With the assistance of Old Town Lodge of Elks No. 1287, Patricia Madison has undertaken a commendable project.

Madison is organizing a Breast Cancer Awareness Dance to be held beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 7, at the Elks Lodge, 290 North Fourth Street Extension in Old Town.

Doors open for the event at 7 p.m.

Admission is $6 per person or $10 per couple, Madison said. Dave Fortier of CD Express in Old Town will donate the music.

“We are selling tickets in advance,” Madison said, “so there is no guarantee that they will be available at the door.”

Madison also is seeking donations of items and gift certificates for a raffle and door prize.

“People can call the Elks Club at 827-8498 and ask for me” for information about tickets or making a contribution for the door prize or raffle, Madison said.

The event benefits Caring Connection’s Bridging the Gap 2001, a program of the YWCA of Bangor-Brewer sponsored by the United Way of Eastern Maine.

The program means a great deal to Madison.

Bridging the Gap 2001 provides clinical breast exams and imaging to women who are either uninsured or underinsured and who meet income guidelines.

Women in their 30s with symptoms that concern them or who have a close relative with breast cancer, and women in their 40s with no symptoms can apply for assistance through this program.

Those in Bridging the Gap 2001 also receive other benefits, since Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor covers its own costs for additional diagnostic tests or treatment of breast cancer.

No one knows the importance of Bridging the Gap 2001 better than Madison.

“I’m a breast cancer survivor,” she said. “I had no insurance, so if I have a goal it is to raise the amount of money it took to help me get better.”

We applaud Madison for this effort and certainly hope it proves to be successful.

Don’t forget to call and reserve your tickets for the dance or to make a contribution to the fund-raiser.

If you believe you might qualify for Bridging the Gap 2001, call the Caring Connections office at the YWCA, 941-2808.

Congratulations to the 11 schools whose drama students earned the right to compete in the Maine Drama Festival Division I finals this weekend at Rockland District High School.

Regional winners were Belfast, Brewer, Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, Fryeburg Academy, Lawrence of Fairfield, Morse of Bath, Presque Isle, Skowhegan, Washington Academy of East Machias and Westbrook.

Sponsored by the Maine Principals Association, the festival’s first session begins at 6 p.m. Friday, March 23. Session two begins at noon Saturday, March 24, and session three at approximately 6:30 that evening.

Maine Arts Teacher of the Year Alison Machaiek, RDHS drama coach, is coordinating the festival, which is open to the public.

Machaiek said she is grateful for the support of Wiscasset High School, “which is helping supply the technical direction in this collaborative effort with Rockland.”

She also said festival tickets are $5 each, but “seating is limited with all the students attending,” so you better arrive early if you want a choice spot.

Local high school theater buffs have a chance to see the Brewer High School production of “Tom Jones” at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 22, at the Brewer Middle School auditorium.

The $2 adult and $1 student admission charge benefits the BHS drama program.

Rich Kimball and Clayton Smith co-direct the play, which stars Chris Rodway as Tom Jones, Racheal Spalding as his love interest, Sophia Western; and Peter McGuire as the highwayman.

The BHS cast, Kimball said, “was recognized as the best ensemble and best stage combat performance” in the regional competition. Rodway and McGuire were named to the all-festival cast.

Those who remember the movie years ago should not be disappointed with this adaptation, Kimball said.

“It still has that great freewheeling spirit of the original,” he said. “For those who remember it, the audience reaction has been great.”

Would you like your little one to receive a personalized letter from the Easter bunny while helping the National Kidney Foundation of Maine at the same time?

Contact Lew Ricker, Hillside Publishing, 20 Lyman St., P.O. Box 554, Berwick 03901, or call him at 698-9973.

For $6, of which $1 goes to the NKF of Maine, Ricker’s business will send a personalized letter on pretty holiday stationery to your child, grandchild, niece, nephew or neighborhood friend.

I have a copy of the letter and can attest to its personalized effect.

The letter is addressed to the child, mentions his or her school, the street where the Easter bunny will leave an Easter basket, and praises the kiddies for chores and-or accomplishments made during the year.

Orders will be taken through Friday, March 30.

You also can place orders at http://members.aol.com/hsppub/EasterBunny.html.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.