Windham Hometown Hero brings light to community

By Erin Rose

Longtime Windham resident Karen Rumo was selected as the 2026 Modern Woodsman Hometown Hero and honored at Windham’s Summerfest on Saturday, June 20.

Longtime volunteer Karen Rumo of
Windham has been honored as the 2026
Modern Woodmen of America Hometown
Hero and was a featured honoree during
the Annual Windham Summerfest Parade
and festivities on Saturday, June 20. She
has served as a member of the Summerfest
organizing committee for al most a decade 
and a volunteer at the event for even longer.
COURTESY PHOTO

“I would never have thought,” she said, adding that she “was in good company” being chosen for an award that has been given to prestigious names in the past. “I am honestly so grateful.”

A member of the Summerfest organizing committee for almost a decade and a volunteer at the event for even longer, Rumo looks forward to learning who is chosen each year as the Hometown Hero.

“I always get excited because I want to see who people connect with,” she said. “There are so many good people in our community that do so many wonderful things.”

Deb Matthews, the President of the Summerfest Committee, explained that Rumo was the perfect choice this year.

“Karen is a spark,” she said. “She brings an enthusiasm that everybody needs in their life.”

“She loves her hometown and loves our community,” Matthews said. “She is so welcoming and she draws people in.”

 

Rumo, who has lived in Windham since the 1970s, dedicates more than 60 hours a month to volunteering in the community, through her church, her professional career, and any organization or friends who may need a hand.

“There is always something, whether it’s with work or in the community, the school, friends or whatever it is,” she said. “It’s about helping people and supporting people. It takes a village, no matter what you’re looking at.”

To select the Hometown Hero, the committee puts out nomination forms to the community, allowing residents of Windham to make suggestions to the committee for someone who meets the criteria.

“The person must, as we say, ‘bring unity to the community,’” Matthews said, naming one of the core principles of the community event.

Another of the criteria that unexpectedly came into play for this year’s nominees is that the person must be alive.

“We presented two names for nominees,” Matthews said, “Karen was dumbfounded” when they announced Rumo was one of two people chosen by the majority of the community’s votes. “We got to talking and realized the other person had passed away.”

“Someone made the joke that Karen has the pulse of the community,” she said. “She is the pulse of the community.”

After many years at Summerfest, Rumo has more fond memories than she can count, but one mother has stuck in her mind, after a brief interaction at the Information Booth where she dedicates her time during the event.

A lone mother approached the booth with her three young children. One of her toddlers looked excitedly at the items that were displayed on the table, asking how much the lollipops, glow sticks, and other items the committee has on offer for attendees were to purchase.

“I said ‘It doesn’t cost anything. It’s free,’” she recalled. “He looked at his mom and said ‘Mom, it’s free!’ She had tears in her eyes.”

“You could tell she was going to have to say no if there was a cost, and it was going to be hard for her,” Rumo continued. “When she heard they could have it, she saw the happiness in her kids, and I got tears in my eyes.”

“What we are doing makes a difference,” she said.

Rumo inherited her love of her community from her mother, Beverly, and her grandmother Althea.

“One of the things my grandmother always said is that no matter what is going on in your life, don’t ever lose your sense of humor,” Rumo said. “Your sense of humor is what is going to get you through.”

“My mom added, ‘kindness really spreads,’” she said. “Anything can spread but be one of those do-gooders in the world.”

Those previous generations are looking down as Rumo continues their legacy in the community, including passing that dedication to her daughter, Alyssa.

“I know my mom and grandmother are proud,” she said. “They passed that torch and that responsibility to us.”

“We need to help take care of people and help spread that kindness,” Rumo added.

Rumo spreads that same kindness through her work as a Psychiatry Technician at Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook, where she serves as a resource and mentor for new technicians.

“After 40 years at SHH, even with the different roles and jobs I’ve had here, I feel like there is experience and authenticity in my training when the new techs know I’ve been doing the job I’m training them to do for as long as I have,” she said. “I love it. I would never claim to know everything as I’ve done a lot of different jobs, so I hope that I’m a resource and a motivator for people.”

Another organization Rumo dedicates her time to is Out of the Darkness, overnight walks in communities across the nation to spread awareness of suicide, sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Through the events, she has the chance to interact with patients and their families outside of the hospital.

“They love seeing Spring Harbor because that’s what we do- we try to help people find their light and hope and purpose again,” Rumo said. “Former patients come over and celebrate wins, or we give them hope when they need it. The mental health population deserves it. Sometimes they feel like they’ve been voted off the island of society.”

Throughout her volunteer efforts, both in the community and professionally, Rumo has discovered a universal language.

“What I’ve learned through both work and life – it doesn’t matter if you speak the same language,” she said. “Everybody understands a smile and they understand kindness and the energy around them.”

And, as Matthews said, Rumo’s energy is infectious.

