178 Strong, Maine State Troopers Team Represented Largest Group at Dempsey Challenge, Partnered With Poland Spring

178 Strong, Maine State Troopers Team Represented Largest Group at Dempsey
Challenge, Partnered With Poland Spring
Troopers walked and ran in support of Cancer Center and colleagues battling
the disease

LEWISTON, Maine, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday morning, October 4th at
8am, a 178-member Maine State Troopers Team began a 5k walk/run in the Dempsey
Challenge to raise money for the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope &
Healing at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. The State Troopers
represented the largest organized team out of 3,500 event participants.

Participants were encouraged to raise funds as they prepared for the event and
the Maine State Troopers Team raised over $12,000.

Maine State Trooper, Aaron Turcotte, said he helped organize the team because
of the strength and determination of Mike Pearson, a former Trooper who had to
leave the force when he was rendered permanently debilitated by the disease.
Since Pearson was first diagnosed with brain cancer in 1994, he has undergone
a number of surgeries which have left him without any movement on the right
side of his body. "Mike Pearson is fighting every single day just to stay
alive. He is a true inspiration to the Maine State Troopers and to all people
who are affected by this terrible disease," Turcotte said.

Jerry Pearson, Mike's brother, is also a State Trooper serving as a pilot in
the Air Wing. Jerry participated with the Maine State Troopers Team at the
Dempsey Challenge in honor of his brother. Pearson said, "we encouraged
Troopers, non-sworn members, and anyone and everyone that wanted to join our
team to participate and help raise money for the Cancer Center. We were the
largest team heading at the Dempsey Challenge. People came out of the
woodwork to support not only Mike, but all of our friends, family and
colleagues who have had to battle cancer."

For Trooper Aaron Turcotte, cancer has hit close to his home, too. His
brother, Andrew, the Deputy Fire Chief in Kennebunk, is also a cancer
survivor. Andrew and Aaron participated together on the Maine State Troopers
Team in the Challenge.

Poland Spring Water Company, the bottled water sponsor of the Dempsey
Challenge, partnered with the Maine State Troopers Team. Ray Grady, manager
for the Poland bottling plant, said that investing in Maine people is a core
value of the company. "I can't imagine a better way to honor Maine people
than by supporting the Dempsey Cancer Center, which will be right in our back
yard." Grady went on to say "the Maine State Troopers already do so much to
make our communities safe. They're always there when we need them and I'm
just glad we could help in one small way."

SOURCE Maine Public Safety

Aaron Turcotte of Maine Public Safety, +1-207-578-0750,
Aaron.M.Turcotte@maine.gov