OLD TOWN – A spaghetti dinner was put on by the Friends of the River Coalition to benefit the coalition on March 3. The dinner was held at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Gilman Falls Avenue with 282 people attending.

The River Coalition is a group of concerned citizens from the river communities of Alton, Bradley, Greenbush, Milford and Old Town who share a vision of positive change.

The group’s purpose is to link resources, ideas, energy and experience to foster and support stronger, more caring communities. Through grants and gifts it has generated more than $1 million to fund after-school programs and mentoring partnerships in many of the area’s schools and the YMCA, and has funded several innovative programs at the Old Town Public Library.

Milford resident Gloria M. Thornton and Gov. John E. Baldacci were hosts for the dinner. Although the event was a fundraiser for the coalition, a secret program was planned for the evening.

The River Coalition used the dinner to help Old Town Public Library Director Valerie Osborne announce to the community an annual award to be given to someone special. The award is to be called the Gloria M. Thornton Award.

Gov. Baldacci was in on the secret. When the entertainment portion of the night’s events began, he brought Thornton to the front table to listen to the library’s Camp Discovery children sing under the direction of Cynthia Seger, the children’s librarian, and Dottie DeBruyne, a volunteer with this program.

The children sang four songs and presented a citizenship award to Baldacci and a caring award to Gloria Thornton.

Nine-year-old Connor Archer unexpectedly came to the microphone to give the governor a sealed letter. Connor gave the governor a hug.

After the singing, Baldacci spoke of his appreciation for the work of the River Coalition and the library. He said that March 3 had been declared Gloria M. Thornton Day across the state of Maine.

State Rep. Dick Blanchard came to the podium next to read a legislative sentiment honoring Thornton. Then Thorton’s brother, Albert Michaud, spoke about their childhood on French Island. He sang for his sister the hymn, “How Great Thou Art.”

Two other people praised Thornton at the event – her best friend, Doris Seger, and her oldest son, Tommy Thornton.

The evening ended with the presentation of flowers by four little girls from the library’s Club Discovery and the presentation of the award from the library by Valerie Osborne. The award is a walnut box with the name of the recipient and the date on it along with items etched into the design that are of significance in the life of the recipient.

Micah Robbins, executive director of the River Coalition, concluded the dinner with a thank you to the Youth Advisory Council, the Friends of the River Coalition, the Thornton family and all those who had their hand in helping to make the event a success.