Manna moves Thanksgiving dinner in Bangor

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Manna Ministries of Bangor Executive Director Bill Rae told me that organization, which has been assisting Captain Nick’s Restaurant owner George Brountas for eight years in providing free Thanksgiving dinners for the public, will be moving that event to a new location this year. Manna’s part was helping with food and transportation.

“We’ve outgrown Captain Nick’s, and we need to be able to serve more people, so we’re moving to the former Bangor Theological Seminary,” Rae said.

“We really appreciate what George has done, all these years, and he really has made a difference” for so many grateful people on Thanksgiving Day.

This year’s free public Thanksgiving Day dinner will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 22, at Bangor Theological Seminary, between Union and Hammond streets, where more than 500 people can be served, Rae said.

“We need lots of cooks and volunteers to help serve the meal,” Rae said, “and we will provide transportation.”

If you can help in any way or if you need transportation, call Manna at 990-2870.

Speaking of Manna, 900 turkeys (or turkey gift cards) were donated last week, leaving 4,700 still to be collected for those in need.

Manna requests you donate a turkey, a minimum $10 gift card for one turkey, or another financial donation, to help the less fortunate at Thanksgiving.

Your donation can be delivered or mailed to Manna Inc., 629 Main St., Bangor, 04401.

Marie Stewart reminds you the ninth annual Bangor Y benefit auction will be from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at Spectacular Event Center, 395 Griffin Road, Bangor.

With Dick Cattelle as emcee and auctioneer, your bidding during one of the organization’s major fundraisers will help the Bangor Y “develop programs that benefit Bangor area families, and provide program subsidies to make programs affordable,” Stewart wrote.

Admission, including dinner, the live auction, a silent auction, raffles and post-auction entertainment, is $35.

Tickets are available at the Bangor Y, 127 Hammond St. or 17 Second St.

Stewart reports “post-auction entertainment will include dancing and live music by the RetroRockerz.”

Among the items up for auction are an Old Town Canoe Kayak package; personalized Stephen King books; an eight-hour sail on Penobscot Bay with a lobster feed by Rob Frank; Red Sox and Patriots memorabilia; and various tickets and gift packages.

Nelson Durgin called to report a major change in the annual Hammond Street Congregational Church Snowman Fair and Auction, which begins with the fair at 8 a.m. and the live auction at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at church on the corner of Hammond and High streets in Bangor.

“We have a great fair,” Durgin said of the fundraiser that has “snowmen and wonderful crafts by professional craft people” as its theme.

But he really wanted you to know about the change in time of the auction, “which we always held at noon,” he said of the event.

The fair offers everything from those crafts to wreaths, kitchen and knit items, and make-your-own-gifts for kids. You can also have a massage to help you relax and get in shape for more shopping.

The luncheon features homemade haddock chowder and Durgin-made chili. It begins at 11 a.m. in the Snowman Cafe. You can also buy homemade pie by the slice and coffee.

All proceeds benefit the church and its many charitable activities.

A benefit spaghetti dinner will be held for the family of 4-year-old Michael Roberts, who died Nov. 2 in a tragic mobile home fire in Dixmont.

His great-grandmother, Lois Farr of Dover Foxcroft, told me the benefit is from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, at the American Legion Hall on Park Street in Dover-Foxcroft.

Admission is by donation.

Hannah Tapley invites you to a benefit dance for Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer.

Admission is just $10 per family for the event, which features music, snacks and a raffle.

The benefit is being hosted by a group of families to help financially “support AFFM,” so it can “continue to provide services to adoptive, foster and kinship families in Maine,” Tapley wrote.

Members of the local Spanish community are organizing the Chispa Association as a nonprofit entity.

To assist financially in that effort, the public is invited to a classical recital featuring violinist Anatole Wieck, Laura Artesani on the keyboard, and Lisa Nielson on the baroque cello at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18, at Thistle’s Restaurant, 175 Exchange St., Bangor.

Admission is $20 for the fundraiser, which features free hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

Reservations may be made by calling Thistle’s owner and Chispa president Maria Rave at 945-5480.

Joni Averill, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; 990-8288.