Exactly 75 years after the creation of the University of Maine Foundation, the organization held its 75th anniversary celebration hosted by Main-Land Development’s Owner/President Darryl Brown, who is also the chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

The event was held last night in Orono.

At the celebration, Brown helped honor five alumni, one from each of UMaine’s degree-granting colleges, who have gone on to serve their professions and their communities at the highest level and who have not been honored previously by the university, the University of Maine Alumni Association or the Foundation, were honored including teacher and registered dietician Karen Baldacci, wife of Maine Governor John Baldacci; Joline Godfrey, CEO of Independent Means, Inc. and an innovation in financial education for families; Edward Keefer, Chief Financial Officer for M/C Venture Partners in Boston; Patrice Krant, director of global procurement in Coca Cola’s Global Business Services organization;
and Lawrence Bender, a renowned film producer and political activist whose credits include “Kill Bill, Vol. 1″ and “Kill Bill Vol. 2,” “Good Will Hunting,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Anna and the King,” “Jackie Brown,” and “Reservoir Dogs.”

“I am honored to be a part of the anniversary celebration and am grateful to all the donors, past presidents and chairs whose leadership, generosity and vision have resulted in our success,” Brown, who himself graduated from UMaine with both a B.S. and an M.S. says. “Since 1975, the Foundation has paid more than $75 million to support University of Maine programs, students and faculty. That support is possible only because of our thoughtful, generous donors.”

A gift of $1,000 from the University of Maine Class of 1909 launched the Foundation, which now has total assets exceeding $140 million, including over $100 million of endowed funds that provide scholarships and other forms of financial support for University of Maine students, faculty and programs.The University of Maine Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) organization that exists to encourage gifts and bequests designed to nurture academic achievement, foster research and elevate intellectual pursuit at the Universityof Maine. The Foundation’s offices are located at Buchanan Alumni House, Orono,ME, 100 Foden Road in South Portland and online at www.umainefoundation.org.