Peoples Awards $25,000 in Scholarships to 10 Maine High School Students

Part of the Bank's Peoples Promise Program

Ten Maine high school seniors who graduated in the spring of 1999 were awarded $2,500 each by Peoples Heritage Bank as part of the bank's "Peoples Promise" scholarship program launched earlier this year to reward Maine students for academic excellence and help offset their higher education costs.

The students were recognized at a recent awards luncheon sponsored by the bank featuring Joan Benoit Samuelson, a 1984 Olympic gold medal marathoner from Maine who serves as a spokesperson for the bank's Peoples Promise program. The scholarships are being administered by the Maine Educational Services.

Students receiving the $2,500 scholarships were: Joshua Douglas of West Buxton, a senior at Bonny Eagle High School; Patrick Quinn of South Berwick, a senior at Noble High School; Amanda Erskine of Norridgewock, a senior at Skowhegan Area High School; Amy Lemieux of Sabattus, a senior at Lewiston High School; Danielle Belknap of Machias, a senior at Machias Memorial High School; Kathryn LaMothe of Thorndike, a senior at Mt. View High School; Shevenell Mullen of East Newport, a senior at Nokomis Regional High School; Jessica Hallett of Bridgewater, a senior at Central Aroostook High School, Kristin Daigle of Greenville, a senior at Greenville High School and Danielle Jack of Buckfield, a senior at Buckfield High School.

"Peoples is committed to expanding the opportunities available to Maine youth by helping them with the ever-increasing cost of education," said David Ott, president of Peoples Heritage Bank. "This scholarship program is one way we can give back to the communities we serve and help make a difference in the lives of young people in our state."

Scholarship recipients also are offered a three-month paid internship at Peoples Heritage Bank. The Peoples Promise program, which has been recognized nationally by the America's Promise Program as a significant "promise-maker," also includes a school outreach program whereby Peoples employees volunteer more than 400 hours in classrooms throughout the year to teach more than 1,000 sixth graders about economic concepts. Additionally, Peoples' charitable giving is focused on organizations providing support to children, including the YMCA, YWCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters and others. The annual Peoples Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race, held in Cape Elizabeth, also benefits a different children's charity each year. This year's race, which will be held on August 7, will benefit Camp Sunshine.

Peoples Heritage Bank is a Maine-based bank with 75 branches throughout the state, five of which operate at Oxford Bank & Trust, a subsidiary of the bank.

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