Southwest Harbor, Maine – Each week, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust directors and employees, in exchange for being able to dress casually on Fridays, voluntarily contribute to a charitable fund that disburses gifts monthly to local non-profit organizations. This employee-driven donation program is calledCommunity Commitment. The Bank matches the employee donations, doubling the amount given to the chosen non-profit organization. Each month employees at a different bank location get to choose the recipient of these contributions.
For the month of June, employees at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust’s Southwest Harbor branch chose MDI Search and Rescue to receive theCommunity Commitment funds.
“This gift from Bar Harbor Bank & Trust makes a huge difference for us,” said Davin O’Connell, President of MDI Search and Rescue. “We run the organization on donations, so every dollar we receive goes a long way. This fall we will host a wilderness rope rescue training seminar in Bar Harbor, taught by nationally-recognized instructors. This gift will enable seven of our volunteers to attend. We really appreciate this community support, especially from people we know; the Bank’s staff in Southwest Harbor.”
Formed in 1982, MDI Search and Rescue is an all volunteer, non-profit service organization that provides search and rescue assistance on Mount Desert Island and surrounding communities. MDI SAR team members respond to callouts by Acadia National Park, the Maine Warden Service, and local police and fire departments. Team capabilities include ground searches for missing persons, emergency wilderness medicine, and technical rope rescue. They assist with 20-25 missions annually. Their 30+/- member volunteers put in roughly 10 times as much time training as they do performing searches or rescues. MDI SAR’s annual budget pays for member training and rescue equipment like ropes, carabineers, webbing, rescue litter, etc. If you are interested in making a donation to MDI Search and Rescue, checks can be sent to: MDI Search and Rescue, P.O. Box 493, Bar Harbor, ME 04609.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust is a community bank with more than $1.3 billion in assets. Founded in 1887, the Bank offers a full range of financial services and products for families, businesses, and non-profit organizations throughout Maine with 15 branch locations, from Topsham to Lubec. Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, Member FDIC, is a subsidiary of Bar Harbor Bankshares (AMEX:BHB) and was named one of the 2012 Best Places to Work in Maine. For more information call 1-888-853-7100 or go to www.bhbt.com.
Left to right: Davin O’Connell and Steven Hudson of MDI Search & Rescue receive a Community Commitment donation check from Ginny MacLeod and Colleen Maynard of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust’s Southwest Harbor branch.
