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. <

Preparations for Windham Summerfest ramping up

By Masha Yurkevich

The beginning of June means that Windham Summerfest is coming up soon, and once again this year it promises to be a daylong event filled with fun activities and getting to know your community better.

Windham Summerfest is welcoming back the popular band 
Motor Booty Affair for a performance at this year's festivities
on Saturday, June 21. COURTESY PHOTO 

The event is being held on Saturday, June 21 at Windham High School. The Summerfest parade line-up starts at 11 a.m. and the parade kicking off at noon. All other activities following the event will start at 1 p.m. at WHS.

The Grand Marshal for the Windham Summerfest Parade will be Charlie Hammond, former Windham Fire Chief. The Modern Woodmen of American Hometown Hero for this year will be the “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” Foundation created by Bill Diamond of Windham.

“The mission statement we use is ‘Bringing Unity to the Community,’” says Deb Matthews, Chair of the Windham Summerfest. “We all feel that sharing this day with our families, neighbors and fellow community members shows us what an amazing town that Windham is. We want everyone to join us for a free fun filled day and make the best of it.”

She suggests visiting and bringing a picnic lunch, some folding chairs and spending the day with the community.

Not only is the Windham Summerfest a fun way to spend the day, but it is also a wonderful way to get some advance Christmas shopping done while supporting your local community vendors.

As participants, many often do not see everything that goes into preparation for the Summerfest and all the challenges that come with it.

“A big challenge and difference that we are faced with is trying to keep it fresh and new,” says Matthews. “We want to engage all ages with the offerings, with the music and the activities. We are always on the lookout for a new way to entertain the community members whether it is a new musician or a different activity. We always welcome new committee members with a different perspective. Each year presents us with new challenges, and we face them head on. I think the biggest challenge this year was the rising cost of so many of our offerings. We have so many generous business sponsors and many had to cut back. We appreciate every single one of our sponsors and their continued support. We also have to thank the Town of Windham and Windham Parks and Recreation; without their financial support and day to day help, we would not be able to do this.”

For Matthews, one of her favorite parts about the Summerfest is the music.

“As always, I am excited about the music. The bands this year truly offer a variety of sounds for many generations. Motor Booty Affair always has us on our feet, dancing the night away and waiting for the fireworks. Them Talking Monkeys start the day at 1 p.m. with a mix of 70s and 80s rock that will have you jumping out of your seat. The Vista Cruisers will make the 3 p.m. start time fun for the ‘oldies’ lovers in the crowd,” says Matthews. “We will have a ‘block’ party before the parade at the corner of Windham Center Road and Route 202 with Tyler Dhone performing from 10:30 a.m. until the parade kicks off at noon. This is our latest change to try to bring people out and enjoy this special day.”

While the event will go on rain or shine, Matthews and everybody involved in the event are hoping for sunny skies.

“We have had many years of Summerfest being cold or rainy, this year we are all praying for sunshine,” says Matthews.

Michael O’Neal with Keeping Kids Safe will also be present at Summerfest. O’Neal is a former part time Deputy Sheriff for Cumberland County for over 17 years and is the founder of Keeping Kids Safe (KKS), a non-profit which started in 2008. Keeping Kids Safe offers personal safety training and teaches the Grip, Dip, and Spin technique that could help save children from predators. He also teaches various other child-friendly programs and educational programs like anti-bullying, internet safety, and date escape.

Apart from selling hamburgers at Summerfest, O’Neal spreads awareness about internet safety and about what Keeping Kids Safe does.

“We teach our kids the Stop, Drop, and Roll method in fire but we never taught our kids what to do if a stranger grabs them,” says O’Neal. “Social media is a great tool, but also a very dangerous one.”

2025 Summerfest promises to be a day full of fun and the community is strongly encouraged to attend the event and enjoy live music, local food, and end the day with fireworks.

“We want the community to know that the event is free to all,” says Matthews. “If you choose to purchase food from the nonprofit food vendors or from one of our many talented crafter/vendors, that would be amazing but not required. We just want everyone to know we do it for the whole community and hope that they have one of the best days.” <

Windham Summerfest promises to be a day loaded with fun

By Masha Yurkevich

Starting with the opening parade at noon Saturday, June 24, Windham Summerfest will continue to be a day filled with fun activities, music, and food capped off by a spectacular fireworks show after dark.

