Orono girl establishes van fund, Save a Teen

Logan Severance was the guest of honor at a benefit dinner held Oct. 6 at the Bangor Convention Center. Logan has spinal muscular atrophy, a motor neuron disease. Vanessa Leture, a senior at Orono High School, presented a check to Logan on behalf of her parents’ company, Leture’s Paving in an effort to help Logan acquire a handicapped-accessible van. Leture is challenging teens whose parents own or work at companies to make a donation to the van fund, too.

Leture also is developing Save a Teen, Be a Friend, a program of her own. The program is very simple, she said. Teenagers should make an extra effort to a special friend, to another teen or child in need.

“Teenagers need to need to speak up and reach out to a troubled teen, help tutor a peer, be a friend and listen, and know what to say. We all need to think about someone else who needs our help. Being a friend could save a life. Sometimes teens just need to know someone cares,” Leture said. She encourages companies in the Bangor area to make donations to the van fund for Logan. For information, visit www.logansfreeride.com.