Maine Marathon names nonprofit beneficiaries for this year's race

Marathon runners in action, with people watching

Courtesy / Maine Running Photos Volunteer photographers The 2022 Maine Marathon, organized by the Maine Track Club and sponsored by Gorham Savings Bank, is scheduled to take place in Portland on Sunday, Oct. 2.

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By Renee Cordes

With less than eight months to go until the 2022 Maine Marathon in Portland, organizers of the annual charity event have named four nonprofits as this year's race beneficiaries.

The event, organized by the Maine Track Club and sponsored by Gorham Savings Bank, is a nonprofit, all-volunteer event committed to giving back to the community through charitable giving. Since 1997, the marathon has donated more than $5.4 million to local charities.

This year's beneficiaries are Stop Trafficking US Portland; Through These Doors Portland: Wayfinder Schools in Brunswick, Camden and Machias; and World of Change Portland, according to an announcement on Wednesday.

"Every dollar contributed to these nonprofits has the potential to help a Mainer in need of a hand-up, counseling, education and even safety," said Steve deCastro, president and CEO of Gorham Savings Bank, the event's title sponsor since 2010. "That's why GSB is so proud to support this event year after year. The race is truly a force for good in the community we served."

Bob Dunfey, the marathon's volunteer race director, noted that 40% of the revenue from the nonprofit event goes to local charitable organizations every year. He told Mainebiz that the event was in-person in 2019, virtual in 2020 and a mix of in-person and virtual in 2021, when 90% of entrants opted to be in-person.

Last week, organizers of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K race in Cape Elizabeth named Portland's Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness as the 2022 nonprofit beneficiary. Taking place in August, that event is going live this year for the first time since 2019.

List of planned donations and beneficiaries

Here's a breakdown of the donation amounts and race beneficiaries for the 2022 Maine Marathon:

$3,000 to Stop Trafficking US Portland, an organization established by Catherine Ann Wilson to motivate people to stop the sexual abuse and exploitation of children through community education, prevention, and outreach;
$17,000 to Through These Doors Portland, which seeks to end domestic violence in Cumberland County;
$20,000 to Wayfinder Schools in Brunswick, Camden and Machias, which provide alternative education to help teens earn their high school diploma; and
$20,000 to World of Change Portland, on a mission to help every individual discover, understand and act on their capacity to dream of and create meaningful change by providing essentials and support to children and families.

More than money

Marathon beneficiaries benefit directly from registration fees, but they don’t just accept a check. They are expected to reciprocate by rallying volunteers to help with tasks from water stops to clean-up during race weekend.

The race is 100% volunteer-run and relies on more than 200 volunteers, the vast majority of whom are sourced from the event's nonprofit partners.

Camp Susan Curtis, a summer camp for Maine children facing economic hardship, was awarded $20,000 in unexpected proceeds from the 2021 race and will stay on board as a 2022 beneficiary volunteer.

Race registration is available here. Organizers note that while it is difficult to predict what, if any, COVID-19 protocols will be needed in October, the plan is to deliver an event "very similar to or better than pre-pandemic Maine Marathons."