“You can’t help but get excited around Karen,” she said. “She brings that ray of sunshine that we all need in our lives.” <

Summerfest welcomes community for a day of fun and first-ever drone show

By Erin Rose

A new drone exhibition to celebrate the nation’s birthday will wow Windham residents at this year’s Summerfest.

The Windham Police Honor Guard will lead the
annual Summerfest Parade, kicking off a day of
fun at Windham High School on Saturday,
June 20. Parade participants will line up at
11 a.m. at Windham Public Works and the
parade route follows School Road to
Windham Center Road before turning right
onto G\Fray Road and proceeding to 
Educational Way. COURTESY PHOTO   

The annual event will be held at the Windham High School on Saturday, June 20, with the day’s festivities kicking off with a parade set to begin at noon.

The organizing committee chose the theme of “Sun, Stars and Stripes” to blend the annual event with the country’s 250th birthday this year. The day’s motto is “Bringing Unity to the Community,” and the organizing committee is hopeful the event will inspire people to get to know their neighbors.

“People nowadays don’t know their neighbors,” said Deb Matthews, the chair of the Summerfest committee in her fifth year leading the team organizing the event. “This is a way we can get to know everybody in our community.”

“It’s so important to bring your mom and dad, bring your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews,” she said. “Come and bring unity to our community.”

The parade will begin lining up at 11 a.m. at the Windham Public Works building. It will take Windham Center Road then left onto School Road before turning right onto Gray Road (Route 202) where it will proceed to its end at Educational Way. Awards will be presented in several categories, including best illustration of the event’s theme and motto.

The Modern Woodsman of America Hometown Hero, Karen Rumo, will be honored in the parade. A member of the Windham Summerfest organizing committee, Rumo is a long-time Windham resident and was selected because of her devotion to giving back to the community.

“Karen is a bright light. She is so generous and so kind and she is a hero,” Matthews said. “She loves our community, she loves giving back, and she loves family. She has the pulse of the community.”

The parade’s Grand Marshal will be Windham High School’s popular Director of Choral Music, Dr. Richard Nickerson, who is retiring this year after nearly 40 years at the school.

“He is the epitome of a grand marshal – a person that brings unity to the community,” Matthews said, noting Nickerson’s work to establish the Windham Chamber Singers, who have performed internationally during the director’s tenure. “He doesn’t realize how much of an impact he’s had on those students, their parents and their grandparents, and our community.”

Nickerson was shocked when he found out he’d been selected to be honored as the parade’s Grand Marshal.

“I never in a million years thought I would be asked to be the Grand Marshal of a parade,” he said. “This entire year has felt like an out of body experience.”

In addition to being Grand Marshal, Nickerson will also join other local teachers to perform on the Main Stage at 7 p.m. with their band “Cousin Itt.”

The event will formally open at 1 p.m., including the beginning of the entertainment, which will include performances from Andi Fawcett and Doubting Gravity on the Main Stage and Tyler Dhone on the Hall Implement/George Hall Memorial Stage. Phil Smith, a magician who has appeared previously at Summerfest, will be roaming the grounds and performing spontaneously as people gather. Spark You will also be performing at 1 p.m., creating different science experiments to entertain viewers. The Refuge Church will be sponsoring and manning a dozen bounce houses from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“They let all these adorable kids bounce their little hearts out,” Matthews said. “It’s so important to include them and make people aware of these wonderful businesses and organizations that are part of our community.”

The annual Pat Moody Memorial 3v3 Basketball Tournament will begin at 2 p.m., and there will be several rounds of Bingo, hosted by the Lions Club, which will be called by Town Manager Robert Burns, Windham Fire/Rescue Chief Brent Libby, and Summerfest organizing committee member Tom Matthews, who manages all of the day’s entertainment and musical acts.

The drone show will start at 9 p.m. and will be followed by a fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.

There will also be a variety of food available for purchase from non-profit organizations at the event, including Barry’s famous barbeque, chicken, macaroni and cheese and coleslaw, sold by the Windham Snowmobile Drifters, mocktails, walking tacos. Hot dogs, hamburgers, soda and chips will be prepared by non-profit Keeping Kids Safe. The group has been in attendance at the event for a decade, and it provides them with its sole major fundraiser for the year.

“We love the people from Windham,” said Mike O’Neal, founder of Keeping Kids Safe, who is currently seeking sponsors to help support the cost of developing a new app that would provide alerts for missing children and juveniles based on the user’s geolocation, beyond what is available through an Amber Alert, and searching for community partners to join the effort. “The people have embraced Keeping Kids Safe. We’re always packed, and the committee are incredible and amazing people.”

The theme of community runs throughout the day and is evident by both participants and members of the community groups who have booths during the event.

“Windham has gotten much bigger since I started here, but it still has that small town feel where people look out for each other,” Nickerson said. “That’s the wonderful thing about a small-town community.”

Kate Turpen, Board President for the Windham Raymond Pride Planning Committee, echoed the same sentiment when asked why their organization has enjoyed managing a booth at the event for three years. The group will be selling rainbow snow cones this year, which can be fully customized with different colors or flavors.

