Gray Community Endowment Plans Ice Cream Social to Celebrate Successful Fundraising Campaign
Jul 20, 2010 – Gray Community Endowment (GCE) will hold an ice cream social at 1 PM, on Sunday, August 1 to celebrate the successful conclusion of the Save Libby Hill campaign. The two-year campaign raised $160,000 to purchase 29 acres on Libby Hill, behind the Gray-New Gloucester Middle School.
"This was a big challenge for GCE as we had never done a fundraising campaign, and Gray doesn't have a big history of raising funds for land conservation," says Anne Gass, GCE's President. "But we had great support from the Land for Maine's Future Fund, the Town of Gray, several different foundations, Hannaford Supermarkets, and lots of individual donors."
The purchase of the 29 acres preserved a key piece of an existing trail system. "We almost lost that land to residential development and it would have ruined the trail network," notes Gass. "But many people love the trails on Libby Hill and were determined to save the land. We met so many terrific people during the fundraising process, and it was a great community building experience, so we want to celebrate with everyone who made it possible."
The Libby Hill trail network now boasts over eight miles of multi-purpose trails that are free and open to the public year round. The trails cross land that is owned and jointly managed by Gray Community Endowment, the town of Gray, and the SAD 15 school district.
The B&R Dairy Bar is donating the ice cream, and Hannaford Supermarkets is donating the bowls, napkins, and fixings for the event. Volunteers, donors, and old and new friends of Libby Hill are all welcome to attend. It will be held at the base of Libby Hill, next to the Gray-New Gloucester Middle School. For more information call Anne Gass at 657-4935.
