Striving for community health

Snowshoe Package Winner Photo: Photo submitted by Bangor Savings Bank

Dolly Colton (second from left) was the winner of a family snowshoe package donated by River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition during the Black Mountain of Maine free ski night sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank and Med-Care Ambulance with Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association.

RUMFORD- With the ever-increasing amount of money spent nation-wide on advertising exercise equipment, fast and easy ways to lose weight with fad diets and delicious shakes, one would think that the obesity epidemic in the United States would be shrinking. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
As more and more of the population strives to gain healthier lifestyles without educating themselves on the best ways to gain lasting results, the heavier the population gets.
Three local organizations have taken their roles to heart when it comes to offering knowledge as part of the healthy lifestyle plan.
The River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition, Bangor Savings Bank and Med-Care Ambulance in conjunction with Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association donates their time and money each year to bring a free ski and education night to local skiers at Black Mountain of Maine.
“We continue to collaborate with Bangor Savings Bank and River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition because we feel they share our vision,” noted Laurieann Milligan, Community Outreach Coordinator for Med-Care and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association. “We want to give back to our community in a proactive manner. Med-Care and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association feel sponsoring the free ski night is showing the community we care and we encourage them to engage in a healthy lifestyle, thus, a motto we like to use; make your heart happy~ get moving.”
On behalf of Bangor Savings Bank, Rumford Branch Manager Kelly Greene noted, “We want to give our community sound financial stability along with knowledge on a healthy lifestyle. In addition, we want the residents of the River Valley to know we are here for them.”
During the evening, skiers are privy to education on CPR and automated external defibrillators (AED); “skills all ages should have,” noted Milligan. “With the public crisis of Sudden Cardiac Arrest we want people to know it is preventable by engaging in your health care. For this reason we facilitate free heart monitoring during free ski night. When performing this test we are able to see if the youth is at risk for SCA.”
As an added bonus, the three organizations came together to offer a drawing for a snowshoe package from L.L. Bean. The winner was Dolly Colton of Rumford. She was recently presented her prize package by Sandy Witas of River Valley Healthy Communities Coalition, Kelly Greene of Bangor Savings Bank and Laurieann Milligan of Med-Care Ambulance/Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association.

The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association is currently seeking survivors of SCA to join their survivor network. If you or someone you know is a survivor of SCA visit www.med-careambulance.com and download a free membership application.

For more information on how you can sponsor a free ski night at Black Mountain, call 364-8977.