Ever wanted to test your mettle in a war canoe?

You can, by participating in the Long Pond War Canoe Championship, beginning with registration from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, at Long Pond in Somesville.

The registration fee is $15. The race begins at noon.

If you don’t want to be part of a war canoe crew, bring your own kayak or canoe to participate in this fund-raiser for the Mount Desert Island Hospital Oncology Department.

But, if you do want to be in a war canoe, you should bring a life jacket and paddle.

And, if you really want to participate, but don’t have the necessary equipment, call Cindy or Ron Muir at 667-9340 or Bob Hessler at 667-7541, and they will take care of you.

Post-race festivities at the sponsoring Atlantic Brewing Co. on Knox Road in Town Hill include an awards ceremony plus hot chowder and soup, and you can take a chance on a raffle.

The Branch Pond Paddlers are organizing the event, which is a flat-water race depending, of course, on the whim of Mother Nature.

The last weekend in September, BPP held its Ninth Annual Union River Mussel Man/Woman Canoe Race, in less-than-desirable weather.

Considering it was raining like the dickens that day, I was pleased to learn from Branch Pond Paddler Cindy Muir that 50 paddlers showed up, which is why she and all associated with this weekend’s event hope many more will take part in this fun outing.

But, she reminds prospective paddlers, “even Long Pond can get windy” if the weather, again, fails to cooperate.

Muir also indicated no real experience is necessary so, if you’d like to try paddling a war canoe just for the heck of it, now is your chance to do so, with some “experts.”

However, if you have no real desire to go near the water, you can still support the fund-raiser, as a “phantom paddler,” by making a donation to the MDI Hospital Oncology Department.

The first 55 paddlers to register will receive a T-shirt.

For more information about this event, call the folks at the numbers listed above.

Now through Saturday, Oct. 18, Hannaford on Broadway in Bangor is conducting a silent auction to benefit United Way of Eastern Maine.

Items include University of Maine athletic tickets, a grill, tent, basketball hoops and more.

Purchases of a hot dog lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11, also benefit UWEM, and you can meet mascot Jack Timber of the Bangor Lumberjacks and enjoy a live broadcast by WEZQ-FM.

One of this area’s most popular fund-raisers is the St. Joseph Hospital Auxiliary Festival of Fall Fashions.

The 28th annual Fashion Show and Luncheon is noon-2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the Bangor Civic Center.

Part of the fun has always been participation by local celebrity models. This year they include Joy Hallowell and Lanie Witt, WABI-TV; Ric Tyler, WLBZ-TV; and Jan Smith and Adam Shub, WVII-TV.

Models will be wearing fashions from Filene’s, Talbot’s, TeraCotta, The Children’s Place, The Grasshopper Shop, The House of Brides and The Pretty Woman.

Hallowell, Tyler, Smith and Shub will serve as show commentators with Tom Morrelli of Morrelli Studios. Spectacular Event Center is the caterer.

Advance tickets are $25 each and are available at Patrick’s Hallmark Shop, Broadway Shopping Center, Bangor, or by calling the St. Joseph Healthcare Development office at 262-1740.

Tickets at the door are $30 each.

Proceeds from the show help the Auxiliary support the work of St. Joseph Healthcare, and its affiliates.

Christine Noyes reports Brewer High School Project Graduation 2004 is currently conducting two fund-raisers for this event that offers a safe and drug-free celebration for the graduating class.

During the month of October, Noyes said, Quirk Auto Park of Bangor will donate $2,500 to BHS Project Graduation “if we have 100 community members test drive a car, so we are really trying to get 100 people to do that.”

Noyes is co-chairwoman of the fund-raising committee with Monica Patterson.

Noyes said that area businesses are offering discounts for one year, if you have a BHS Project Graduation discount card.

The cards are available at the high school, or by calling Lynn Hardy, 989-0468.

For more information, or to learn how you can help support this effort, call Noyes, 989-3365, or Patterson, 989-4870.

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