Last month’s ACLU of Maine Annual Dinner and Scolnik Award night at Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland broke all previous tallies in terms of attendance, enthusiasm, and funds raised. We are so grateful for the friends old and new who joined us, for the sponsors who supported us, and for the many volunteers who helped make it happen.
For anyone who missed it, the event kicked off with a cocktail reception, featuring an all-new Selfie Corner where folks could take pictures with liberty-themed props. If you’re on Twitter or Instagram, you can search the hashtag #WeThePeopleME to see the pictures attendees posted.
The formal program featured the public debut of a short video about today’s unprecedented threats to civil liberties and the ACLU’s work here and across the country to fight back. Watch it here:
ACLU of Maine Executive Director Alison Beyea spoke next about how the ACLU was built for difficult moments like this. She pledged not to waver in the ACLU’s effort to help create a more perfect union. Justice Louis Scolnik reflected on the ACLU of Maine’s founding nearly 50 years ago, and presented the Award in his name to the Lee Family – Adam, Cathy, Jonathan and their father Shep posthumously, for their multigenerational activism for civil liberties. Next, Senator Angus King spoke about the importance of immigrants for Maine’s future and introduced Senator George Mitchell, the event’s keynote speaker. In keeping with the night’s theme, Senator Mitchell shared his own family’s immigration story and also reflected on the great impact immigrants have had in Maine’s history.
We have received many requests for a copy of Senator Mitchell’s speech, which you can watch here:
In short, the 2017 Annual Dinner and Scolnik Award night was a huge success, which begs the question – how could we possibly top this event next year? Ask us in September. For now, we’ll just enjoy our abundant gratitude to all the folks who turned out last month – and since November – to stand up for the rights of all Maine people.
