PRESQUE ISLE – More than 3,000 community members from across “The County” and western New Brunswick attended the Fall and Winter Expo sponsored by the Northern Maine Community College Foundation and WAGM-TV at The Forum Sept. 27-28. Organizers and participants alike considered the event a great success.
Photo courtesy of Northern Maine Community College
Bill Egeler was one of many volunteers from Northern Maine Community College and the NMCC Foundation to greet people as they entered the Fall & Winter Expo Sept. 27-28. Volunteers welcomed community members and collected their tickets entering them into a drawing for several major prizes, including tickets to a NASCAR race in Loudon, N.H., a pellet stove and a snow blower.
“The NMCC Foundation is most pleased with the results of this year’s Fall & Winter Expo,” said event coordinator Aimee Wilkins. “Our partnership with WAGM was key to this year’s success. Thanks to their help in garnering vendors and promoting the event, we more than doubled the attendance over last year’s Fall & Winter Sports and Recreation Show and nearly doubled the number of exhibitors, growing from 30 last year to 55. It was a pleasure working with WAGM, and we are already looking forward to next year’s event.”
With the wide variety of vendors present, the show offered something for everyone; however, the featured topic for the show was alternative sources of energy available in the region to heat homes. Regional vendors offering residential and commercial solutions in solar, wind and geothermal energy, as well as the latest in wood pellet stove and biomass burning technology, were prominent at the two-day event.
Other vendors ranged from businesses that sell outdoor recreational “toys” such as snowmobiles and the related gear to non-profit organizations featuring fall and winter activities, such as Aroostook Football and Presque Isle Youth Hockey. Attendees could sample and purchase the goodies at Mom’s Fudge, go for a free Humvee ride courtesy of the Maine Military Authority, or sit down and watch the live entertainment provided periodically throughout the weekend.
Also featured on Saturday at the Expo was a Community Health Fair put on by seniors in Northern Maine Community College’s nursing and medical assisting programs. They provided information on more than a dozen topics, including seasonal affective disorder, frostbite prevention and treatment, winter sports safety, and fall and winter driving safety.
While a large number of prizes were given out throughout the weekend courtesy of the various vendors, the Fall and Winter Expo featured several larger door prizes. The winners included Michael A. Cyr of Presque Isle, the pellet stove donated by The County Stove Shop of Caribou; Mavis Bradstreet of Bridgewater, the Ariens Snowblower donated by Aroostook Door & Window of Presque Isle and Houlton; Susan Patenaude of Presque Isle, the four NASCAR tickets to Loudon, N.H. courtesy of LeVasseur’s NAPA Auto and Truck Parts of Presque Isle; Louise Hebert of Madawaska, the large high definition flat screen; Charles Beaulieu of Chapman and Chelsea Fletcher of Presque Isle, tuition for a 3-credit course each at NMCC.
“The Fall and Winter Expo was a wonderful project, and WAGM-TV looks forward to partnering with the NMCC Foundation again next year,” said Kelly Landeen, WAGM-TV sales manager. “The expo had a lot of very interesting vendors, and it showed both in the number of people that came to the Expo and in what they brought away from it. The vendors were able to speak to interested parties face to face about their products and services. Next year we hope to have even more businesses and services displayed.”
Photo courtesy of Northern Maine Community College
Fred Butler, left, of Fort Fairfield, learns more about pellet and wood stoves from Pat Labbe, center, and Matt Labbe of the County Stove Shop. The County Stove Shop donated a pellet stove for the Expo, which was won by Michael A. Cyr of Presque Isle.
Photo courtesy of Northern Maine Community College
NMCC nursing student Clarissa Webber, left, explains the fatal vision goggles that were part of her group’s display on substance abuse. Expo participants were able to walk around using goggles, which simulated your sight while under the effects of drugs or alcohol. Some showed night vision while others showed day vision.
Photo courtesy of Northern Maine Community College
Alexis McCrossin of Woodland and Taylor Hartley of Caribou prepare to test their reflexes at the hands-on display for the Caribou Children’s Museum that was featured at the Fall & Winter Expo recently, while museum board members Melony LeShane and Nancy Chandler look on.