Windham's popular Summerfest celebration returns Saturday,
June 24 with a full slate of free activities intended to bring
unity to the community at Windham High School. Events
include a parade starting at 10 a.m. and fireworks after dark.
SUBMITTED PHOTO 

Deb Matthews has served as the chair of the Windham Summerfest Committee for the last four years and has been with Summerfest off and on since about 2007.

“Summerfest has always been a family-oriented event,” says Matthews. “Our goal is to bring multiple generations of families together to spend the day enjoying each other and our many activities.”

It has been a challenge to keep Summerfest running smoothly.

“I was involved in the beginning when the committee asked me to coordinate a craft fair for them. I was in charge of the Windham Athletic Boosters Craft Fair at that time, Matthews said. “My husband and I were involved for a few years. About 2013 it was running out of steam, volunteers were exhausted and they struggled to find committee members. They discussed cancelling Summerfest. The Windham Parks and Recreation Department and many others tried to revitalize Summerfest. They started us on the path we are on today.”

The general idea and motto of this year’s Summerfest is "Bringing Unity to the Community.”

According to Matthews, Windham Summerfest is a family friendly event, and all ages are encouraged to attend and enjoy a fun-filled day.

“Each year we try to bring in new activities, demonstrations, music and fun. I want to see our neighbors interacting with all our vendors,” she said. “We encourage each vendor to make their booth fun, attractive and enticing to draw people in.”

This year the crafter and vendor village is full of beautiful items to purchase, and it could be a perfect time to get some early Christmas shopping done.

“The best thing for me personally is that the entire event is free,” Matthews said. “Non–profits sell food to raise money for their individual organizations. I want you to come and spend the day. If you cannot afford to spend money at this time, that is okay, pack a lunch and come play.”

This year, Mrs. Maine will also be part of the Summerfest activities. Amanda Shute, Mrs. Maine America 2023, is an Auburn resident and says she’s excited to proudly pay homage to her husband's hometown of Windham at Summerfest. Shute was selected as the local title holder of Mrs. Auburn in May 2022 and was awarded the state title on April 3 during the annual Mrs. Maine America Pageant this year. She will compete at Nationals at the Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas in August.

“My year consisted of making community appearances to advocate and fundraise for several charities,” says Shute. “In June of 2022, I launched a non-profit called, ‘Get Cyber Fit,’ which is aimed to educate families on creating healthier online habits. I have proudly invested over $60,000 in services to the community within the past year, working with Educate Maine's Tech Night, ran several tables at Family Events, and built a social media page focused on online safety education.

Shute said that as Mrs. Maine, she has a wider reach to equip families with the knowledge to have safer online experiences.

Holding the title of Mrs. Maine America awards her the opportunity to carry out her dreams by paying her success forward and amplifying her community work, along with elevating the voice of other women and the causes they are passionate about in the Mrs. America Program.

Shute’s mission statement is "Pay your Success Forward" and she’s ready to participate in Windham Summerfest.

“I have used over a decade of experience to identify a need and use my knowledge to help drive change for such a critical and growing need,” she says. The Windham Summerfest Parade will help to celebrate Shute's community impact. “

You can follow Shute’s journey and show support on social media by finding her on Instagram @mrsmaineamerica2023. She is still working toward her fundraising goals and can be supported through Venmo @Amanda_Shute.

Keeping Kids Safe will also be a part of this year’s Windham Summerfest. Its founder, Michael O’Neal, served as a part-time Deputy Sheriff for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department for more than 17 years, and founded Keeping Kids Safe in 2008. The organization offers personal safety training and teaches the Grip, Dip, and Spin technique that could help save the lives of children from predators.

O’Neal also teaches various other child-friendly and educational programs like Anti-Bullying and Internet Safety Date escape.

“We teach our kids the Stop, Drop, and Roll method for fire safety, but we never teach our kids what to do if a stranger might grab them,” said O’Neal.

