YMCA family recreation

OLD TOWN – The Old Town-Orono YMCA has hired Brian Pordon as its family recreation director. Pordon has an extensive background in recreation programming, aquatics and program management.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation management from the University of Connecticut, where he was a member of the varsity swim team.

He has worked at the Mansfield, Conn., Parks and Recreation Department, where he assisted with the summer camp program and oversaw the gym. He worked as aquatics director at the Franklin branch of the Hockomock Area YMCA in Franklin, Mass., overseeing two aquatic sites and swimming lessons for 1,200 participants.

Pordon recently worked at the Old Town-Orono YMCA in membership services and taught CPR and first aid courses. He is an American Heart Association and AHSI CPR and first aid instructor, YMCA lifeguard and a pool management trainer.

Originally from Stockholm, N.J., Pordon lives in Old Town with his wife, Marybeth.

26th annual Run for Hope

HAMPDEN – Six-year-old Julia Freeman is cancer-free and the Freeman family is celebrating.

Join them as the Bangor region hosts the 26th annual Run for Hope, a tradition that has helped fund cancer prevention and clinical trials at Eastern Maine Medical Center’s CancerCare of Maine.

At the event, Harold O. Bouchard will be honored with the Terry Fox Award.

Celebrate local heroes and families like the Freeman family. Join other runners, joggers and walkers for the Run for Hope, a 5K walk and run at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, at the Best Western White House Inn, off Exit 180 of Interstate 95 in Hampden.

Entry fees are $12, $15 on race day, and $35 family. T-shirts are available to the first 200 registrants for an additional cost of $5 per shirt.

Those who do not take part but would like to make a donation may send a check to Run for Hope, c/o Best Western White House Inn, 155 Littlefield Ave., Bangor 04401.

Julia’s mom, Holly Freeman, knows how important it is to have quality cancer care in community.

“It allowed us to be around family and stay strong during one of the most difficult challenges of our lives,” she said.

Every dollar raised in Run for Hope will stay right here in the community helping family, neighbors, and friends.

Refreshments and door prizes will be available. For information call 862-8000 or visit www.runforhope.org.

Zumba classes at YMCA

OLD TOWN – The Old Town-Orono YMCA is infusing party fun into fitness by launching Zumba classes.

Zumba eliminates the “work” from “working out” by combining Latin and international music with dynamic, yet simple exercise moves, using an intermittent training format.

While Zumba embraces all the fundamental principles of fitness, the YMCA says, the secret is how Zumba motivates the body to efficiently burn calories, effectively tone all muscle groups, incorporate full range of motion and improve the cardiovascular system. Fun and music are the two special motivational ingredients.

Participants are constantly engaged with the variety of rhythms, including salsa, merengue, samba, belly dancing, cumbia, flamenco and more.

Even those with two left feet can be successful in a Zumba class because of the natural flow of the simple steps that radiate though the body in synch with the music, officials said.

Zumba is recognized by the world’s leading fitness educators, including AFAA, ACE and CanFitPro.

Everyone is invited, from teens to seniors, women and men. Classes will be held 5-6 p.m. Mondays and Fridays; and 5:30-6:30 p.m. and 6:15-7:15 p.m. Wednesdays with instructors Kristy Albee and Tracy Crawford.

For information, call 827-6111.

Bangor Gun Show

BANGOR – The Penobscot County Conservation Association will host the annual Bangor Gun Show from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, at the Bangor Auditorium.

Admission is $6, $5 to current members of law enforcement, military and National Rifle Association, with current ID. Children under 12 are admitted free if accompanied by an adult.

Proceeds from the event will benefit college scholarships for wildlife conservation students.

Those interested in display space should call Charlie Rumsey at 941-8575.