Refurbished hearing aids

BANGOR – The Warren Center for Communication and Learning has announced the receipt of a $9,000 grant from the Rite Aid Foundation in support of the Regional Hearing Aid Bank program. The grant allows the Warren Center to provide refurbished hearing aids to members of the community who otherwise could not afford them.

The Rite Aid Foundation, established July 2001, is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to helping people in the communities Rite Aid serves to lead happier, healthier lives.

Mary Poulin, the Warren Center’s administrative director, said, “We are grateful to the Rite Aid Foundation for once again providing grant funding for our ReHAB Program. Their generosity will allow at least 18 people in our community to receive hearing aids, dramatically improving their quality of life. Combined with last year’s donation, the Rite Aid Foundation has funded a total of 38 hearing aids through the ReHAB program.”

Since its establishment in March 2002, ReHAB has served 74 community members. The program’s success is dependent upon financial donations as well as the donation of hearing aids. Currently, there are 30 people on the waiting list to receive hearing aids through ReHAB. Those interested in making a donation to the ReHAB program may send it to the Warren Center at 175 Union St., in Bangor.

The Warren Center accepts both behind-the-ear and in-the-ear hearing aid donations from community members. The behind-the-ear hearing aids are refurbished and given directly to the people on the waiting list. In-the-ear hearing aids are sent to a recycling facility for a monetary credit, which helps the Warren Center cover costs associated with the program.

Those who wish to receive a hearing aid through the ReHAB program may call the Warren Center at 941-2850 for more information.

Silver Award

BANGOR – The Acadia Hospital won a Silver Award in the special events category for its role in coordinating and promoting the PALS Youth Suicide Prevention Project. The award was presented at the Maine Public Relation Council’s annual Golden Arrow Awards ceremony Dec. 1 at the Stone House in Freeport.

Acadia worked in partnership with Penobscot Theatre to produce and offer the play “PALS” to area high schools. Ten high schools participated over a three-week period and more than 2,000 students saw the play and participated in post-performance discussion.

Surveys indicated that the play increased awareness of youth suicide and of the prevention resources available.

The program was funded in part by Bangor Noontime Rotary, the Auxiliary of Eastern Maine Medical Center, the Michael Irons Memorial Endowment and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Women’s health center

BANGOR – Kate Morrison Waning was recently appointed business manager for Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center, a Bangor-based organization providing clinical services and health education to women of all ages, color, sexual orientation and economic status.

A native of the town of Poland, Waning has a bachelor’s degree in aquaculture and a master’s degree in resource economics and policy from the University of Maine, where she is working toward a master’s degree in public administration. Prior to taking on the role of business manager, Waning was a member of the Mabel Wadsworth Center board of directors, serving as treasurer for three years.

A resident of Old Town, Waning enjoys camping, photography and spending time with family and friends.

Lighting ceremony

BANGOR – The Lights of Hope tree at Eastern Maine Medical Center was illuminated on Dec. 15. Each light on the tree represents someone whose life has been touched by cancer, and the tree symbolizes hope.

EMMC honored Danny and Carla Lafayette with CancerCare of Maine’s Community Support Award. The Lafayettes have been in business for more than 23 years with Lafayette Hotels. The Lafayettes have enjoyed considerable success in the hotel industry, but they have not forgotten who they are, officials said. They are active in their church, in the community and in the hospital industry. They have served in leadership roles in many organizations.

The Lafayettes have shown for many years exemplary support toward the fight against cancer. In 2002 they established the Run for Hope as a continuation of the local Terry Fox run, an annual event in September.

From the beginning of their involvement, the Lafayettes have dedicated 100 percent of the money raised to support local clinical studies at Eastern Maine Medical Center’s CancerCare of Maine, raising more than $100,000. Hundreds of women in Maine have benefited.

This year, the star honorees are Harold Bouchard and his daughter, Christine Bouchard, a gift from Harold’s son and Christine’s brother Brian Bouchard, and the folks at H.O. Bouchard.

Constellation sponsors are Daniel and Tina Rice, who honored Daniel’s father, Roy Rice, and Tina’s father, Daniel R. Cormier. More than 100 friends of CancerCare participated in the tree lighting ceremonies.

“The constellation is the thread that ties us together tonight,… and that thread is hope,” said Michael Crowley, vice president for development for Eastern Maine Charities and a recent cancer survivor. “They are many lights together shining for hope.”

The constellation is a group of smaller, blinking lights that ran the length of the large tree. Both the star atop the tree and the constellation represent a donation of $1,000 to the fundraiser. Each of the larger, colored lights that covered the tree represent a donation of between $10 and $500.

The fundraiser has produced a total of $19,800 from 649 gifts donated this year, according to EMMC. More than $100,000 has been raised since the start of the event in 2002.