It was not easy to schedule a visit with Alana LaCourse, recently crowned Miss Maine’s Teen. 

But between her very demanding commitments and my leisurely random sunbathing at the beach, we finally connected during a dance class at the YMCA annex. Unforeseen complications caused me to be a bit late for our meeting. Twenty minutes waiting at a long opening of the Southport bridge was followed by difficult access to the Y Annex while CMP worked on lines. Then I inappropriately walked through the construction site for which I was not awarded a gold star! Finally, I breached the perimeter and entered a large room full of dancing children learning new moves accompanied by famous Bruno Mars “Uptown Funk” music! Alana led the class with some pretty jazzy moves. 

The group (see attached photo) responded vigorously. Alana explained how the dance steps linked together, then everyone, at her urging, set off in various directions trying to employ their newly acquired twists, turns, kicks and jumps. It was a fascinating display reminding me of the days our girls spent with “Y Arts” and Ginny Bishop. Ginny’s daughter Emily now is the chief engineer on the performance train and Alana, a gifted dancer, provides essential assistance. 

Alana is committed to the helping profession, with a history of beneficial mentoring roles. As a youngster, she danced at the “Y,” so this is a good full circle moment. In addition to dance, she has helped children learn to read. She traveled to Peru as a ninth grader to help at a remote village school and currently is fundraising for the American Heart Association.  

During her years as a nationally competitive ski racer at Gould Academy, Alana couldn’t help but notice that some skiers were arriving to compete without the safety benefits of proper gear. This led her to create the nonprofit “GIVE O.N.E” (GIVE Opportunities through New Equipment), which provides children with essential alpine ski racing protective equipment.  

Throughout her vast variety of ambitious endeavors, Alana has kept a focused eye on sharing her helping passion with more people.  A big boost was provided by her recent recognition as Miss Maine’s Teen, which has really kicked up her visibility a lot and offered many new venues to promote giving opportunities. We’re lucky to have someone like Alana representing Maine. She’s working hard to show the country what a teen Mainer is capable of, and she’ll make us proud as she travels in preparation for the national pageant, Miss Teen USA. To cover the costs of travel, instruction, housing and outfits, Alana is working two summer jobs and saving her compensation from public speaking and sponsorships, but the out-of-pocket expenses for this competition are substantial and Alana needs our support. Anyone willing to lend a helping hand can contact Alana LaCourse at P.O. Box 254, East Boothbay, ME 04544. Her parents, Mary Baudo and Jeffrey LaCourse, have encouraged Alana in her efforts to create a better world through mentorship and guidance. Their love and parenting have supported Alana’s desire to help others by being a good example.      

Good luck Alana. Your local community and the state of Maine are well represented.