BANGOR – Sarah Phillips, 32, grew up in Bangor. She has seen her friends move away, come back, and then leave again for better jobs, more social outlets, or a bigger paycheck.

“There’s not a lot in the area that keeps you here,” she said.

She’s here because of her job at Eastern Maine Healthcare, and because her fiance, Anthony Caruso, works as the assistant director at Bangor International Airport. But the couple agreed it’s hard to meet people, even if you’re out in the community.

“There aren’t many young people here,” their friend Don Zavadil, 36, said. “It’s a small niche that needs to grow.”

It will, if the turnout at Thursday night’s Fusion Bangor event was any indication. About 85 college students and young professionals showed up at the Sea Dog to network, mingle and, perhaps most important, hang out with people their age.

“It’s a social opportunity wrapped up with a great opportunity to get involved in the community,” said Tanya Pereira, 26, who is on the group’s steering committee.

Part cocktail party, part meet-and-greet, part outreach, Fusion aims to bring together Bangor’s under-40 set in a manner that is as formal or informal as its members want it to be. The group wants to highlight the region’s existing resources and create more.

“It’s not about stopping people from leaving,” Pereira said. “We want people to realize they don’t have to leave because there’s a lack of opportunity.”

The idea was inspired by the Fusion project in Saint John, New Brunswick, which promotes networking and activism among young residents. Members of the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce learned about Fusion during a trade mission to Saint John, and the Canadian founder, Stephanie Bell, advised the local steering committee.

Thursday’s gathering was the first of its kind, and another could happen in as soon as two weeks’ time. Similar meetings, under the umbrella of Realize! Maine, took place concurrently at Dover-Foxcroft, Portland, Lewiston, Augusta and Belfast. Realize!Maine is a statewide organization formed to encourage people under 35 to live and work in Maine.

In Bangor, over cocktails and snacks, business cards changed hands, old friendships were rekindled, and new friendships were made.

“I think it’s nice to see other people in their 20s and 30s,” said Kristy Bowden, 26, of Bangor.

Bowden recently graduated from law school and has returned to her hometown to work. As she and two childhood friends surveyed the crowd, they talked about what brought them to Fusion.

“It’s a little bit of networking, a little bit of socializing,” said Marie Cattelle, 26.

For their friend Rebecca Reed, 26, who now works as an optician in Old Town, the event was a chance to reconnect with people she grew up with, but on a professional level.

“It’s kind of not the same,” she said. “And it’s good to get out and meet new people. It’s great because the younger generations are going to be the future of Bangor.”

That’s part of the region’s appeal for Carrie Elliott, 26. She and her husband moved to Bangor from Tennessee in 2000 to be closer to his mother. She had no idea what to expect, but she soon found a marketing job at the Chamber of Commerce, and today she’s a campaign director at the United Way of Eastern Maine.

“This is the next generation of leaders in our community,” she said, looking out at the men and women in the room. “Right now, young people can really get involved, make a name for themselves and move into these positions.”

Fusion Bangor goals

. Enjoy one another’s company and our region.

. Form a network of support among young residents and urge those poised to leave or return to the Bangor region to realize opportunity here.

. Exemplify and promote a positive image of our region

. Help make the Bangor region more attractive economically, culturally and aesthetically.

For information, visit www.fusionbangor.com