Ruel Ricker Country Fair 2025

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

Ruel Ricker Day at our Saco Campus is an annual day that celebrates Ruel Ricker – Sweetser’s farm manager from 1941 through the 1970s.
Shout to our amazing staff at our school, led by our Director of Education, Kimberly Holmes, for organizing the event, and to our fellow team members and board members who came to help run the variety of activities and games.
We also had strong support from our corporate partners Unum and Saco and Biddeford Savings. It was a wonderful day for our students and their families!

NEW DATE: Ghoulish Golf postponed to Nov. 1st

Posted by Justin Chenette

Thanks for joining us for Ghoulish Golf! We hope you enjoyed our spooky community event. For more events in support of mental health, check out our upcoming community fundraisers.

Due to poor weather, Aquaboggan’s Ghoulish Golf has been postponed to this Saturday, November 1st, from 6:00–9:30 PM.


Join us for some spooky, family-friendly fun at this Halloween-themed mini golf event – all in support of Sweetser’s mental health services.

Enjoy fried dough, warm apple cider, popcorn, and more! Dress up in costume for $2 off admission. 🎃

Bring your family, friends, and co-workers for a night of fun for all ages in support of our mental health mission. Located at 980 Portland Road in Saco.

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Smiles for Sweetser Comedy Show

Posted by Justin Chenette

Thank you to everyone who made our first Smiles for Sweetser Comedy Show a huge success! We hope we made you smile. 🙂 Check-out our upcoming community events here. 

Every laugh helped support hope and healing for those in need. Stay tuned for our 2026 date!

 

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Definitive Brewing Company Bingo Night – Oct 15th

Posted by Justin Chenette

Thank you for joining us! Click here for more upcoming events. 

Enjoy a fun night of Bingo, draft brews, and delicious bites for a great cause!

On October 15th, Definitive Brewing is teaming up with Sweetser to host a fun-filled Bingo Night for mental health. During the evening, 20% of all draft sales will go to supporting Sweetser’s vital mental health services. Stop by Sweetser’s resource table for swag giveaways and information about how you can support mental wellness in your community.

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Maine Beer Company Community Pizza Night for Sweetser – Oct 8th

Posted by Justin Chenette

Thank you for supporting mental health in our communities. 🙂 For more community events, click here. 
Join us Wednesday, October 8th for our Community Pizza Night hosted by Maine Beer Company in Freeport. From 4:00-8:00 PM, 20% of all food sales go to supporting Sweetser’s critical mission. Stop in for a slice for mental health. Located at 525 US Route 1, Freeport, ME.

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33rd Auction & Gala Brings in Record $400,000+ for Mental Health

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

Thank you so much for the support from our over 600 attendees, corporate partners, item donors, and supporters, who made this our biggest auction and gala in the 33-year history of our event.

Together, over $400,000 was raised to fuel hope for youth and their families most in need of mental health services! Shout out to our energetic hosts Lee Goldberg and Lori Voornas, the always fun DJ Brandon Aull, amazing band Plush with Julia Gagnon, longtime auctioneer Bill Zafirson, delicious food by Blue Elephant Catering, decadent desserts by both European Bakery and Nothing Bundt Cakes, tech by Headlight Audio Visual, setup by One Stop Event Rentals, all at an amazing venue at Brick South.

We appreciate our hardworking Auction Committee, led by Chair Erin Collins, Board of Directors, led by Chair Jessica Demers, and our Development Committee, led by Chair Greg Prince, who all help our team with organizing this event and our fundraising efforts. Our Sweetser PR & Advancement team includes Justin Chenette, Jodie Hansen, Sara Towle, Bryan Roche, and Liz Smith. It’s truly a team effort to pull this off!

Thank you to our presenting sponsors Maine Community Bank and CMP for their ongoing support of our mission. Hope to see you all next year!

A huge shout-out to our incredible sponsors: 

Maine Community Bank
Central Maine Power
UNUM
CGI Business Solutions
Dr. Army Yasko/Holistic Health International
NEWS CENTER Maine
SMRT Architects & Engineers
Paquin & Carroll Insurance
R.M. Davis, Inc.
Systems Engineering
Sanford ME Elks Lodge #1470
Vinegar Hill Music Theatre
Tapley Insurance
The Viewpoint Hotel
Anchor Real Estate
Casco Bay Insurance Agency
Clark Insurance
Genoa HealthCare
Haven’s Candies
HM Payson
Kennebunk Savings Bank
Lebel & Harriman
Little Snoring Cottage
Northeast Delta Dental
Oxford Casino Hotel
PM Construction Company
Preble Lodge #143 (Masons, Sanford)
Saco & Biddeford Savings
Shoreline Construction
Sysco Northern New England
Tyler Technologies
Aroma Joe’s
Bangor Savings Bank
Binnie Media
The Breakwater Group at Morgan Stanley
Coldwell Banker Realty
Freeport Oyster Bar
GoodNylund Wealth Management
InterMed
Jim Godbout Plumbing & Heating
LCI Flooring Inc
MaineBiz
Martin’s Point Health Care
McGarry Law Offices
Northern Shore Enterprises Inc. – Geico
Novel Iron Works
One Stop Event Rentals
PC Construction
Stephen Carr Property Services
Street Dining
Throttle Car Club
TruChoice Federal Credit Union

In The News: WGME Segment on Brunswick’s New Intensive Outpatient Program

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

 

Sweetser was featured on WGME’s Spotlight on ME:

Sweetser’s Chief Communications Officer, Justin Chenette, spoke to WGME’s Adrienne Stein for a segment about Sweetser’s new Substance Use Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) at the Brunswick Hope & Healing Center as we close out National Recovery Month.

TV Segment: Professional Development for Caregivers

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

Conversations about mental health often focus on the general public, but it’s equally important to consider the well‑being of the professionals who provide that care. Sweetser’s Training Director, Jayne Pelletier sits down with WMTW’s Meghan Torjussen to reminds us that caregivers can only support others effectively when they prioritize their own mental health.

Watch the segment below:

Many workshops are available individually or as part of a series—and several can be taken online. To explore Sweetser’s full catalog of professional development opportunities and register, visit Sweetser.org/training.

OPTIONS Team at Recovery Rallies

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

Sweetser’s OPTIONS team and fellow Sweetser staff attended the Lakes Region Recovery Center 5th Annual Recovery Rally earlier this month to connect individuals to resources and care.

BRIDGTON

Pictured from left to right:

  • Marissa Smith (Manager of Intentional Peer Support & Training)
  • David Cameron-Rosenfield (Manager of SupportME Peer Center)
  • Carolyn Hall (Crisis Intervention Specialist)
  • Manny Reis (OPTIONS Team – Recovery Coach)

LEWISTON

Sweetser’s Kennebec County OPTIONS team as well as our Oxford County Mobile Crisis team were represented at the Lewiston Recovery Rally.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our tables to say hello to our teams!

Learn more about our OPTIONS initiative: OPTIONS Initiative at Sweetser