Skiing firefighters to raise funds for breast cancer

From Susan Patten, who has served as race director for the Susan G. Komen Foundation Maine Race for the Cure in Bangor, comes information about a Western Maine fund-raiser for this organization that should be of interest to firefighters in Eastern Maine, especially firefighters who also are skiers.

The second annual Firemen For A Cure Race is Saturday, March 19, at Shawnee Peak in Bridgton.

The registration fee is $100 per team of five, and the registration deadline is Monday, March 7.

Breast cancer survivor Mary Allen and her husband, who has served the Bridgton Fire Department for more than 28 years and has been district chief of the North Bridgton department for more than 10, organized the event.

Marie Allen has been receiving treatment for breast cancer for 11 years, and this is the couple’s way of helping others have the same opportunity.

The mission of the Komen Foundation is to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease.

Last year, Allen told me, the premiere event fielded six teams and raised more than $6,000 for the Komen Foundation.

Obviously the more teams that participate, the more money is raised, but if you cannot attend and you would like to help, Allen said checks can be made out to Firemen For A Cure and mailed to Firemen For A Cure, Shawnee Peak, 119 Mountain Road, Bridgton 04009.

This fund-raiser is unusual, to say the least, and as much fun as it should be to participate in, it should be equally fun to watch.

In Firemen For A Cure, teams of five firefighters, in full turnout gear and carrying a 50-foot length of hose, ski down the mountain through a racecourse.

Teams compete against each other with one twist: For every $100 a team raises above the registration fee, one second is deducted from the team score.

For example, $1,000 equals minus 10 seconds.

If you and members of your department are interested in participating in this event or you want more information, call Allen at 647-8444, ext. 16, or e-mail mallen@shawneepeak.com.

“This is a fun event for firefighters all over the state,” Patten said, “to help us in the fight against breast cancer.”

Dave Rode of Bangor Community Theatre invites members of the public to audition for its upcoming musical, “Kiss Me Kate.”

Auditions will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, and Wednesday, March 16, at Hutchins Concert Hall at the Maine Center for the Arts on the University of Maine campus in Orono.

Auditioners are asked to prepare 16 to 32 measures of any song in the musical comedy literature, although Rode stresses that “the songs of Cole Porter are especially encouraged.”

If you want to audition for a specific role in this production, you should be prepared with songs from “Kiss Me Kate” that are appropriate to the character of your choice.

You are asked to bring sheet music, but an accompanist will be provided.

Those who audition also will be asked to dance, so you should wear appropriate clothing.

Karen Kohlmeyer of Holden wrote the Bangor Daily News last Thursday that “this morning, we completed our family with the adoption of three of our foster children. After the court session, we went to Denny’s for a celebratory breakfast. We enjoyed our meal, and time together, as a new family of six.”

As the Kohlmeyers prepared to leave, however, they received a pleasant surprise.

“Our waiter informed us that a patron of the restaurant had paid for our meal,” she wrote. “We were stunned by this person’s generosity.”

The family wants to “tell this kind person how much we appreciated this random act of kindness, and feel our children now have the opportunity ‘pay it forward.’ Thank you for your thoughtful gift on our special day.”

Congratulations to members of the Maine Credit Union League and the Northeast Atlantic Marine Alliance, who raised $108,000 for families of fishermen and other tsunami victims during the January “People Helping People Catch Relief Fund” campaign.

Jon Paradise of the MCUL reported the money will be sent to the World Forum of Fisher People in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Centre for Development Facilitation, which created a network of credit unions that help enhance the position of women in Sri Lanka and other nations.

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