MMG, Katahdin Trust Company
to serve as ceremony sponsors
PRESQUE ISLE – The excitement of the upcoming 2010 USSA Cross Country Junior Olympic Championships in Presque Isle will be framed by the pageantry of the opening and closing ceremonies. Those ceremonies will be more spectacular and memorable thanks to the sponsorship of local businesses.
Maine Mutual Group will support the opening ceremony with a $7,500 donation. Scheduled for Sunday, March 7 at 3 p.m. in Gentile Hall at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the opening ceremony is an opportunity for local residents to celebrate and mingle with the athletes and their coaches and parents. More than 300 athletes will parade in with their teams and be welcomed with a taste of hometown pride. During the ceremony, the diverse cultures of Aroostook County will come alive through song, dance and vivid imagery billed to rival the excitement of the races.
“MMG is pleased to sponsor the opening ceremony,” said MMG President and CEO Larry Shaw. “The Junior Olympics committee has done a fine job in its preparations and we feel fortunate to play a part.”
Katahdin Trust Company will support the closing ceremony with a $10,000 sponsorship. Planned for the gymnasium at Northern Maine Community College, the closing ceremony is an event specifically for the athletes and coaches. Awards and honors will be meted out to mark the athletic prowess of the young men and women who participated in the races.
“In our role as a traditional community bank, Katahdin Trust Company is pleased to sponsor the closing ceremony,” said Katahdin Trust Company, President and CEO, Jon J. Prescott. “With the 2010 Olympic Games under way it is inspiring to see these young athletes prepare for competition at the highest level. We join with the local communities in welcoming the athletes, coaches and support personnel, as well as the guests from across the nation who will soon discover the spirit, natural beauty and friendliness of our area.”
“Without these sponsors, we could not afford to host elaborate events like these opening and closing ceremonies,” said Tim Doak, the event director. “We rely on the generosity of businesses like MMG and Katahdin Trust to help us showcase our area to the more than 700 visitors that will come to Presque Isle for this event.”
A committee, co-chaired by Jason Parent and Kim Jones, has been hard at work planning all of the events that surround the races, including the opening and closing ceremonies.
“We’re calling it The MAINE Event,” explained Parent. “From lobsters and lighthouses to potatoes and ployes, the events off-venue at 2010 USSA Junior Olympics are meant to introduce our guests to all that Maine, Aroostook County and Presque Isle have to offer.”
Contributed photo
SPONSORING CEREMONIES – Maine Mutual Group and Katahdin Trust Company have come on board as sponsors of the opening and closing ceremonies for the upcoming USSA Cross Country Junior Olympic Championships, being held at the Nordic Heritage Center March 7-13. From left are Vicki Smith and David Cambridge, both representing Katahdin Trust Company; Tim Vernon and Steve St. Pierre of the event organizing committee; and Matt McHatten and Larry Shaw, both representing MMG.
