MACHIAS — As autumn arrives and the holidays approach, many Washington County families face the added challenge of food insecurity. To help meet that need, Classic Hits 92.7/95.3 FM and The Border 102.9 FM, in partnership with Healthy Acadia and sponsored by Dunkin’ in Calais and Machias and VL Tammaro of Calais, will host the 21st annual Washington County Turkey-A-Thon on Friday, Oct. 10.
Volunteers from sponsoring businesses and the community will be stationed at seven locations across Washington County, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 10, to collect monetary donations. All funds raised will go directly toward purchasing gift certificates from local grocery stores for Washington County food pantries to help families in need enjoy a nutritious holiday meal. Your donation of just $12 can provide a turkey for a family of four, and contributions of any amount are welcome and appreciated.
This year, event organizers have set an ambitious goal of raising $40,000 and are calling on schools, civic groups, businesses, nonprofit organizations and community members throughout Washington County to help achieve it. The event has a strong track record of success, raising $40,400 in a single day in 2024.
Community members are encouraged to contribute as able by visiting one of these collection sites between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.:
Game Time Bar and Grill, Baileyville
Four Corners Shop ‘n Save, Columbia
Dunkin, Machias
VL Tammaro, Calais
First National Bank, Eastport
Bayside Supermarket, Milbridge
Flat Iron Corner, Lubec
Donations can be made in cash, by check payable to Turkey-A-Thon, Venmo (Jeff Demmons @jeff-demmons), or PayPal (Jeffrey Demmons @jeffreydemmons1). Contributions will be acknowledged on-air on Classic Hits 92.7/95.3 FM, broadcasting live from the Dunkin studio at VL Tammaro Oil in Calais during the event.
For more information, contact Jeff Demmons at Classic Hits 92.7/95.3 FM at 207-214-5984 or [email protected] or Jasmine Haines at Healthy Acadia, 207-664-7047 or [email protected], or find the Washington County Turkey-A-Thon event on their Facebook pages.
Healthy Acadia is a 501c3 nonprofit community health organization working to build vibrant communities and make it easier for everyone to lead healthy lives throughout Washington and Hancock counties, and across Maine. For more information about Healthy Acadia’s efforts to address food insecurity and other health initiatives, visit www.healthyacadia.org.
