Presque Isle - An overwhelmingly positive response and generous outpouring of support by area businesses and organizations to the Presque Isle Rotary Club’s 2020 Great Big Give Back has coordinators looking at expanding their efforts and extending the project timeline.
Rotarians moved forward earlier this fall with their plans to purchase $5,000 in items from businesses and organizations that donated to its largest fundraiser over the past couple of years to create five “Great Big” gift baskets, valued at $1,000 each. Club members had planned to sell tickets on the baskets through mid-November for a drawing to benefit four worthy local causes.
But, in true Aroostook County fashion, the generosity of the local community donors has yielded items valued at over $17,000 – more than three times what Rotarians set out to buy –to support the club and four designated community causes.
“We never could have anticipated this kind of response when we began work on the Great Big Give Back, but we are so incredibly grateful for the community’s generosity,” said Rachel Rice, who along with fellow Presque Isle Rotarian Chantal Pelletier, are co-chairing this year’s unique auction replacement event. “As a result, we are tweaking plans for the project to reflect this positive development and so excited for the Great Big Give Back event we’ll be hosting a little later than originally planned.”