| Newsroom: For the Media .jpg) Modern Woodmen Aids Casco BayA $1,000 matching challenge from Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial snowballed into $4,055 to support Friends of Casco Bay's educational outreach projects. We presented Modern Woodmen's challenge to our members and volunteers at our Annual Meeting this fall, resulting in donations totaling $1,555. Modern Woodmen matched this amount and added $500 to its original pledge. A longtime supporter who had offered to make up any shortfall to the challenge, added another $1,000 to her annual gift to bring the total to over $4,000 -- funding we may not have seen without Modern Woodmen's generous matching challenge. (Pictured, left to right: Ted Heidrich, Regional Director of Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial; Cathy Ramsdell, Friends of Casco Bay Executive Director, Will Everitt, former Friends of Casco Bay Development Director)
Oil Spill Penalties To Benefit Casco Bay  Prosecution of illegal oil discharges by a shipping company that polluted the waters off Portland, Maine and elsewhere resulted in an unexpected bounty for the ocean. The community service payments ordered as part of the criminal penalty provided nearly two million dollars to support conservation efforts by 14 Maine groups, including Friends of Casco Bay. On September 22, U.S. Coast Guard Captain James McPherson and U.S. Attorney for Maine Paula Silsby congratulated Friends of Casco Bay Executive Director Cathy Ramsdell and (former) Development Director Will Everitt (above, right and far right) for their winning grant proposal to use $34,000 of the settlement funds to support our marine outreach and education work. | |