Moosehead Caring for Kids Foundation had a very successful fundraising year! We closed with a sold-out community concert August 30th at Bartley’s Center Cove Events. The live performance featured Whisky Dan Williams, who opened for The Mallett Brothers Band. Concert-goers chose from the mouth-watering menus at Café Crepe and Hungry Mama Tacos, and washed it all down with libations from Stress Free Moose’s beer garden.

   This family-friendly event raised over $18,000 in ticket sales and generous business sponsorships by Moosehead Marina and Jamos Pizza. Like our Golf Tournament and Auction events held over July 4^th weekend at Mountain Village Golf Club (which raised over $18,000!), community participation and the overwhelming financial support by local businesses exceeded our fundraising goals, allowing the foundation to donate $20,000 to the YES Project.

   Other contributions made this year by the Foundation include financial support to Little Schoolhouse Childcare for operational expenses, staff training, and pledged financial support for the Greenville Rec Center’s 4-Year-Old Club, providing a place for preschoolers to participate in afterschool care on school grounds.

   The YES Project is our most ambitious project to date. Though we are anxious to start construction, remaining funds must be secured. To date, we have raised over $215,000 from public and private donations through the Giving Tree Campaign, Festival of Trees, Trailside Trivia Night, Moosehead Lake Planning Team’s eclipse sales, donations from Greenville High School Alumni, engraved sidewalk brick sales, and funds from a quilt raffle donated by Crazy Moose Fabrics, as well as business donations through our Giving Ladder Campaign.

   Additionally, we secured a federal CDS grant for $1,561,000 and a Brownfield’s Grant through the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council for up to $30,000- to be used for the required environmental impact assessment. We submitted 2 additional applications for funding through the State Childcare Expansion Grant and the Northern Border Regional Commission Catalyst Grant for a total of $1,250,000, which will be awarded by January 2025. Ongoing fundraising will continue through the Giving Ladder Campaign and the engraved sidewalk brick sales.

   The YES Project would especially like to thank our generous business donors: Indian Hill Trading Post & Shop N’ Save, Planson International, Folsom Realty, W.L. Bartley, Glacier Wear, AE Robinson, Mud Puddle Mercantile, Currier’s Flying Service, Camden National Bank, People’s United Methodist Church, Rockwood Community Church, Century 21 Moose Country, and Peace of Moosehead. Additionally, we would like to thank our business event sponsors: Hammond Lumber Company, Moosehead Marina, Burke’s Roofing and Masonry, Bartley’s Center Cove Events and Rentals, The Loft at Lakeside, and the many golf hole sponsors as well as the businesses that donated auction items for our Golf Tournament.

   Moosehead Caring for Kids Foundation is an all-volunteer board working to support sustainable, quality childcare in the Greenville area. Janet Chasse, Foundation member and substitute teacher at Little Schoolhouse Childcare, notably said: “The current lack of childcare space is heartbreaking. I personally have had a parent stand in front of me crying, wanting to go back to work because she had no income. There are many children in our region currently in unregulated childcare, out of necessity. I can’t stress enough how important childcare is to the families in our community.”

   Thank you all for your financial support and the donation of your time and talents to help us reach our goals for local kids, the future of our community.