By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
The Teamsters are once again spearheading a food drive to benefit Catholic Charities’ Feed the County program, collecting food this week and continuing right through the Potato Blossom Festival Parade, scheduled for 1 p.m. through downtown Fort Fairfield this Saturday.
Past collections have been very successful, according to Kenneth L. Eaton, president and business agent for the organization.
“The Teamsters Local 340 Women’s Committee 2009 and 2010 Feed the County food drives were such a success that we are doing it for the third time to benefit the Catholic Charities Maine Home Supplies and Food Bank in Caribou, which services Aroostook County food pantries from Wytopitlock to St. Francis and Fort Fairfield to Ashland,” said Eaton.
Beginning on July 15, the truck will depart from Kittery and head north to Presque Isle to participate in the 64th Maine Potato Blossom Parade on July 16 — an event that concludes a week-long festival that has been around since 1937, the same year the Teamsters of Maine was founded. Along the route, Teamsters will be stopping at designated spots to load and fill the truck.
“Northern Maine is in great need of our help. Catholic Charities Maine helped 32,686 people in 2007, 33,244 in 2008, 40,262 in 2009 and 37,612 in 2010 — decreasing as a result of a discontinued affiliation with another area food bank,” said Eaton.
Eaton said the Maine Teamsters’ large membership should once again be able to collect a significant amount of food this year.
“With close to 4,000 members, we should once again be able to make a difference in the lives of our County neighbors. Being one of the largest donations for Catholic Charities, last year we collected 30,000 pounds of food and $1,294 in monetary donations, exceeding 2009 by 20 percent and 35 percent respectively. This year we look forward to exceeding those figures once again,” Eaton said.
Eaton encouraged Teamster members to begin “checking lunchrooms for a box labeled ‘Teamsters Feed the County food drive.’
“Your willingness to drop off non-perishable food items will be greatly appreciated,” he said.
The Teamsters’ food drive will begin at the Kittery Town Hall early Friday morning, continuing north with stops to include: Biddeford, South Portland, Auburn, Augusta, Fairfield, Newport and Hermon. The truck is expected to arrive in Medway at the Circle K around 5:15 p.m. Friday, before continuing on to the Irving Big Stop in Houlton at 7 p.m. It’s scheduled to be on Route 1 in Presque Isle at the Teamsters Local 340 office by 8:30 p.m. Both food and monetary donations will be collected over the two-day period. Checks can be made out to Catholic Charities, which is a 501c3 organization.
Teamsters members will traverse the parade route, collecting non-perishable food items to benefit Catholic Charities, a non-profit organization that helps stock about two dozen food pantries throughout Aroostook.
Teamsters Joint Council 10’s 48-foot tractor trailer will travel 359 miles, starting in Kittery and ending in Fort Fairfield. The drive will take just over six hours, with an added seven and a half hours factored in for dock/load, communication and break times.
“Total drive time should last approximately 13 and three-quarter hours. Times are subject to change, depending on I-95 traffic and road/stop situations,” said Traci Place, spokesperson for the Teamsters’ Presque Isle office. “Be sure to watch for the big truck in the parade and donate whatever you can to help those in need in the County.”
Donations will be accepted along the entire parade route on Saturday.
“If you live in the County or are looking for a place to visit, come to the 64th Maine Potato Blossom Festival and enjoy the festivities, which began July 9 and continue through July 17,” said Eaton, adding how important public participation is to the Teamsters’ food drive. “Your participation is one way that Teamsters can give back to our northern Maine communities in the middle of such trying times.”