A Thank You to Maine for Showing Up and Showing Out in South Portland This Weekend

Maine,

There may be nothing more nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing than putting on an event for the very first time. On the plus side, it serves as a major learning curve for future incarnations of the event (should they happen.)

But most of the time, you're just anxiety-riddled with the execution and whether it will thrive and be a success, or dive-bomb like an angry seagull in Portland, Maine, and fail horribly.

Thankfully, all of you (and even a few people from away) thrived on the biggest level this past weekend with the Stuff the Bus event that happened in South Portland.

From the very early morning hours of Friday, August 18 through the evening hours of Sunday, August 20, we camped right outside the entrance of and in the parking lot of Staples on Western Avenue in South Portland.

And that's where the first thank you comes into play.

To the entire staff of Staples, led by their incredible manager Debbi: thank you for not only being next-level helpful from start to finish, but also encouraging. Whether it was popping out to help stuff and/or un-stuff the bus provided by Falmouth School District (thank you, too, Falmouth), or even dropping a cash donation to help the cause -- you just couldn't have been more supportive.

The second thank you goes out to the recipient of all of this past weekend's donations through Stuff the Bus -- Ruth's Reusable Resources. Ruth, as if what you do in the first place isn't over the top amazing enough -- constantly keeping your shelves stocked with school supplies so teachers don't have to spend their hard-earned, way-too-little salary on supplies for the school year -- the fact you dropped by the event to chat was just next level.

What you've done for the past 30 years is nothing short of amazing, and there's no possible way that every single teacher in Maine doesn't hold you in the highest Goddess regard for what you do.

And the most amazing part is you don't do it for the "thank you" or to look good -- you just do it because it needs to be done and it's what's right.

A massive thank you also needs to go out to Bill Dodge Auto Group. You're never a business to shy away from an event that does good for the community, and the fact some of your staff showed up to -- led by Otto, the most jacked, friendly moose in the history of moose -- help greet donators and to aid in stuffing the bus -- it's just so on brand for a supportive business like you are.

But quite honestly, the biggest thank you that needs to be made for this past weekend is to you, the person reading this note.

Without you, we don't have anything to stuff the bus with. Without your support and without you showing up, this event isn't the success it became.

To be completely honest and transparent, I wasn't sure how this event was going to go. I wasn't sure if we got the word out enough, in time, widespread enough -- and I've never been more happy and thankful to be so wrong.

From current and retired teachers donating to help their fellow teachers out. Families that showed up and had their young children donate school supplies that they knew would be going to their peers in need. People from away like our long-time neighbors in New Hampshire, our new neighbors that just relocated from Arizona, and complete strangers visiting the area from Syracuse, New York.

To retired veterans who have already given enough of their time and energy to the country in general, nevermind Maine specifically. Members of Channel 8 WMTW who not only provided coverage to help get the word out, but constantly visited with their children to give their own donations.

Officers Young and Verville from the South Portland Police Department who pulled up in their cruisers curious on how they could help (as well as to the entire South Portland Police Department overall for the extra patrols to ensure safety for all):

Thank you. Just one, big, massive thank you from the depths of the heart I jokingly pretend not to have.

I've never seen a community come together like it did this past weekend, but I'm grateful as hell I got to see it first-hand.