Popular spring walk

Last year’s popular spring walk to several of Bangor’s historic houses of worship will be repeated Sunday, May 2. Same as last year, the purpose of the walk is to recognize churches and synagogues for their consistent support of the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter. The walk also is intended to raise awareness of shelter programs and strengthen the community’s ecumenical spirit.

Bagpipers from the Anah Temple Highlanders will set the pace for the 21/2-mile walk around central Bangor. Ten churches and two synagogues will be visited. At each stop, there will be someone to greet the walkers and say a few words about the building’s history.

All area residents are invited to come to All Souls Congregational Church at noon, where they can pick up a cup of Shelter Stone Soup, drinks and a map of the route.

The walk will then proceed to Beth Israel Synagogue, Beth Abraham Synagogue, St. John’s Catholic Church, Essex Street Baptist Church, St. John’s Episcopal Church, the Unitarian Universalist Church, First Baptist Church, Columbia Street Baptist Church, Hammond Street Congregational Church and Grace United Methodist Church.

The walk will end at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, where tea and dessert will be served.

The Bangor Area Homeless Shelter provides emergency shelter and support services to men and women in need of such help. The shelter also offers a site for area agencies to provide outreach, health care and education services to homeless people, and provides information about area programs to clients. The Bangor shelter first opened its doors on Christmas Eve 1986 and has welcomed clients continuously since then.

Relay for Life

OLD TOWN – The American Cancer Society Relay For Life on Friday and Saturday, May 14-15, will celebrate the lives of hundreds of local residents who have survived cancer and offer hope of finding a cure.

To honor their strength and courage, area cancer survivors are invited to walk in a victory lap followed by a survivor reception at the Relay For Life event Friday, May 14, at Old Town High School. The victory lap will take place after the opening ceremony at 6 p.m.

The Relay For Life teams walk the track throughout the night, walking in shifts to raise funds for the American Cancer Society.

Dollars raised during Relay For Life help support American Cancer Society research, education, advocacy and patient services. Programs include Reach to Recovery, providing one-on-one support for breast cancer patients; and Road to Recovery, providing rides to and from treatment for patients.

Relay For Life also helps maintain the American Cancer Society toll-free, 24-hour cancer information line, (800) ACS-2345.

Relay For Life in Old Town is sponsored by Hannaford, Georgia Pacific, Dead River, Sam’s Club, Adelphia, Z-107, ABC-7, Fox 22, and Dysart’s. To find out how to get involved in Relay For Life or to volunteer, call Mike Hart at 989-0332, or e-mail mike.hart@cancer.org.

Relay For Life is a handicapped-accessible event.