PRESQUE ISLE – Officials with Coca-Cola of Presque Isle have pledged $18,750 to the Campaign for the County’s College, the major gifts campaign currently being undertaken by Northern Maine Community College and the NMCC Foundation.
Contributed photo
COCA-COLA OF PRESQUE ISLE General Manager Alton Hartt presents Northern Maine Community College President Timothy Crowley with the first installment of a five-year pledge totaling $18,750 by Coke to the Campaign for the County’s College. Joining Hartt and Crowley are, from left: Kris Doody, tri-chair for the major gifts campaign; Raynold Gauvin, chair of the NMCC Foundation; and Sandra Gauvin, secretary of the NMCC Foundation.
“Coca-Cola is a strong supporter of higher education. We are extremely proud to be a part of NMCC’s Campaign for the County’s College,” said Alton Hartt, general manager of the Presque Isle facility. “Affordable higher education is very important to our region, and we at Coca-Cola are happy to be a part of it.”
The Coke pledge of $3,750 annually for five years will be directed to the area of greatest need. Hartt recently presented the first installment of the contribution to representatives of the College, NMCC Foundation, and volunteer leaders with the major gifts campaign.
“We are most grateful to Coca-Cola, its local management and employees for their generous contribution to NMCC. Coke is the latest in a growing list of area businesses and organizations that are recognizing the many important contributions of our first-rate community college to our region, its people and the economy through a financial contribution to the Campaign for the County’s College,” said Kris Doody, tri-chair for the major gifts campaign.
Coca-Cola has been operating in Aroostook County for over 70 years. The regional facility, located at Skyway Industrial Park in Presque Isle, employs 22 full-time and five part-time employees.
The local operations cover a large geographic service area, which includes all of Aroostook County and a portion of Washington County. The region served represents the largest per capita consumption of Coke products in the state of Maine.
In addition to the Coca-Cola brand, other beverages handled by company include Dasani water, PowerAide, Nestea, Minute Maid, Dr. Pepper, and Sunkist, among others.
The Campaign for the County’s College is the first-ever major gifts campaign conducted by NMCC and the College Foundation. The goal is to raise $2 million by February of next year to both support student scholarships and instructional technology, as well as to assist the College in new and ongoing efforts to respond promptly to community needs.
Named to reflect both the impact of the campus in the region, as well as how the College community mirrors the aspirations of Aroostook and its people, the campaign is designed to support the outstanding tradition of teaching and learning for which NMCC is known. It also provides an opportunity to invest in positioning the College to meet the community’s education and workforce demands for years to come.
