ND Paper employees and contractors in have raised $10,000 via donations to benefit victims of a Sept. 16 gas explosion at the LEAP facility in Farmington, Maine, about 30 miles southwest of our Rumford mill.
And thanks to CEO Ken Liu, ND Paper will match that $10,000 to make an even greater impact in the lives of those affected by the explosion. Thus, a total of $20,000 will be allocated to the Farmington Firemen’s Benevolent Association, the Farmington Disaster Relief Fund and LEAP’s online GoFundMe account
The explosion in the small community of Farmington killed a firefighter and injured several others at a newly-renovated building that houses LEAP, short for Life Enrichment Advancing People. LEAP is an organization that supports people with developmental, cognitive and intellectual disabilities. Firefighters were at the site checking into reports of a gas smell in the area when the building exploded.
At the suggestion of our Rumford employees, the fundraiser began Tuesday and employees collected donations at the gates, and hosted host hot dog lunches for employees who donated to the cause. There’s also a raffle ticket “basket auction” that will run from Monday, Sept. 23 through Friday, Oct. 11 to raise additional funds for donation. Employees also can make donations online via the LEAP GoFundMe by clicking here.
“The donations in the boot were very generous,” said Janet Koski, Rumford’s HR director, who headed the fundraising effort. “We had people giving anywhere from $5 to $100 for a hot dog lunch, and NEMO contracting handed us a $1,500 donation this afternoon. It’s unbelievable the outpouring we’re seeing.”
We are touched by the kindness and generosity of our employees as we continue to hold the victims of this tragedy in our hearts.