Fuller Center Bike Adventure cyclists to finish cross-country journey in Sebago Lakes Region

By Masha Yurkevich

After pedaling thousands of miles across the United States over the span of 10 weeks, cyclists participating in the Fuller Center Bike Adventure’s Northern Tier ride will celebrate the end of their journey in the Sebago Lakes Region while giving back to local homeowners in need.

Cyclists participating in the Fuller Center Bike Adventure's
Northern Tier ride will celebrate the end of their journey
across America starting in Oregon and ending in Maine
while giving back to local homeowners in need in the
Sebago Lakes Region. Cyclists are expected to arrive at'
Saint Joseph's College on Aug. 6. COURTESY PHOTO      

Some 25 riders who departed from Oregon earlier this summer are scheduled to arrive at Saint Joseph's College of Maine in Standish on Thursday, Aug. 6, where they will spend two nights before completing home repair projects in Windham, Standish and Raymond and finishing their cross-country ride with a trip to Portland Head Light on Aug. 8 to dip their bicycle tires in the Atlantic Ocean.

Along the way on their journey across America, these cyclists have stopped in communities across the country to repair and renovate homes while raising money and awareness for The Fuller Center for Housing, whose mission is to eliminate poverty housing by building and repairing simple, decent homes.

"The Northern Tier is special because they are ending their ride in Maine," said Diane Bruni, a founding member, board chair and president of the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing. "The ride has been challenging with riding 100 miles on some days through the Rockies and the smoke-filled days through the Midwest."

At Fuller Center chapters across the country, cyclists have completed projects ranging from replacing roofs, ramps and steps to yard work for homeowners in need.

"In most communities, a church serves as the host," Bruni said. "The cyclists sleep on the floor. It is not a vacation."

The Fuller Center Bike Adventure is celebrating nearly two decades of fundraising rides, with next year marking its 20th anniversary. Cyclists can choose from one-week, two-week or 10-week rides held throughout the year, with fundraising supporting home building and repair projects both in the United States and around the world.

For many participants, Bruni said, the experience is about much more than bicycling across the country.

"For many cyclists, it is a way to see the country, but not by car. It is a very different experience," she said. "The relationships with other cyclists are lifelong. The tie to fulfilling the mission by giving back through raising funds and working on projects is very gratifying. Many cyclists return year after year."

Hosting the final stop of the ride is a significant undertaking for the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center, which has been planning the event for months. This marks the third time the Northern Tier ride has concluded here in Maine. Saint Joseph's College is providing lodging, showers and transportation to project sites, allowing organizers to focus on preparing repair projects, purchasing materials and coordinating volunteers and meals.

"We are so appreciative of their willingness to be part of this community event," Bruni said.

On Aug. 7, cyclists and volunteers will complete four to five repair projects benefiting seniors and veterans throughout Windham, Standish and Raymond. Planned work includes replacing a roof for one family, repairing a deck and steps for another homeowner and clearing overgrown vines that have blocked windows at another home. Since its founding in 2018, the Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center has helped 75 families and contributed more than 4,000 volunteer hours. The nonprofit focuses on assisting low-income older adults, veterans and people with disabilities to complete critical home repairs so that they can remain safely in their homes.

"Many people want to age in a place where they feel secure and have fond memories," Bruni said. "The challenge is needing home repairs for safety reasons, but they no longer can afford what is needed."

She said many of the homeowners the organization serves live alone without nearby family members to help, while affordable rentals are scarce and assisted living facilities often have lengthy waiting lists. Unlike a traditional charity model, families contribute toward the cost of materials through affordable payments over time in what the Fuller Center calls the “Greater Blessing” program.

"It is not a hand-out, but a hand-up," Bruni said. "The families help others."

Community members are invited to welcome the cyclists when they arrive at Saint Joseph's College between 2 and 4 p.m. on Aug. 6. Organizers will greet the riders with signs, balloons and snacks before hosting a Maine-themed welcome dinner that evening. The Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center is also seeking volunteers and donations of food for the cyclists' meals throughout the weekend, including the welcome dinner, a celebratory cookout on Aug. 7 and a Maine blueberry pancake breakfast on Aug. 8.

For more information and to donate, please visit the website at sebagofullerhousing.org. Bruni said community support is essential to making the event – and the work of the organization throughout the year – possible. <

PowerServe 2025 a lasting community tribute to late WHS student

By Ed Pierce

Perhaps our greatest legacy in life is what people remember about us and do in our memory when we’re gone. For Shane Donnelly, his legacy is one of love for his community and the inspiration for an annual event that continues to help neighbors and the town years after his death.

