Tugs Of Fun

Portland Harbor and the inner Casco Bay was hopping this weekend with the MS HarborFest. Over 800 volunteers and participants were out on the water on Friday and Saturday taking advantage of some incredible weather. Activities got underway on Thursday evening with an benefit auction at The Woodlands Club, followed on Friday by a Skippers reception for the sailing crowd at Handy Boat, in Falmouth. Saturday hosted the powerboat Poker Run and sailing regatta. Sunday the tugs topped the waves and made some of their own, but not before some hardy souls jumped into the bay for the "survival suit races."

ABOUT THE MAINE CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY

The Maine Chapter of the National MS Society, operating from offices in Falmouth and the Bangor area, with strong volunteer support throughout the state, serves approximately 3,000 families living with MS in Maine. Nearly one in every 400 Maine residents has been diagnosed with MS, a prevalence rate 70% higher than the nation as a whole. The Chapter offers information and education, financial assistance, care management and peer and group support. Volunteers are an integral part of the work we do, helping with our special events, programs and services as well as with our office functions. For more information about the Chapter please call 1-800- FIGHT MS (1-800-344-4867) or visit our website www.msmaine.org

ABOUT MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the body and stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.5 million worldwide.

Thanks Go To: "The overall title sponsor of the Harborfest weekend is Portland-based law firm Verrill Dana LLP, which has been sponsoring this event for the last six years," says Mary Jalbert, chair of the board of trustees of the Maine Chapter of the National MS Society. "Bangor Savings Bank has also signed on as event sponsor for two weekend events; the MS Benefit Auction and the MS Tugboat Muster."

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM SUNDAYS EVENTS: Here

Coming Later this fall 1 new blog, following on my now shuttered website, Maine Political Photo News & a "365" street portrait project ( probably on flickr).

Words & Photos ©2009MichaelBarriault

28th Annual Peaks 2 Portland Swim

More then 250 swimmers took part in Saturdays Peaks to Portland swim. The Greater Portland YMCA event is in it's 28th Annual year.  The 2.4 mile swim from Peaks Island to the East End Beach provides an opportunity for swimmers to challenge their physical and mental abilities, while at the same time raising money for the Cumberland County YMCA’s Annual Support Campaign, providing needed scholarships for youth, adults and families. Last year we gave out over $322,000 in financial assistance and we expect to give out even more this year. Each swimmer is escorted by a partner in a Kayak helping to keep the swimmers safe and adding to the color and confusion at the start.  A large crowd is on hand at the dock on Peaks Island and along the East End Beach finnish line.  This years event was won by fellow students from the Middlebury College swim team,  Nick Daly from Cape Elizabeth and Sarah Demers from Florida.