Keeping Kids Safe became part of the annual Summerfest activities in 2015 and has been helping to educate the community about simple methods to keeping themselves and their children safe.

Summerfest is entirely free to attend and kicks off with the opening parade down Route 202 to Windham High School and will be followed by many fun activities, bands, food, games and vendors behind the high school. <

Summerfest celebration draws closer in Windham

By Ed Pierce

Get ready to have fun as the 2023 Windham Summerfest celebration returns on Saturday, June 24 to the grounds of Windham High School.

Sandy Donnelly of Windham, left, who operated the Red
Sands Restaurant in town for many years, has been selected
as the Grand Marshal of the 2023 Windham Summerfest,
while retired Windham Police Captain Bill Andrew, right,
who served the community for more than three decades,
has been selected as the 2023 Modern Woodmen of
America Hometown Hero. SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Windham Summerfest is an annual event that honors and celebrates the rich history and people of the Town of Windham and fosters a sense of community. It’s entirely free and features live music, interesting activities, craft vendors, food booths and much more. Summerfest’s theme for 2023 is “A Little Bit of Everything,” and a quick review of featured attractions and activities reveals that’s an accurate summary of what participants will experience at this year’s celebration.

Deb Matthews is the chair of Windham’s Summerfest Committee and said that she feels Summerfest is so popular in the community because the committee focuses on making it family friendly.

“I want you to come to Summerfest with your grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and kids of all ages,” she said. “I want you to have fun, be engaged by the activities we offer, and leave with a smile on your face. By making all activities free, a family can come together and enjoy themselves without the thought of cost.”

According to Matthews, the hardest part of putting Summerfest together each year for the committee is making sure that they are making it better than the last.

“I do not want to repeat year after year. I feel like adding new activities or demonstrations will keep it fresh for all of us,” she said.

Matthews said a partial list of entertainment and activities for Summerfest in 2023 includes Escape Rooms; a 24-foot Rock Wall for climbing; The Lost & Found Band; a Dance Demonstration by members of the Maine Dance Center; the Radio Revival Band; a Golf Ball Drop; the Stone Broke Band; the Cousin ITT Band; Roaming Magician Phil Smith; a Meet and Greet with the Princesses and Heroes; the annual Summerfest 3v3 basketball tournament; Juggler Jason Tardy; the
Party Palooga balloonists; and Mr. Drew and his Animals Too. The day of fun wraps up with a fireworks extravaganza after dark.

Matthews said she has a hard time selecting her personal favorite booth to visit every year.

“There are so many I look forward to visiting each year. I love the crafter/vendor booths for their creativity and talents,” Matthews said. “I anxiously wait to see what the business booths will do for an activity at their booth to engage me.”

She said the Summerfest food booths are always a surprise.

“I never know what to expect and the food is always delicious,” Matthews said. “The community booths share how they are working to improve our communities and make it fun at the same time. I have made many lifelong friends from the people that participated in previous events and wouldn't change a thing.”

As in years past, the annual Summerfest Parade will kick things off for the day, starting at about Lotts Drive and then running up Route 202 (Gray Road) and ending in the WHS parking lot. Awards will be given for Best Depiction of the 2023 Theme: “A Little Bit of Everything” with award recipients receiving gift cards.

During the Windham Town Council meeting on May 23, Matthews shared with those in attendance the names of this year’s Summerfest Grand Marshal and the Modern Woodmen of America Hometown Hero.

Matthews said that the Grand Marshal must be a Windham resident and must demonstrate how they bring unity to the community and likewise, the Modern Woodmen choose the Windham Hometown Hero annually based upon similar ideals. Nominations were submitted earlier this year and the response from those nominating individuals to be honored this year was overwhelming, Matthews told town councilors.

This year’s Modern Woodmen Hometown Hero is retired Windham Police Captain Bill Andrew, a lifelong Windham resident, who retired from the Windham Police Department last September after three decades of serving and protecting the residents of the town.

Andrew graduated from Windham High School in 1992 and while attending school he was a member of the Junior Firefighters. After graduation he worked as a dispatcher for the police department for three years before deciding to become a police officer. He was the driving force in starting the canine unit for WPD under Chief Rick Lewsen. Through the years, Andrew also put many dangerous criminals behind bars, helped find lost children and led the charge each year for fundraising for the Maine Special Olympics, helping to organize the Windham portion of the annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics.

