Bank donation supports performing arts center

Katahdin Trust recently donated toward the revitalization of the Caribou Performing Arts Center. From left are: Craig Staples, Katahdin Trust vice president, commercial services officer; Bill Flagg, CARL treasurer and board member; Lisa Prescott, CARL president; Sam Blackstone, CARL board member and past president; and Peggy Smith, bank vice president, Caribou branch manager and retail services officer. (Courtesy of Katahdin Trust)

HOULTON, Maine — Katahdin Trust has announced a monetary donation of $1,000 to The Center for the Advancement of Rural Living for the Caribou Performing Arts Center Revitalization Project.

“The Caribou Performing Arts Center has played a vital role culturally and economically in Aroostook County for 31 years and we are very pleased to partner with the CARL to reinvigorate the arts center as a destination location,” shared Krista Putnam, Katahdin Trust’s senior vice president, marketing.

CARL, through its partnerships, has been successful in bringing quality family entertainment to the area and 2020 promises to do the same. Funds raised by events throughout the year will be used to upgrade lighting and sound equipment helping to ensure that arts and entertainment continue to be an integral part of Aroostook County culture.

“We are so grateful for this donation by Katahdin Trust,” said Lisa Prescott, president of the CARL board of directors. “They have demonstrated a commitment to the performing arts and their donation will help to support dynamic entertainment right here in the County throughout 2020 and beyond.”

For more than 100 years Katahdin Trust and its employees have supported hundreds of local organizations through donations, volunteerism and in-kind donations. “Supporting the growth of arts and entertainment is critical to the economic development of Caribou and Aroostook County as a whole,” said Putnam. “Katahdin Trust is pleased to stand behind this continued revitalization effort.”

The Center for Advancement of Rural Living (CARL) was created in 2011 and is an all-volunteer non-profit organization working to fill in the gaps that exist in cultural, socio-economic, agricultural and other quality of life issues in rural Northern Maine. More information can be found at carlcenter.org.

The Caribou Performing Arts Center (CPAC) is one of the finest facilities of its kind in the state. The 800-plus-seat auditorium has hosted popular performances by the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Tim Sample, Schooner Fare, Natalie McMaster and more. The center is accessed by local community theater, students and other groups. 

For more information, visit cariboupac.org.