Bicentennial event coordinator seeking volunteers for May celebration

OLD TOWN, Maine — As municipalities across the state prepare to celebrate Maine’s 200th anniversary this year, some faith-based organizations in Old Town are getting ready to host their own commemoration activities — but they need some help. 

Working with a network of churches, city officials, schools and local businesses, Old Town’s Bicentennial Committee event coordinator Gerri-Ana Harvey is seeking volunteers to help put together a free community feast to celebrate the area’s history. Harvey is also the children’s director and the administrative assistant at the United Baptist Church. 

It started back in October, when a group of community leaders got together with the Old Town Stakeholders Group to brainstorm ideas for how they wanted to celebrate the bicentennial. Members of the local churches and other faith-based organizations were asked if they could organize a big meal for Old Town and its neighboring communities — and they ran with the idea. 

“We just started talking about the meal and then we were like, ‘Instead of just having a meal, what if we had exhibits displayed and storytellers or some music,’ and our vision just kind of blossomed,” said Harvey. 

As the group’s vision expanded, so did its need for community support. Harvey estimated that the committee will need to find at least 100 volunteers to help with all the activities they’re planning to do. 

The committee will rely on volunteers to help set up the meal, welcome people to the gathering, organize exhibitions and put together game rooms for the kids. The group is working to iron out the logistics, but so far is expecting to serve 1,000 people at the bicentennial meal, scheduled for May 2. 

There will be three dinner servings between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. to accommodate as many people as possible, Harvey said. In between meals, people can look at exhibitions featuring the Old Town region’s history designed by RSU 34 students and other community members. 

“Our goal is to showcase our community’s past and present, and dreams for the future from diverse perspectives,” Harvey said. 

While the dinner will take place in Old Town, the committee wants to incorporate the entire community, including neighboring towns such as Greenbush, Alton, Bradley, Milford and Indian Island. 

“This event is including our entire community,” she said. “We’re looking to involve all of them.” 

To help fund the event, the committee is applying for a $10,000 grant from the Maine Arts Commission. While the meal will be free to the public, the committee is inviting people to make donations to Habitat for Humanity or to bring in non-perishable items for the local food pantries. 

The exhibitions that will be on display during the evening will be made by residents of each town and will highlight unique parts of history for the individual regions, Harvey said. 

“Everybody’s town has a history.” 

Harvey said that it was important for the committee to involve the towns beyond Old Town’s city limits because they are a part of the larger community. 

“We’re all connected,” she said. 

People who want to get involved in Old Town’s bicentennial committee can contact Gerri-Ana Harvey at office@ubcoldtown.org or 207-745-0388.