Beneficiary News
Halloween Lanterns Bring Light to Sanford
In a typical year, JMG students would have hosted a Haunted Woods event at Gowen Park in Sanford as part of local Halloween festivities. Of course, 2020 has been anything but typical and like most events, the Haunted Woods was cancelled this year.
Instead, JMG students at Sanford Middle School led a city-wide effort to create 1,500 Halloween lanterns that were lit and displayed along the shore of Number One Pond in Sanford on October 30 and 31. The purpose behind the event, which was proposed by a parent of three JMG students, was to show that children in the community have adapted to the pandemic and “their lights still shine.”
JMG students reached out to teachers across the school district to invite their classes to participate, and created lantern kits—including 2-liter plastic bottles and supplies for decorating them—for 90 classrooms all over Sanford, and hosted socially-distanced lantern making events at the Goodall Library and several local businesses.
For more on this beautiful and inspiring display of community coming together, read the story from the York County Coast Star: https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/york-star/2020/10/27/sanford-students-make- halloween-lanterns-light-ponds-shore/6040275002/
Giving Tuesday—#GratitudeInAction
For nearly a decade, the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving has been claimed by nonprofits across Maine and the U.S. as “Giving Tuesday”—a way to take the focus away from the commercialism of the holiday season and turn a spotlight on the important work of organizations large and small. This year, JMG will be counting down to Giving Tuesday through a campaign they call Gratitude in Action. The week of November 24-30, they will be sharing daily posts and videos on their social media with individuals’ JMG stories—focusing on who the students are, who they become and why each individual featured supports JMG.
You can follow these inspiring stories by searching for #GratitudeInAction on (social media platforms) starting November 24.
The TD Beach to Beacon 10K has supported more than 20 non-profits over the years and we encourage you to learn more about the organizations. We realize this has been a tough financial year for many, but if you are able to donate, we hope you will.
Click here to see a list of the past beneficiaries
Stay safe, sane and sanitized!