You can make a difference

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Gloria Austin
DONATION — Claire Desrosiers, left, of the Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention coalition, presents a check to Trudy O’Bar, chairperson for Link for Hope, for helping bring Judge Tommy Webb to Aroostook County.
    Often times as we listen to or read news stories, the events that make up that story are heartbreaking.  Do you ever wonder what you could do to make a difference in someone’s life?
    The National Make a Difference Day is Saturday, Oct. 27. 
     In honor of that, the Houlton’s Link for Hope coalition, in collaboration with the Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention coalition, is bringing Judge Tommy Webb to Aroostook County to speak to area high school students.
    Imagine if you will … you are a war orphan in South Korea in 1952. Your world is one of hunger, desperation, and fear. The priority in your life each day is simply to survive … this is the life story of Judge Webb.
    Webb’s message of how one act of kindness was a turning point in his life is both powerful and inspirational. He focuses on making a positive difference in a negative world. His dynamic message to value and appreciate the qualities of other people is delivered with a sense of humor that will be inspiring, thought provoking and entertaining.
    Judge Webb, who lives in Kansas, will be speaking to interested high school students on Oct. 29 in northern Aroostook; Oct. 30 in central Aroostook and Oct. 31 in southern Aroostook. 
    Trudy O’Bar, chairperson for Link for Hope, said that she believes this is the first time a national speaker has been willing to travel to Aroostook County to present their message county-wide.      “Judge Webb has been very gracious with his time and extremely accommodating,” said O’Bar. “When we approached the schools to see if there was interest, we were thrilled to have had a positive response from so many schools. It’s wonderful when agencies and schools can collaborate to make it all come together. We certainly could not have done such an event without the financial support of our sponsors.”      Not only will Judge Webb present to almost 2,400 students, Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention has worked very hard to put together a follow-up packet of activities, which will be given to each participating school. That way once the message is received, the students will have the tools to continue the discussion and implement changes they feel are needed in their world. 
    Along with speaking to the students, Judge Webb has agreed to give a free public presentation at the Caribou Performing Arts Center on Monday, Oct. 29 at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments will be provided by the Maine Agri-Women.