“I want to take a moment to reflect on what it means to not only be nominated as Windham’s Hometown Hero, but to have been chosen. This honor is truly humbling,” Andrew said. “When I embarked on my public safety journey, I wanted to give back to the community that I grew up in. As a Windham High School student, I started my path as a junior firefighter and EMT and I started to realize that giving to the community was rewarding and fulfilling. After high school, I continued to serve the community as a dispatcher and then a police officer. I was fortunate to have the opportunities, the trust and support of the Town of Windham throughout my 33 years serving the community, the businesses, the residents, and the visitors. I saw the town grow throughout that time and watch now from the sidelines as it continues to grow.”

Andrw said that he went through his career never thinking he was a hero, but just someone who was upholding their duty to serve and give back to the community.

“It is an honor to be chosen as the Hometown Hero because it is also honoring those who I have served with over my career. There are many heroes among us. The honor is not just receiving the award and recognition, but to have worked with and alongside the men and women that I had the honor and privilege to work with over those 33 years. I am truly humbled and honored. Thank you.”

Matthews said this year’s Summerfest Grand Marshal is Sandy Donnelly, who recently celebrated her 90th birthday. Along with her husband and three children, she ran a local restaurant in Windham for 22 years and was involved in the restaurant business in town for more than 50 years.

Donnelly is well-known for her oatmeal bread and lemon meringue pie, but even more so locally for her generosity and willingness to help others. She was a Girl Scout Leader, a Boy Scout Leader, was involved in the Windham Athletic Boosters raising money to create the first lighted soccer field in Windham, and active in the Windham Chamber of Commerce. She was honored as the chamber’s “Businessperson of the Year” in 1984.

According to Matthews, Donnelly would always be there to help if an organization needed to raise money, opening her family’s restaurant for a fundraising dinner or to offer to help cook for a fundraiser at one of the schools.

Her friend and former employee, Barb Maurais, said this honor for Donnelly is greatly deserved.

“The family has been a fixture in the Windham community for over 50 years. They employed and supported hundreds of local students at their restaurant,” Maurais said. “She is a giver, from Scout leader, Athletic Boosters, Chamber of Commerce director, to the hostess with the most-est at Rustler's Restaurant, She has always been a doer, an organizer, and Windham's ambassador sharing her kind heart, that twinkle in her eye, and joyous laugh with every new friend that she meets, And her baking, lemon meringue pie, tapioca pudding, that whipped cream, and who could forget the legendary Oatmeal Bread. She exemplifies bringing unity to the community with every interaction.”

When Donnelly’s family shared the news with her that she will be honored as this year’s Summerfest Grand Marshal, Matthews said that Donnelly was speechless, and later as it began to sink in, she started practicing her pageant wave for the parade.

Along with all the other Summerfest activities, one of the most popular events is returning once again this year.

The Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce Community Golf Ball Drop is back, with golf balls sold by the Sebago Lake Chamber of Commerce for $10 each, and a total of 1,000 golf balls available. The golf balls will be dropped from a Windham Fire Department Ladder Truck during Summerfest at 3 p.m. with the winner receiving 20 percent of the amount collected. If all golf balls are sold, the winner would receive $2,000 cash. Additional prizes will also be awarded. Proceeds from the golf ball drop will benefit the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce Charitable Trust for Feed the Need, helping provide for 12 food pantries across the Lakes Region. Winners will be announced at Summerfest at 7 p.m. and golf balls may be purchased in advance by visiting https://www.sebagolakeschamber.com/cal-event/community-golf-ball-drop/ or by calling the chamber at 207-892-8265.

The Windham Summerfest Committee has been working on this year’s celebration since last June and its members include Deb Matthews (chair), Tommy Matthews (entertainment), Barb Maurais (vendors/crafters). Jacob Chouinard (3v3 basketball), and at-large members Tiffany Sinclair, Karen Rumo, Aaron Pieper, and Camille Swander. <