Favorite Moments From the 21st Cans for a Cure

Thank you to everyone who helped raise $72,000 for the Maine Cancer Foundation!

What a fun trip Cans for a Cure is. In case you aren't familiar, it's a giant bottle drive. Why do a giant bottle drive? Because everyone has bottles and cans, so everyone can help. We camp out at the Maine Mall for three days (night and day, thanks to a spiffy camper from Camping World) and collect. But for those who can't make it to the Mall, I also go out and pick them up in the 'Can Van' from Bill Dodge Auto Group.

That's Robin from Robin's Confections in Biddeford. She helped stuff the Can Van with her bottles and cans. She's been helping for years. And like so many on the route, she's like family. I know her mom, and she's helped through the birth of her first child. She's also helped when she had to close shop because of the pandemic. These aren't just businesses, they are caring people doing their best to help the community.

There are so many amazing moments for a bottle drive. We raise money for the Maine  Cancer Foundation to help those fighting breast cancer. But often, people donate because of any kind of cancer. One woman who touched me very much was Sue. Sue came in on the last day of the drive to bring us some bottles and cans, as well as a cash donation. As she got out her checkbook, she shared a story about losing her husband. He passed a year ago, and for that year, she's been reliving taking care of him. She was telling me about the pain of not being able to do more; the pain of watching someone you love die. She was filled with regrets. She asked herself, "should she have gotten in bed with him one last time?" Her story and her anguish will stay with me forever. It will be my motivation for the 22nd Cans for a Cure in 2024.