Dear Editor:

After 75 years of providing assistance to worthy local residents to help them pay their bills at St. Andrews Hospital, we expanded our commitment last year to include local patients of other healthcare providers as well.

But, in order to continue this mission, we really need your help this year. Our fundraising has greatly suffered in recent years in part because of the uncertainty created by recent dramatic changes to our local health care situation.

We’ve recently been advised by our accountant that we need to raise a minimum of $9,000 from public donations this year in order to maintain our 501(c)(3) tax status. Should we lose this important designation, it may negatively impact our ability to help people of the Boothbay region going forward.

Please help the St. Andrews Free Bed Fund, an independent group run locally for the benefit of local people. Your gift is typically tax deductible to the extent of the law as we are still a 501(c)(3) organization. If you wish to donate highly appreciated securities, please call 1-800-543-6410 for delivery information.

Checks can be mailed to: St. Andrews Free Bed Fund, 6 Campbell Street, Booothbay Harbor, ME 04538.

Thank you for helping us to assist so many deserving people in our region.

Thomas I. Perkins

President

St. Andrews Free Bed Fun