Poland Spring plant manager Cameron Lorraine sits outside his bottling plant and explains some of his excitement about a recent donation. (David Hart photo) SALEM — The school board directors of MSAD #58 heard some good news Thursday, July 29. Kingfield director Judy Dill said she was approached by Poland Spring plant manager Cameron Lorraine who told her that his company would like to fully fund the approximate $12,500 needed to restore the elementary sports program to its original format in the district.

“This is the first donation that I’ve handed out since I’ve come here that was unsolicited. I asked to give this donation,” Lorraine said last Friday.

“We want to be proactive in the community and we do pay attention to what’s going on in the community. We had it in our budget this year and for us it just felt like the right thing to do,” Lorraine explained.

During the district budgetary process, Superintendent Quenten Clark and the board needed to find reductions of nearly half a million dollars. Reductions were made in nearly every line of the budget including elementary and junior varsity sports. Also slashed was an approximate $3,000 for uniforms and $6,000 for the part-time services of the high school athletic trainer.

Clark, admitting it would cause controversy, said that unisex teams might be one way that sports can continue with the pro- posed reduction.

Clark was not wrong with his assumption of controversy and was eventually handed a petition of hundreds of signatures to continue with district-wide sports as they’re known today. Dozens of residents came to budget meetings to speak on behalf of restoring the programs and an eventual straw vote was taking that asked residents if they felt the district should fund the full elementary sports program. Fifty of the 62 residents who voted said they wanted the grammar school sports programs to continue unchanged.

The proposed cut passed at the budget referendum and soon after a committee was formed to look at possible solutions for elementary sports. The committee made up of a few school directors and the district athletic director quickly concluded that they’d like to see the programs continue untouched, but find alternative funding such as fundraisers and corporate support. Each of the four communities was asked to come together and raise the money needed.

“What we stand for is the health and wellness for people. We feel that water fits into that model when looking at obesity issues that plague so many Americans,” Lorraine said. “As a person myself and not only as a business, paying attention to that in our youth is critical.”

Sports and physical activity fits this model perfectly, he said. “This meets my mindset, this meets the company mindset… when we get asked for donations we look at stewardship of the environment, education and activities for children. Sports is greater then just running around the field. It teaches you discipline, rules, needs and so much about life,” Lorraine explained.

“I have employees from all of the towns affected by this. They have children and grandchildren who all go to these schools. Knowing that we can help all of these communities is great,” Lorraine said. “We are proud to be part of Kingfield, we are also proud of being part of all these communities, this district and this county.”

Lorraine said he didn’t want young kids to be faced with not playing sports or parents having to potentially face pay-to-play financial hardship. He said that sports can turn a kid’s life around and didn’t want parents to have to face paying for sports versus putting food on the table.

Lorraine also said that this issue could bring the communities closer together to understand that working together could result in better programs, better understandings and a better experience for both the parents and kids.