“It’s a really great opportunity for our community to come together in one place, and to get to see familiar faces having fun,” they said. “It’s really important that families can come and enjoy without a financial barrier.”

Matthews stressed that financial concerns should not prevent people from attending and bringing their families to the free event.

“If you can’t afford to pay, come and play, on me. No charge,” she said. “If you can’t afford to buy food from the non-profits, bring a picnic lunch and sit on the field and enjoy the day for free.”

“It’s so important for us to bring this community together, to share this beautiful community, “Matthews said. “That’s why we work so hard to raise the money we raise. That’s why we work so hard to make sure that everyone understands that this event is free.”

While the town donates money for Summerfest, the organizing committee has fundraised to fully support the event financially and its $40,000 budget. The town Parks and Recreation Department also contributes time and manpower to the event, including Director Linda Brooks who, “brings enlightenment to areas we’re grey on,” Matthews said.

“It’s the committee that’s doing the work,” she said. “We appreciate everything the town does for us. We’re blessed to have the Parks and Recreation Department.” 

The event is rain or shine, and Matthews says that in the past, they’ve endured pouring rain, sleet, and thunderstorms to put on the community day.

“It is what it is,” she said, explaining that they’ve only had a few vendors or performers cancel due to weather. “They want to be there. The excitement we all feel on that day really draws them in.”

Volunteers are still needed for the event, for both the organizers and the groups that will have booths to man.

“It’s the problem we’ve discovered – Every organization, non-profit, or business that wants to participate needs volunteers,” Matthews said. “It’s something as small as watching the booth while they take a lunch.”

“We need people to help with the parade and people to just be there to help,” she said. “There’s always a need for bathroom breaks and lunch breaks.”

Anyone interested in volunteering for the Summerfest Committee or looking for more information about the event should visit the Summerfest website at www.WindhamSummerfest.com. <

Windham resident hopes to spread awareness of mental illness through her 2019 Caregiver of the Year Award

Karen Rumo

By Lorraine Glowczak

It has been said that Karen Rumo of Windham has an amazing gift of profound caring for others - and that gift won her an outstanding award that is rarely found among her contemporaries. On Wednesday, June 19 Rumo, who is a Psychiatric Technician at Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook received the Caregiver of the Year award at the Maine Hospital Association’s (MHA) annual Summer Forum held at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. News Center Maine Anchor Sharon Rose Vaznis presented the award.

According to the (MHA) website, the Caregiver of the Year Award has been given to a caregiver employed by a member institution who, on a daily basis, demonstrates extraordinary commitment to the delivery of care to patients and their families.

"If someone is feeling anxious or they look frightened, she knows how to approach them and to help calm them down, de-escalate them, and help them get what they need," stated Mary Jane Krebs, President of Spring Harbor Hospital in a June 19 publication written by Vaznis.

Rumo is a 1984 graduate of Windham High School and has worked in the field of mental health for 33 years. Her dedication to helping others in a field that is very challenging to serve is admirable. While others in her profession tend to experience burnout, Rumo’s passion only grows.

She serves on committees, trains new employees and goes the extra mile for patients and staff alike. “Passion and caring for others are the foundation for any job you might have,” Rumo began. “And for me, if it benefits our patients – then I’m going to do it.”

In a recent interview, Rumo’s enthusiasm for her life’s work was evident and her excitement filled the room. “I had no clue that I was nominated,” began Rumo. “In fact, I didn’t even know such awards existed and I feel so honored to have been nominated and selected as the winner.”

The Caregiver of the Year Award has been presented to medical professionals since 2002 and it’s the first time that this award was given to someone who works on the front line, working directly with the patients in a technician’s position.

Rumo was nominated by a longtime coworker and friend, Claudia Henry. Henry, who wrote the required 500-word essay and collected testimonials for the application process, is the one who called to let Rumo know the good news. “When Claudia called to tell me I had been selected, she said, ‘Karen! This is like winning the Oscars in Hollywood!’”

Much like the Oscars, Rumo had to prepare an acceptance speech. She admitted she was a little nervous, but it didn’t prevent her from sharing some very important messages. “In my speech I wanted to convey that a person does this work because their heart is in it and they want to make a difference in people’s lives,” Rumo stated. “Making a difference can happen in many different ways. There are times people arrive at the hospital with just a medical gown and come with no other clothing. Making a difference can simply be finding a shirt in the donation box so the person is more comfortable.”

Her hope that the attention she has received with winning this award can bring about more awareness in the mental health field. “There is still so much stigma surrounding mental health and it is my hope that this perception changes,” Rumo stated. “In some form or fashion, we all experience our own mental health issues. If there are emotions, there is going to be mental health issues that come up.”

Rumo’s greatest message is kindness, understanding and sympathy. “No matter who you come in contact with, everyone has a story, and everyone has something to contribute. Since we don’t know the whole story of an individual’s life, it is best that we do not judge – but to be kind to one another.”