nurses will all help you and tell you it’s going to be OK.”
“It’s scary,” he added. “It’s scary for everyone. You have to surround yourself with people who care. It’s not like anyone will look at you with cancer and turn you down for something — at least I’d hope not. There are always people there to help you.”
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- Dozens came out to race during an Oct. 14 Color Run hosted by Caribou High School’s JMG (Jobs for Maine Graduates) despite the 38 degree weather. Students received about $1,500 worth of contributions through monetary donations, volunteer work, services, and facility usage to support Anah Shriners in aiding local children dealing with illness. (Chris Bouchard)
Waldemarson said the proceeds from the event will help the students purchase fabric and then use that fabric to make and hand deliver blankets to the Shriners. The actual creation of blankets, according to Waldemarson, will be part of their “sweat equity” when they present the project as an event planning business in Rome.
Any money left over after the creation of the blankets will go toward gas vouchers, that will be given to the Shriners to disperse to families who need assistance driving their children to long-distance hospital visits. Any donations made after the purchase of the gas cards will be given to the shriners as a check.
Waldemarson said the leadership conference’s challenge specifically asks students to “create a business that targets a social issue,” and she believes their project, which took about one month to fully execute, meets the criteria.
“The issue they chose involves sick children,” she said. “They are directly doing that in respect to [Trombley.]”
Six student officers in JMG will be attending the conference, and these six were primarily responsible for organizing all aspects of the event.
Caribou Marketing and Events Coordinator Christina Kane-Gibson said the students essentially planned the event just like the city would.
“It was a true event planning meeting,” Kane-Gibson said of a meeting she had with the students. “We talked about a promotion strategy and how to get this on social media. We also got it on the Maine Office of Tourism website and the Aroostook County Tourism website.”
She said the students “did everything” in regards to planning the color run.
“They are amazing,” said Kane-Gibson. “After our initial planning meeting, they took the bull by the horns and did a phenomenal job.”
Waldemarson said that while JMG has held numerous local events in the past, this is the first that spotlights a third-party organization.
“There hasn’t been an event of this magnitude created for a third party organization,” she said. “This is not focused around JMG as much as it is around the mission of what the Anah Shriners do.”
“I think it’s awesome,” said Kane-Gibson. “And all the colors go with the fall colors. It’s a good time to run.”
Trombley said he was surprised by the support and turnout for the event.
“We have a lot more people here than I thought,” he said. “It’s not as big as a run in New York or a larger city, but for a small town in Maine it’s really good, and it’s all going toward a good cause.”
