October 22, 2021
36 The Weekly Sentinel
WS
~ Sports & Outdoors ~
A Year of Bird Walks with York Land Trust and White Pine
YORK October 20 will mark the one year anniversary of the launch of Bird Walk Wednesdays, a series of monthly guided bird walks hosted by York Land Trust and White Pine Programs at Highland Farm Preserve. In the year that it has run, the popular program has welcomed dozens of community members who have collectively spotted nearly 100 different species of birds, including a variety of woodpeckers, warblers, thrushes, egrets, owls, and more. The series started as a way for York Land Trust and White Pine Programs to safely engage with the community during the pandemic, and has grown into a budding community in itself. Debby Ethridge, a leader of the walk, follows up each session with an email to all past and
present participants detailing the species they saw or heard that month. By doing so, she hopes to help community members feel more connected with the land, the birds, and each other. “It has been a learning experience for everyone involved,” Ethridge says. The program is free to participate in and designed for birders of all ages and experience levels. A core group of participants returns with some regularity each month, along with a steady flow of new faces as well, including a number of people who moved to the area during the pandemic and are looking for meaningful ways to connect with others in the region. The establishment of the series in 2020 coincided with a surge in interest in birding
on both the local and national level, in a trend that appears to be associated with increased time spent at home during the pandemic. To further leverage this birding bonanza, York Land Trust has also partnered with York Public Library to create two birding backpacks full of interactive materials such as guides, binoculars, and identification tools that are now available for check-out with a library card. By offering these opportunities to engage with and learn more about birds in the area, the land trust and its partner organizations hope that community members feel more inspired by and connected with the land and wildlife around their homes. Bird Walk Wednesdays will continue to take place at Highland Farm Preserve on the third Wednesday of every month throughout this fall and winter. To register, visit yorklandtrust. org/events.
York Paddle Tennis & Pickleball Club Donates to Living Well With Cancer Fund YORK When the members of the York Paddle Tennis & Pickleball Club (YPPC) decided that a year-end tournament “might be fun,” they had no idea what was to come. Following this fundraiser, YPPC Board and committee members recently presented York Hospital with a check for over $13,000 in support of their Living Well With Cancer Fund. On the weekend of September 25 and 26, the first annual York Paddle Tennis & Pickleball Club Tournament took place at their location on Mill Lane in York. Expecting a limited turnout for the first year, and after some discussion, a decision was made to make it a cancer care fundraiser for York Hospital. Within days they had a waiting list and expanded the tournament field. “Our end-of-season club tournament started out as just
SCORE BOARD Traip Academy
Boys Varsity Football October 16
Telstar 52, Traip 0
October 9
Left to right: Lorrie Sanger, York Paddle Tennis & Pickleball Club (YPPC) Board Member, Kate Ford, Event Co-chair, Chip Coupal, YPPC Board President, Susan Kelly-Westman, York Hospital Oncology Social Worker, Jan Underhill, Event Cochair, Lauren Delong, YPPC Board Vice President. YPPC Committee Members present $13,000 check to York Hospital.
that – an event for our members to close out the season. We added the ‘fundraiser for York Hospital’ component and the energy and feel of the tournament completely changed. Everyone has been touched by cancer in one way or another and YPPC members, unfortunately, are no exception. Whether playing pickleball or paddle tennis, our membership stepped up, opened their hearts and gave to a great cause - well
H.S. SCHEDULES York High School Boys Varsity Football Oct 22 @ Wells
Maranacook 52, Traip 16
Wells High School
Berwick Academy
Boys Varsity Football
Girls Varsity Soccer October 15
Berwick 0, Newton Country Day 0
Boys Varsity Soccer October 10
Berwick 0, St. Paul 1
Boys Cross Country October 13
Berwick 20, Bancroft 37 Berwick 31, Concord Academy 26
Oct 22 vs York
Kennebunk High School Boys Varsity Football Oct 22 vs Marshwood
Noble High School Boys Varsity Football Oct 22 @ Deering
Marshwood High School Boys Varsity Football Oct 22 @ Kennebunk
beyond our expectations,” said Jan Underhill, event co-chair. Kate Ford, pickleball committee member and Jan’s co-chair partner cheerily added, “Our goal for the ‘Put Away Cancer’ Fundraiser event was initially $500, which we quickly adjusted to $3,000 as the donations from our membership began to arrive. We had no idea the club would raise over $13,000 for the fund – although in retrospect, we should not have been surprised. Members of the York Paddle and Pickleball Club are among the kindest and most generous in our community.” The successful fundraiser, involving over 65 participants, included food and gas gift cards in addition to cash donations from members, baskets and 50/50 raffles. Matching funds from a generous YPPC constituent also added to the excitement and bottom line. While accepting the donation, York Hospital Oncology Social Worker Susan Kelly-Westman was happy to share details on The Living Well with Cancer Fund. “The fund provides support to people in our community who have been diagnosed
