Participants in this year’s annual Cary Classic Benefit Golf Tournament will be keeping one very special person in mind.

And while he will not be there, his spirit will be out on the course and in the hearts of the golfers.

Now in its 20th year, this will be the first tournament not to be graced by the presence of W. Reid Morrill, who died from arsenic poisoning Monday, April 28, after attending a church social the previous day in New Sweden.

Of 16 poisoning victims, Morrill was the only one to die.

The two-day tournament, which has raised thousands of dollars for Cary Medical Center in Caribou and other community projects will be held Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6, at Caribou Country Club.

A free practice round is available Friday, July 4, for golfers registered in the tournament. Registration is now being accepted.

Morrill, who is remembered as a wonderful family man as well as a community and church leader, also loved the game of golf, according to Bill Flagg, director of community relations and development for Cary.

Morrill taught others the game and was a regular patron of Caribou Country Club.

Flagg reported that Ron Morrill of Holden has helped establish a special tribute to his father that represents “the rest of the story” about an incident that took place on the par-3 seventh hole during the 1991 Cary Classic.

On the second day of play, on the second time around the nine-hole course, participants can qualify for a major prize if they shoot a hole-in-one or are closest to the pin on the seventh hole.

The hole-in-one prize can range from $25,000 to a new vehicle of the same value.

To date, the late Reid Morrill is the first and only competitor in the history of the Cary Classic to make a hole-in-one during tournament play.

However, Morrill made that shot the first time around the course and, thereby, did not qualify for the hole-in-one prize.

Although his playing partners were greatly disappointed, it was reported Morrill was so excited about his achievement, winning the prize was of no consequence.

In recognition of his feat, however, he was awarded a $500 prize and entered into the hole-in-one association.

Reid Morrill’s Cary Classic “wrong-time-around-hole-in-one” has since become part of tournament folklore, and that very special piece of tournament history will be enhanced for participants who make a $5 donation to the W. Reid Morrill Memorial Scholarship Fund managed by the Jefferson Cary Foundation.

Golfers who donate will be able to qualify for the hole-in-one contest the first time around as well as retaining their second-time-around eligibility.

A plaque, named the Cary Classic 7th Hole Award in Honor and Memory of W. Reid Morrill, will hang at the clubhouse. Individuals who hit a hole-in-one or win the closest to the pin contest will have their names entered on the plaque each year.

For all Cary Classic golfers, but especially those who knew and loved Reid Morrill, this certainly will be a very special tournament.

To register or receive more information, call Flagg at Cary Medical Center 498-1376.

Bunny McBride, author of “Women of the Dawn” and “Molly Spotted Elk: A Penobscot in Paris,” will present a lecture, “Unforgettable: Four Centuries of Notable Penobscots,” from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, June 30, at the Bangor Museum and Center for History, 6 State St.

McBride’s lecture will recount the stories of several Penobscot Indians who lived on Indian Island.

The lecture is part of the museum’s current exhibit, “From Away: Exploring Bangor’s Cultural Heritage.”

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and admission to both the museum and the lecture is free. Seating is limited for the lecture. Reservations can be made by calling 942-5766.

The Bangor Museum and Center for History also houses the Golden Fleece Gift Shop, operated by the Bangor Historical Society, offering quality, Made-in-Maine products with a historical connection.

Katie Clark reports the Gauvin-Fowler-Tupper-Stairs Ladies Auxiliary No. 3381 of the VFW is sponsoring an American Red Cross Blood Drive 2-7 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, at the Post Home on Water Street in Old Town.

“Blood is needed, although the supply is not critical yet, supplies are low, so please come and donate your blood. Every pint will be appreciated.”

Prizes will be offered during the drive.

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