A photo from a previous Hike for Hospice event on the Eastern Trail. Courtesy of Heidi Farber
There are a number of upcoming events on the Eastern Trail in Scarborough this summer and fall. The Eastern Trail runs from the Piscataqua River in Kittery at the New Hampshire border and ends in South Portland. It is a nature-based recreation and transportation route built and maintained by the Eastern Trail Alliance. It is part of the East Coast Greenway that runs 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida.
Many organizations work with the Eastern Trail Alliance to set up events, and many of these events raise funds for the Eastern Trail or other local causes.
“Organizations that want to hold an event on the trail fill out an application describing the event with details about plans for parking, crowd control, safety and first aid. They must obtain any necessary permits and show proof of insurance,” said Patti Poole from the Eastern Trail Alliance. “Some are fundraisers for various causes — others are not. We have the Kennebunk High School and Middle School XC races and also the weekly park runs in Biddeford every Saturday at 9 a.m.”
“We run some events ourselves like the John Andrews Memorial 5K in June and the Maine Lighthouse Ride in September,” she said. “Both are fundraisers for the Eastern Trail. We also do bike rides that are free and have partnered with the Holy Donut and Banded Brewing for these. Upcoming events are the Arundel Conservation Trust races, the Mend 5K, 10K and Half Marathon, the Hospice of Maine Walk in Scarborough and the Sweetser Cycle/Stoll for Suicide Prevention.”
On Wednesday, Aug. 30 is the Eastern Trail Full Moon Walk (Blue Moon) at Scarborough Marsh from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The walk starts at the Pine Point parking area at 138 Pine Point Road. Group size is limited to 25 participants and masks/social distancing is required. Registration is required. Pets and flashlights are not allowed.
“Each month the Eastern Trail Alliance hosts the full moon walk at the Pine Point trailhead,” Poole said. “Attendees walk for about 60 to 90 minutes and hear about the history of the trail and the birds and other wildlife that live there.”
On Saturday, Sept. 16 is the Autumn and Ales 5K, 10K and Half Marathon. Proceeds will go to one of three causes the participant chooses: Scarborough Land Trust, Project GRACE, or the Holy Cross School. This event includes a beer garden provided by Nonesuch River brewing for those aged 21 and older.
On Friday, Sept. 29 is another Eastern Trail Full Moon Walk (Harvest/Corn Moon) at the Scarborough Marsh from 6:30 – 8 p.m.
On Thursday, Oct. 5 is Bonfire & Brew at American Legion at 55 Manson Road from 6-8 p.m. There will be chili, chowder, and other local goods. There will be games and an auction, and live music from the Napper Tandies.
On Saturday, Oct. 14 is Hike for Hospice, the fourth annual event benefitting the Hospice of Southern Maine. It starts at 8:30 a.m. for a 4.5 mile route. Hike for Hospice began in 2020. The pandemic forced the hospice to launch the event virtually the first two years, before the first in-person Hike for Hospice occurred in 2022. The event is in person this year, though a virtual version will still be available.
The hike starts at the hospice center on Route 1 and connects to the Eastern Trail before going to Pine Point Road. Optional shuttles are available to return to the hospice, or participants can hike back. Several hundred people or more are expected to participate. Hikers can even put teams together as part of the fundraising event.
“It’s more of a joyful event, I would say, for us, for a hospice,” said Heidi Farber of Hospice for Southern Maine. “But a lot of hospices do it around the country. It’s a way to come together in a more positive, joyful gathering, rather than a memorial service, which we do a lot of those.”
The hospice works on the hike with the town of Scarborough to provide safety. Policing support ensures that the stretch of road they walk on is down to one lane, and community policing volunteers are present. The first year of Hike for Hospice raised over $100,000.
“It’s a really important fundraising event for us to help insure that everyone that needs hospice care is able to get it, and that would be people regardless of their financial abilities,” Farber explained. “So people who are not financially able to pay or people who are under or uninsured, we care for everyone that needs hospice care, whether they live under a bridge, out of their car in a Walmart parking lot, or anywhere else in the community in the 68 towns and islands that we serve. We care for everyone, regardless of their situation in life.”
To learn more, visit https://www.hikeforhospice.org/
On Saturday, Oct. 21 is the Loop and Lunch Ride. This event begins in Saco and travels the Eastern Trail to Pine Point, Old Orchard Beach, Camp Ellis, with lunch at Cia’s in Saco.
On Saturday, Oct. 28 is another Eastern Trail Full Moon Walk (Hunters Moon) at Scarborough Marsh from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
On Monday, Nov. 27 is another Eastern Trail Full Moon Walk (Beaver Moon) at Scarborough Marsh from 4 to 5:30 p.m.
For more information on these events, including registration, visit https://www.easterntrail.org/events-on-the-eastern-trail/
“We hope that people introduced to the trail at an event will continue to use it on their own and get to enjoy the beauty of Maine on a regular basis,” said Poole.
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