Students across Aroostook County are lining up to participate in the inaugural Heidi’s Hope Serve-a-Thon, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 18, at eight schools participating in this year’s pilot project. The Serve-a-Thon provides students with the opportunity to come together in community service to raise funds for scholarships for County kids. But they can’t do it alone, and adult volunteers from throughout Aroostook are needed to help these kids turn their labor into dollars. Participating schools include: Easton, Fort Fairfield, Fort Kent, Houlton, Mars Hill, Washburn, Wisdom (St. Agatha/Frenchville) and Hodgdon.
Volunteer adults are needed to help support the efforts of the teams of students, guided by teacher coordinators from the eight schools. Students will collect pledges for monetary contributions backed by community projects that include cemetery and park maintenance, painting and cleanup of historic sites and other activities that help link students to their hometowns. Not only will those volunteers provide role models for the participating students, they will also help develop strong bonds to The County for the children who call this place home.
Heidi’s Hope Serve-a-Thon, developed by the Aroostook Aspirations Initiative, supports students in a variety of community service projects to raise money for college scholarships for County kids. April Flagg, executive director of the program, believes in the power of service and the promise of Aroostook students.
“When we surveyed Aroostook students about community service, 80 percent wanted to be involved in some sort of service to their community. When we asked why, they responded that helping people makes them happy, Aroostook Aspirations is a great cause, and, perhaps the most powerful, they wanted to show their communities what their generation is capable of doing. They see the need for change, and they truly want to be a part of it. Heidi’s Hope is innovative, different and most importantly it engages students in a project connecting to their communities,” said Flagg.
Volunteers can sign up to participate in the mid-October event by going to the Gauvin Fund web page, www.gauvinfund.org, and clicking on the green volunteer tab or by contacting Aroostook Aspirations directly.
President Sandy Gauvin shared just how easy the Heidi’s Hope website is for participants.
“We wanted to assure that students could run their own page without much assistance. The page allows them to reach outside of Aroostook County for sponsors. They can see locations for projects, lists of prizes, people who are participating and can watch tutorial videos right on the site. It is an incredible asset,” said Gauvin.
The website www.heidishope.dojiggy.com includes informational videos on registration and other aspects of the project for students, parents, sponsors and volunteers to access online services and information about the project. This includes access to the project’s online store, a tally sheet for donations and pledges, technical support and answers to questions that students or parents might have.
The Heidi’s Hope Serve-a-Thon concept is intended to strengthen the bond young people in Aroostook have with their communities, in hopes of working to reverse the disturbing trend of outward migration in the region — one of the primary goals of Aroostook Aspirations Initiative. It honors Heidi Graham, who was AAI Founder Ray Gauvin’s partner in Advantage Payroll Service for 26 years, and helped him strengthen Advantage Payroll — eventually the number one payroll processor in Maine.
In addition to her key role building Advantage Payroll alongside Ray Gauvin and her other full-time job as wife and mother, Heidi was always willing to help out in any way she could. She volunteered countless hours with schools, church, Girl Scouts, Aroostook Teen Leadership Camp and other community programs. Graham lost a two-year battle to breast cancer in 2013. The Serve-a-Thon honors Heidi’s spirit and determination and her commitment to community service and education.
For additional information, visit www.gauvinfund.org and click on the pink Heidi’s Hope tab.