Schools Can Win $1,000 in the Life Happens Outside® Challenge STATEWIDE Teens to Trails is introducing the Life Happens Outside® Challenge for Maine middle and high schools to foster an appreciation for the outdoors and its multitude of wellness benefits. The weeklong challenge takes place Saturday, October 23 through Friday, October 29 and is designed to get students active and connected to the outdoors. Arcadia, a climate crisis–fighting tech company, is providing a $1,000 reward to the three Maine middle and high schools with the highest amount of outdoor time proportional to their school size. To participate in the Challenge week, students will track and submit their activity online. All outdoor activities — at home or at school — count towards earning points, from exploring a local trail with friends to biking to doing homework outside. Teens to Trails will calculate the winners based on total hours divided by school population, so large and small schools have equal chances to win. The three schools with the most hours — one from northern Maine, one from central Maine, and one from southern Maine — will be awarded $1,000 to further outdoor access for their students. “We are so excited to offer the Life Happens Outside® Challenge to Maine middle and high schools, and are thankful to Arcadia for making this fantastic opportunity possible,”
said Alicia Heyburn, Executive Director of Teens to Trails. “We cannot wait to see the outdoor activities teenagers select, and hope that the time outside will bring a revitalized appreciation for the benefits of fresh air and time to just be in nature.” Through its community solar program, Arcadia helps everyone take meaningful action to preserve the Great Outdoors. Maine residents can enroll in local solar farms at no extra cost. When the farms generate electricity, the clean energy flows into the power supply and members get solar credits back on their power bills. To celebrate the Life Happens Outside® Challenge, Arcadia is giving Maine residents $50 toward their power bills when they sign up for community solar at www,arcadia.com/t2t. If your school is interested in participating in the Life Happens Outside® Challenge, visit www.teenstotrails.org/events. Registration is free and schools will receive promotional materials to help spread the word. Student outdoor hours to be submitted via a provided Google form by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 29. Winners will be announced on Thursday, November 4, 2021. Teens To Trails is a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit dedicated to connecting high school students to life-changing outdoor experiences with a vision that all teens have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors together.
with and are undergoing treatment for cancer at York Hospital. Living Well With Cancer programs center on mind, body and well-being and include support groups, exercise programs, nutritional guidance, creativity programs, massage, Reiki and acupuncture treatments, as well as emergency financial assistance. The programs focus on wellness and support toward the ultimate goal of helping patients achieve steady improvements in mind, body and spirit in pursuit of total body wellness.” Kelly-Westman also added, “I am so touched by the enthusiasm and generosity of the York Paddle Tennis & Pickleball Club. The donation of over $13,000 to the Living Well With Cancer Fund is simply amazing and will help our patients in so many ways. After roughly 19 months and no community fundraising gatherings due to COVID-19 concerns, this outdoor event brought so many people together in the name of health, wellness and kindness, and will certainly offer a physical and emotional boost to cancer patients in our community currently going through treatment.” For details about York Hos-
pital’s Cancer Care services, call Susan Kelly-Westman, LMSW, at 207-351-3721, York Hospital Oncology & Infusion Care, 127 Long Sands Road, York, ME 03909. For more information on York Hospital’s other services, visit yorkhospital.com or contact the Community Relations office at 207-351-2385 or info@ yorkhospital.com. If you are interested in discovering more about YPPC, visit www.yorkpaddletennisclub.org or email yorkpaddletennisclub@ gmail.com. Results of the Tournament are as follows: Women’s Doubles
Gold - Kathy Yager and Kris Andonian Silver - Cath Sherman and Holly Grimes Bronze - Jane Craig and Kate Ford
Men’s Doubles
Gold - Todd Shaver and John Craig Silver - Scott Daskoski and Dana Skiffington Bronze - Mike Vessey and Greg Kaknes
Mixed Doubles
Gold - Barb MacLeod and Todd Shaver Silver - Lianne and Jim Cronin Bronze - Kate Ford and John Craig