True friendship means sharing, but there may be no deeper sharing than the shared loss of children.

Nancy Norton of Hudson and Laurie Dunton of Corinth know all too well the meaning of that statement.

Although friends for many years, they hadn’t been in recent touch until they “ran into each other” six months before 24-year-old Justin Dunton died of metastatic colon cancer, and 8-year-old Shane Wood-Norton was diagnosed with a brain tumor, Laurie Dunton told me.

With Justin “going through chemo and radiation, and Shane just having been diagnosed, I realized I needed to see her more often,” Dunton said of her friend.

From that meeting grew a mutual support both would need after Justin’s death in August 2006, and Shane’s death in April 2007.

Last summer, Norton hiked Mount Katahdin in memory of Shane and Justin, and this year, Dunton is joining her for what is now the second annual Hike Up Mount Katahdin to benefit the Maine Children’s Cancer Program and Ronald McDonald House.

Last year, Norton wrote, $2,100 was raised to purchase gift cards for families with children battling cancer. This year, in addition to those two programs, gift cards also will be purchased for CancerCare of Maine.

The hike begins at 6 a.m. Sunday, July 20, at Mount Katahdin.

“There is no minimum donation, and you can hike as far as you want, or you can just come cheer us on,” Norton wrote.

For more specifics about this special hike with two friends who’ve endured so much, call Norton at 884-4169 or Dunton at 478-4995.

If you would like to contribute to this fundraiser, checks may be made out to the Shane Wood-Norton Fund and mailed to Norton at 25 Brandy Lane, Hudson 04449, or mailed to Dunton at 471 Tate Road, Corinth 04427.

Organizers have announced that the 14th annual Chapin Park Neighborhood Block Party, sponsored by State Street Area Businesses, is planned for Tuesday, July 29, at the park in Bangor.

Your assistance with this event would be greatly appreciated, so if you can, you are asked to attend a Block Party planning meeting at 8 a.m. Thursday, June 19, in the second-level conference room at Phillips Strickland House and Boyd Place in Bangor.

If you can help with a $50 business sponsorship, but cannot attend the meeting, you are asked to call Theresa Sites at Frank’s Bake Shop, 947-4594; Bill Miller at Miller Drug, 947-8369, or Cheryl Grant at Bagley & Grant, 942-3728.

Ethelyn Treworgy reports Three Rivers Kiwanis Club of Milo and Brownville will conduct its annual Kiwanis Auction beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 19, and Friday, June 20, in front of the Farmers’ Union on Park Street in Milo.

The event includes a yard sale, and you also can enjoy offerings from the Chuck Wagon before the auction at 4:30 p.m.

Treworgy said the fundraiser also includes a 50-50 raffle, and a truck you can bid on in the silent auction.

Proceeds from this event help the many programs supported by this club, ranging from bicycle safety and Key and Builders Clubs to Scouting.

To help with the auction, call 943-2271. If you have items to donate for the auction, call 943-2317.

From Amanda Billings of Downeast Health Services comes information about a spaghetti supper to benefit the Maine Coast Community Dental Clinic, a program of DHS.

The supper, sponsored by St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, is at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 20, at the church, 175 Downeast Highway in Ellsworth.

Admission is by donation, and more information is available by calling Billings at 667-5304, ext. 224.

Preparations are under way for the Bangor-Brewer Kiwanis 4th of July Celebration and parade, and your help is needed to make this event successful.

For questions about participating in the parade, call parade chairman Doug Damon, 949-4735.

For general questions about the events, call Dan Guerette of the 4th of July Corp. at 942-3526.

To make a donation to support the celebration, make checks payable and send them to the 4th of July Corp.-Bangor Kiwanis, c/o The Maine Edge, P.O. Box 2639, Bangor 04402-2639.

Guerette reminds you that “celebrating our country’s independence is very important, and we, the local chapters of Kiwanis International, cannot do it without your support.”

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