The Maine Lobster Festival donated $2,000 to local groups and individuals at its May 27 meeting, as part of the nonprofit’s mission to give back to the local community.
 
Rhapsody Dyer, an 8th grade student at Camden Regional Middle School, received $500 for an educational trip to Costa Rica. As part of the trip, Dyer will learn about and experience the life and culture of Costa Rica. The trip is being organized by her teachers, and Dyer will receive school credit.
Sarah Robertson from Oceanside Peewee Football received $500 to purchase new football helmets. The team’s helmets have expired this year, and all 40 need to be replaced. The helmets will also meet the new safety standards in place for sports helmets.
 
Erin Hustus and Becky Peasley of Coastal Recovery Community Center in Rockland received $500 to support their work and expand their recovery efforts to other cities and towns. CRCC is the local recovery center for Knox County, and offers help, support and a safe community for individuals struggling with substance use.
 
Coastal Recovery Community Center is located at 11 White St. in Rockland, in the basement of St. Peters Episcopal Church. For more information, visit rocklandrecovery.org or call (207) 691-3697. The office is open Monday to Friday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
 
Matthew Ondra from Sunday Stroll received $500. Sunday Stroll is a monthly event in downtown Rockland to create a community gathering space and reimagine what public space means. Sunday Stroll offers an opportunity for the community to gather, bike walk, create dance and play while Main Street is closed to vehicles. It takes place on the third Sunday of each month, with a different theme for each event. More information on Sunday Stroll can be found at rocklandrolls.org and the upcoming theme for the June 15 event is Summer.
 
Maine Lobster Festival is a nonprofit organization and the event is run exclusively by volunteers. The festival donates all profits to individuals and causes within the community including food pantries, athletics programs and emergency service providers, plus scholarships for graduating high school seniors.
This year the Maine Lobster Festival is Wednesday, July 30, to Sunday, Aug. 3, with free admission all five days. For more information and a schedule of events, visit mainelobsterfestival.com.
 
To request a financial donation, visit mainelobsterfestival.com/about/donations.