Committee members working on the Health Services Foundation Diamond Ring Raffle have the perfect gift for you to give this holiday season.

HSF, which is affiliated with Houlton Regional Hospital, kicked off its annual raffle yesterday, Monday, Dec. 9, so you’d better get busy and buy your ticket now, because just 950 are available at $20 each.

“Last year, we ran out of tickets,” wrote committee member Glynn Porter, explaining why “we advise people to buy their tickets early!”

For your information, just 750 tickets were offered last year, so there are 200 more opportunities to win this time around.

The ring is a three-stone, 1.57-carat Princess cut in a gold setting, and retails for $7,000.

“It is stunning!” Porter added.

The diamond ring can be viewed at Goodrich Jewelers on North Road in Houlton, where raffle tickets can be purchased as well.

Tickets are also available at Aroostook Milling, F.A. Peabody Co., the HSF office and the Houlton Regional Hospital Gift Shop.

The drawing is planned for noon on Valentine’s Day, Friday, Feb. 14, at the Courtyard Cafe on Main Street in Houlton, which means that someone is going to receive the valentine gift of a lifetime!

All funds raised will benefit HSF, which provides equipment, program and educational support for area nonprofit health care agencies.

For more information about this fund-raiser, or to purchase tickets, call NSF Executive Director Elizabeth Dulin, 532-2900, Ext. 147 or 403.

The deadline to enter the fifth annual CMP Holiday Lighting Contest, which benefits the Cancer Community Center in Portland, is Friday, Dec. 20.

To enter, CMP customers put up lights, fill out the entry form enclosed with their bill, and mail it to CMP, or enter online at www.cmp.com.

There is no need to include a photograph of your display.

For each completed entry, CMP will make a donation to CCC, which offers a place for people with cancer, their families and friends, to gather for social and emotional support.

Contest entry forms were enclosed with CMP’s November bills, and can be obtained by calling (800) 565-0121, Ext. 2871, or at the Web site.

David Sanger, University of Maine professor of anthropology and Quaternary studies, will present “10,000 Years of People in the Penobscot Valley: An Account of Archaeological Discoveries in this Part of Maine,” during a brown bag lunch at noon Wednesday, Dec. 11, at Page Farm and Home Museum on the Orono campus.

The event is open to the public, and anyone who missed Dr. Sanger’s previous presentations on this subject is cordially invited to attend.

Parish Administrator Corky Smith reports that members of St. John’s Episcopal Church Youth Fellowship are hosting their second annual Christmas Dinner for the Bangor Community beginning at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, in the undercroft of the church at 225 French St. in Bangor.

This dinner is free, and all are welcome.

Meal preparation begins at noon that day and, as you can imagine, any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated by the young people.

For more information about this dinner, or to offer your assistance, call the parish office, 947-0156, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, or e-mail stjohns@midmaine.com.

Last year was a record-breaker for The Joy of Sharing program for Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire residents through the cooperation of The Salvation Army and Hannaford Bros. Co.

An all-time high of $103,000 was collected from public contributions to The Salvation Army kettles, which are displayed at Hannaford supermarkets through Christmas Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 24.

The goal for each location is to raise $1,000, which will help provide the needy in the tristate area with traditional holiday assistance such as food, clothing and toys.

For more information about donating to The Joy of Sharing, call Pat James at The Salvation Army Divisional Headquarters, 774-6304, Ext. 232.

Their daughter, Marita Farrar of Ripley, wrote to pass along some information about a very pleasant coming family event.

Her parents, Robert and Lula Bunker of Cambridge, will celebrate their 75th wedding anniversary on New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, Dec. 31.

Her parents “live in their own home,” their daughter wrote, “both still drive, spend their summers in their motor home, enjoy riding their four-wheeler and play cards at least four evenings a week.”

The family would appreciate a “shower of cards” in honor of this very special occasion.

Greetings can be sent to Mr. and Mrs. Robert N. Bunker, Sr., P.O. Box 35, Cambridge 04923.

To the Bunkers, I extend my congratulations and sincere best wishes for having reached this marvelous milestone!

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