Student volunteers work on a project at the
302 Rotary during a previous PowerServe
event in Windham. The 2025 PowerServe
will be held Saturday, April 26 and is a 
one-day event with volunteers helping
organizations and individuals in the
community who need assistance in
performing various tasks such as 
painting, yard work and home repairs.
COURTESY PHOTO  

Shane Donnelly was just 16 and a sophomore at Windham High School when he passed away unexpectedly in May 2015. His family says that he cared deeply about his community and to show their love for him, his family helped organize the first PowerServe in 2016, a community event where volunteers served Windham area organizations and individuals who needed assistance by performing various tasks ranging from painting to yard work to household repairs and major projects benefiting the town.

The first PowerServe was supposed to be a one-time event in Shane’s memory but following an outpouring of volunteers willing to donate their time to help, it evolved into an annual event growing to include hundreds of volunteers and dozens of projects each year.

“Since that time, we have done hundreds of service projects for the community and residents in need with the help of over 150 volunteers each year on our PowerServe day,” said Shane’s mother Kim Donnelly.

This year, the PowerServe event will be held on Saturday, April 26.

“For this year, we have 160 volunteers signed up so far and 34 projects scheduled to work on,” Kim Donnelly said. “We are looking for more volunteers to meet the need. The day is truly about students and adults in our community giving back to help those here in Windham while serving together.”

PowerServe brings Windham students, coaches, educators, business leaders and residents from all walks of life together to help neighbors, friends and family in Windham on this one day of giving back to our community and those in need who live here.

The volunteers are organized into teams that go out from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to work together doing projects to help residents and organizations in the community.

“Everyone meets back to share stories at the free barbecue at the Windham Historical Society grounds,” Kim Donnelly said. “This gives everyone time to share their experiences. It is a great opportunity to come together to help their neighbors and to meet new people from all ages and walks of life here in Windham.”

According to his mother, Shane loved the peace and beauty of the outdoors. She said he was a good student, a gifted athlete, a kind young man and a loving son.

“When he passed away unexpectedly at the age of 16, it was not only a shock to our family, but to the community and students at school,” Kim Donnelly said. “Nothing can fill the void from Shane’s passing. However, being able to materially see the impact that this event has had on the students, individuals and our larger community does help to feel that he left his mark on this world. Having past classmates of Shane’s and current students come back to Windham to support one another and our neighbors is so heartwarming. The projects that we do mean that our volunteers are working outside together to do good. It’s wonderful to see these students volunteer alongside local business teams, church members, teachers, friends, and families. It truly shows that Windham residents support one another.”

For 2025, PowerServe has 34 projects lined up at this time, the most since it started in 2016. For the larger Windham community, this year volunteers will be doing work at Dundee Park, moving the performance pavilion, building a stage and an overall spring clean-up. They will also build bridges and perform a trail clean-up at Black Brook Preserve.

Past projects performed by PowerServe volunteers include work on the community basketball courts/skate park, building conduits for the 302 Rotary holiday lights, at the Historical Society Community Gardens, on RSU 14’s Cross Country trails, at Manchester School and various plantings at Windham High School.

“The majority of our projects are for Windham residents who are in need of spring clean-ups, outside light stain or painting, spring plantings and mulch, power washing, and more,” Kim Donnelly said. “These are people with disabilities, sickness, who are elderly, an educator or public servant that we want to show our thanks for or just don't have the help and support needed to take care of these projects around their homes. Each year we go out to the town, community, and local businesses requesting nominations for projects for Windham residents to help with.”

As a lifelong volunteer, and Shane’s mother, Kim Donnelly said that in volunteering, you come to understand that simple actions can have a big impact.

“The old adage ‘it is better to give than receive’ or ‘the more you give, the more you get,’ holds true,” she said. “There are many opportunities to volunteer in Maine. PowerServe gives us as Windham residents the opportunity to give back to our own neighbors in need, alongside other Windham residents of all ages. Of course, for me and my family, this is an act of love in memory of Shane, who is remembered by students, teachers, coaches, friends and family for being a kind, loving young man who was accepting of all.”

Volunteers can sign up at PowerServe Windham’s FaceBook page or by visiting www.powerserve.me.

“Volunteering offers invaluable life lessons, a sense of purpose and gratitude for our own life,” Kim Donnelly said. “For our youth, it may take you outside of your comfort zone, but it can develop leadership, communication skills, confidence, and new relationships. This event was originally created in memory of one of our community’s young people. Its success is driven by student involvement in the Planning Committee, outreach to the high school teams and student groups and ultimately the pride our youth feel giving back to their community the day of the event. I would be remiss in not thanking those community members who continue to volunteer year after year. It gives you an amazing feeling of giving back to the community and those around us. You will also meet some wonderful people in your community who are volunteering alongside you.” <