The Hampden Academy Leadership Team, under the direction of adviser Ruth Fitzpatrick, is conducting a very special food drive this week.

Academy students and staff are all pitching in to collect nutritional foods for local pantries.

John Plourde, SAD 22 school health coordinator, and Chris Greenier, the district’s food service director, suggested the idea of “blending a bit of nutrition education into a community service project.”As a result, technology teacher Todd Moore’s students constructed a giant food pyramid for the cafeteria that stores and showcases the donations.

Fitzpatrick’s Leadership Team is busily generating interest with posters, playing songs during morning announcements, issuing noodle necklaces and concocting other innovative incentives that should help make this drive a success.

And Greenier has supplied a lengthy list of healthy foods for the students and staff to follow.

The collected nutritious, nonperishable products will be distributed to local food pantries with the assistance of Pam Fuller of the Cooperative Extension office.

Graves Shop ‘n Save in Hampden donated a shopping cart filled with food items to help kick off the drive, which has evolved into a wonderful, school-community project from which many people will benefit.

While I have the attention of Hampden area readers, I’ll remind you the Hampden Fire Department’s annual MDA Yard Sale will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18, at 14 Western Ave. in Hampden.

Firefighter Ken Gray reports that donations for the event, which benefits the Muscular Dystrophy Association, would be appreciated.

He hopes those of you doing spring-cleaning and discovering items you no longer need or use will donate them to the benefit.

“We can arrange for items to be picked up,” he wrote, or they can be dropped off at the Fire Department at 106 Western Ave.

To arrange for pickup, call Gray or Assistant Fire Chief Elwyn Brewer at 862-4586.

The People to People Student Ambassador Program will be the beneficiary of proceeds from a benefit concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at Union Street Brick Church in Bangor.

Judy LeClair reports the concert features the River City Harmonizers and the Maine-ly Music Chorus.

Tickets are $8 each and are available at Knapp’s Music Center, 51 Main St., or Patrick’s Hallmark, Broadway Shopping Center in Bangor.

LeClair wrote that “several students from the Bangor area have been selected for this program as members of the Maine People to People delegation to the British Isles this summer.”

The concert is an effort to help them raise the tuition necessary “for this opportunity to represent Maine and the United States, and they appreciate the support” the benefit concert provides. Refreshments will be available at the event.

Dexter Sunrise Kiwanis Youth Services Committee Chairman William Novak has announced it is granting $500 to be used for full or partial Wayside Youth Theatre tuition scholarships for area children between the ages of 8 and 13.

One scholarship will be offered for each of the next five 10-week sessions, through application, on the basis of interest and financial need.

Wayside Youth Theatre is directed by Bob and Raelene Keniston of Dover-Foxcroft, who conducted the first session last fall.

The second session is scheduled to begin within the next two months.

Preregistration information is available by calling 924-8813.

Robert Verrill of the American Lung Association of Maine has announced that registration is still open for the 19th annual Bike Trek across Maine.

The association’s largest fund-raiser, the three-day ride begins Friday, June 13, at Sunday River Ski Resort in Bethel and ends Sunday, June 15, in Belfast.

The event raises more than $1 million each year for the association.

For more information, or to register, call (800) 499-5864 or write the ALA of Maine, 122 State St., Augusta 04330.

The Ellsworth Rotary Club Annual Auction begins with a preview at 8 a.m., and the auction itself gets under way at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 17, at the James Russell Wiggins Down East Family YMCA on State Street.

Sponsored by Ellsworth Rotary and Ellsworth Soccer Field, more than 500 items will be available from antiques to certificates for services donated by local businesses and individuals.

The snack bar, serving coffee and doughnuts in the morning and sandwiches for lunch, opens at 9 a.m. All auction proceeds will be shared by the nonprofit organizations.

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