MPTC Named as 2016 TD Beach to Beacon Beneficiary

On behalf of the My Place Teen Center Board of Directors, we are honored to announce that My Place Teen Center has been selected as the beneficiary of this year’s TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race in Cape Elizabeth on August 6.

“The TD Charitable Foundation couldn’t be more pleased to have My Place Teen Center as the beneficiary for the 2016 TD Beach to Beacon,” said Larry Wold, President, TD Bank, Maine. “MPTC is transforming the lives – and in some cases, saving lives – of at-risk and disadvantaged kids in Westbrook and across the region by providing a place where they are safe, feel loved, and get fed. In addition, they provide a wide-ranging supervised curriculum that helps these kids gain the skills they need for a positive future. We are proud to partner with an organization that is making such a tremendous difference for vulnerable Maine youth.”

The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, has provided a cash donation of $30,000 to My Place Teen Center. The organization also will benefit from fundraising activities and publicity through its association with one of Maine’s premiere sporting events.

“This is such an honor for our organization, as being chosen beneficiary of the TD Beach to Beacon is the pinnacle of awareness and fortitude in the Maine non-profit world,” said Donna Dwyer, president and CEO of My Place Teen Center.

“The level of coordination detail, B2B’s reputation as a world-class race, TD’s generous involvement and sponsorship, the goodwill of Cape Elizabeth and beyond, the emphasis on health and that anyone can achieve the seemingly impossible, the dedication of the volunteers, the legacy runners, the elite athletes, the runners who come in last but who finish – these are all attributes that mimic our work in instilling our kids with grit, compassion, resilience, and persistence,” she said. “We are thrilled to be part of the Beach to Beacon community. We want our kids to see and feel the love, excitement, and care that surround this big-hearted race.”

The TD Beach to Beacon, a classic American summer road race now in its 19th year, was founded by Maine native and running legend Joan Benoit Samuelson, winner of the first Olympic women’s marathon, as a way to give back to her state and community by creating a major road race. The route follows the same coastal roads she trained on in picturesque Cape Elizabeth, beginning near the Crescent Beach entrance on Route 77, winding along tree-lined streets and past breathtaking ocean vistas, and ending in Fort Williams Park at the historic Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.