Together with the Boothbay Region Ambulance Service and Paul and Giselaine Coulombe, I am thrilled and honored to announce that we have met the challenge and have raised over $50,000! It is hard to express just how much we appreciate the community support as well as Mr. and Mrs. Paul Coulombe's generous $50,000 matching funds challenge donation. Not only is the community support amazing and compelling, the matching funds challenge had an overwhelming and compounding effect in providing the inspiration and motivation for others in the community to join in this act of generosity for a cause that will benefit the entire region.

To me, aside from the generosity, I am so very proud of the way this community rallies to support one another. The way this challenge has once again brought our community together is something that sets our region apart from other communities — we are all connected and share a common sense of community pride, wellness and goodwill towards our neighbors near and far.

The Coulombes have given so much to so many organizations throughout the Boothbay region. These donations are often done anonymously. The holidays are a time of year for us to remember to reflect on our many gifts and to give thanks to those who give so much. We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Coulombes for all that they do for the betterment of this wonderful community we live in. We are truly grateful for their and everyone's continued generosity and philanthropy.