Pittston woman named American Lung Association volunteer of year

Lynette Eastman of East Pittston helps paint route signs for the Trek Across Maine. Submitted photo

Longtime East Pittston resident Lynette Eastman received the Dana Dutton Volunteer of the Year award June 17 at the 39th annual Trek Across Maine, held at Saint Joseph’s College.

The trek is a three-day, 180-mile bicycle fundraising ride for the American Lung Association in Maine, with 800-plus riders and over 400 volunteers. Eastman has been volunteering for 23 years for the event. There were many of Eastman’s children, grandchildren, and friends in attendance to see her receive this award.

She started volunteering for the trek in 2001 a year after her husband George started riding the event.

Her volunteer areas have included route marshal, communications, co-lead as route ambassador, bike corral, collecting meal tickets at the finish line, or wherever she is needed as well as volunteering prior to the trek with painting the route directions, helping to sign and paint the Colby Loop when that route was utilized, helping to scope out and set up route changes each year when necessary, inventorying route signs after the Trek, and helping in the American Lung Association office in Augusta during the year.

Eastman’s drive to volunteer at American Lung Association in Maine comes from having numerous family members and friends that suffer from or have died from lung disease and lung cancer.