Two groups who are working to improve the viability and vitality of Presque Isle’s downtown area have stepped up to serve as lead sponsors for the Color Presque Isle 5K. The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee [PIDRC] and Presque Isle Healthy Maine Streets [PIHMS] program are teaming up to provide strong support for the event, which is raising money for arts programming in downtown Presque Isle. Officials representing the lead sponsors and Color Presque Isle event gathered on Aug. 22 for a check presentation ceremony at the Wintergreen Arts Center.
Presented by the University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Wintergreen Arts Center, the Color Presque Isle 5K is one of The County’s most unique and fun-filled 5K fundraisers. During the event—which takes place on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 9 a.m. at Riverside Park—participants dress in white, get showered with colored powder throughout the course, and finish looking like a work of art. Last year’s inaugural event, the first of its kind held in Aroostook County, had more than 400 participants of all ages and running abilities in attendance.
“We are absolutely delighted to have the Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee and Presque Isle Healthy Maine Streets program provide such strong support to our event and our efforts to help make the downtown vibrant through the arts programming offered there,” Heather Sincavage, event co-director and Director of UMPI’s Reed Fine Art Gallery, said. “All of these efforts not only help the downtown, but also impact the entire region as we work to make downtown Presque Isle a cultural destination.”
“The PIDRC and PIHMS are filling an important mission in terms of strengthening quality of place and helping to secure the cultural future of our downtown,” Rowena Forbes, event co-director and Wintergreen Arts Center Executive Director, said. “By supporting the continued development of art programming in downtown Presque Isle, PIDRC and PIHMS are establishing the importance of art and culture in the revitalization our community.”
Presque Isle Healthy Maine Streets’ mission is to create a vibrant downtown through community leadership focused on developing place-based worksite wellness. Healthy Maine Streets connects small businesses with creative opportunities to make the healthy choice the easy choice. Healthy people build downtown vitality, fuel economic growth and strengthen quality of place for future generations. The City of Presque Isle was awarded a $20,000 grant through Healthy Maine Streets, which builds on the Maine Downtown Center’s proven downtown revitalization framework to leverage community health improvements in a number of Maine towns and with a combined population of 180,000.
The Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee’s mission is to encourage the community to preserve and reinvest in the economic, aesthetic, and cultural future of Presque Isle by promoting the viability and vitality of the downtown area. Working closely with the City of Presque Isle, the City Manager and staff, the City Council, and Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce, the PIDRC partners with businesses, as well as civic, professional, and educational organizations, to accomplish its work. A volunteer-driven organization, the PIDRC has adopted the National Main Street USA 4-Point Model.
“The Color Run aligns perfectly with the goals of the PIDRC and PIHMS initiatives and goals to promote a vibrant downtown and draw people to the area,” said Leigh Smith, Chair of the PIDRC.
The Color Presque Isle 5K is also being supported by MMG Insurance, UMPI’s Student Activities Office, TAMC, Katahdin Trust Company, Huber Engineered Woods and Northern Athletic Supply.
The registration fee for the event is $40; children under 10 are free. Registration is payable by cash, check or credit card. Course maps will be available at check-in, which will be underway on Friday, Aug. 29 from 5-8 p.m. at Wintergreen, and on Saturday, Aug. 30 starting at 8 a.m. at Riverside Park. Register at www.umpi.edu/colorpresqueisle5k or in person at Wintergreen Arts Center in Presque Isle.
Participants and community members are also invited to help spread the word and the excitement for the upcoming Color Presque Isle 5K by liking the event’s facebook page at www.facebook.com/colorpi5k and by joining the conversation across social media platforms by using the tag #colorpi5k.
For more information, please contact Heather Sincavage at heather.sincavage@maine.edu or contact Rowena Forbes atwintergreenarts@gmail.com or 762-3576.
