BANGOR – Teaching toddlers and young children useful skills, such as how to socialize, is crucial because those skills will last a lifetime, Maine Attorney General Steven Rowe said at the United Way of Eastern Maine’s 2007 fundraising campaign kickoff.

“These first three to five years are critical in brain development,” he told about 1,000 donor-spectators at Bass Park.

Early childhood education is a focus of United Way, which is a great reason for residents to support the campaign, said John Rohman, 2007 United Way campaign chair and president of WBRC Architects and Engineers.

Rowe said during his keynote address that “investing in early child development programs are good investments. They’re the very best investments that we can make.”

Social, emotional and cognitive developments begin early in life, and nearly 90 percent of a person’s structural brain development is done during the first five years of life, he said. Educating children helps participants in making positive choices later in life, Rowe said.

To help teach parents, who are a child’s first and most significant teacher, the United Way also is launching this year the Born Learning program, which helps parents teach by using everyday activities. A Born Learning trail – an outdoor-activity trail with 10 stations for children and their parents to learn and have fun together – will be installed in Old Town thanks to Sargent Corp., it was announced at Thursday’s event.

“Having children prepared for school is the first step in preparing children for adulthood,” Eric Bush, president of the local United Way chapter, told the crowd.

United Way of Eastern Maine is a nonprofit organization that leads collaborative community initiatives, promotes volunteerism and supports 65 health and human service programs in the region.

This year’s goal to raise nearly $2.54 million will enable United Way to continue its work through programs offered at its partner agencies throughout Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo and Washington counties.

“The goal of United Way is to identify issues and come up with solutions,” Rohman said before the event. “We’re proactive and preventative.”

The crowd at Bass Park donned colorful T-shirts proudly displaying their company or organization name while parading around the track before taking their seats and eating a free lunch provided by Hannaford Bros. Co.

People who make a donation this year also will be eligible for several giveaways. Donors who give at least $5 a week will be entered to win any of the top three prizes – the grand prize is a new 2007 Nissan Versa 1.8S from Darling’s; second prize is 500 gallons of heating oil from R.H. Foster Energy, and third is a $1,000 L.L. Bean gift certificate. Donors who give $3 to $5 a week will be entered to win either the second or the third prize, and donors who give $2 to $3 a week will be entered to win the third prize.

For more information about the fundraising campaign, call the United Way of Eastern Maine at 941-2800 or visit www.unitedwayem.org.