Face masks couldn’t hide the smiles behind them all day Sept. 22 at Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream and Mini Golf at ShineOnCass Day in Waterville.
The event was held in lieu of the ShineOonCass Foundation’s recently canceled “Putt 4 Cass” event, usually held in May, to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine’s ShineOnCass youth mentoring programs. More than $6,000 was raised in the rescheduled event through sponsorships and donations, according to a news release from Monica Charette, executive director of the ShineOnCass Foundation.
“We are grateful to Gifford’s for helping re-invent a day for our community to safely come together to remember Cassidy and support local kids,” Charette said, in the release. “We continue to be heartened by the outpouring of love for Cass, and hope to be back next year to bring everyone together to Putt 4 Cass.”
ShineOnCass Day was sponsored by Golden Pond Wealth Management, Smiles Solutions of Maine, Hammond Lumber Company, Waterville Area Women’s Club, Central Maine Motors Auto Group, Korner Store & Deli, Fabian Oil, and Higgins & Bolduc Agency.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine started the ShineOnCass youth mentoring programs in Oakland nearly six years ago, in honor of Cassidy Charette, a “Big Sister” and Messalonskee high school student who died in a hayride accident in 2014. Today, the program serves more than 100 children between its Messalonskee program and a second ShineOnCass program offered at the Alfond Youth and Community Center in Waterville.
“We are so thankful to the ShineOnCass Foundation and Gifford’s for finding a creative way during a challenging time, to bring people together to support children in this community who need their mentors more than ever,” said BBBS of Mid-Maine Executive Director Gwendolyn Hudson, according to the release.
For more information about ShineOnCass Day at Gifford’s, visit shineoncass.org or follow ShineOnCass on social media.
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