Bob Bahre, an icon and beloved member of the Oxford Hills community, passed away in July 2020. His generosity was legendary and extensive within the greater Oxford Hills community, State of Maine, and beyond. Although his support was often quiet and anonymous, the impact of his generosity was profound. Bahre recognized the importance of an outstanding local health care system in Western Maine, and MaineHealth Stephens Hospital was among his philanthropic priorities over the years.
Continuing a legacy of giving
Recently, MaineHealth Stephens Hospital was contacted by an anonymous donor, who recognized the impact of Bahre’s support and wanted to lead by Bahre’s example. The generous donor offered to match donations up to $500,000 given in honor of Bahre before the end of 2020.
This challenge provided us with the opportunity to reach out to the community and continue Bob’s legacy of caring for the people of western Maine. Along the way we met new donors, renewed inactive donors and received unwavering support from existing donors, all sharing their stories of how Bob touched their lives. This initiative was a testament of how Bob’s impact continues to live on and make a difference in the community he loved.
These gifts made in memory of Bob ensure that MaineHealth Stephens Hospital can continue providing top quality, progressive health care for people living in the Oxford Hills community. Funds from this initiative were dedicated to advancing local imaging services, including:
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner - This advanced digital technology provides quicker scans with superior quality in a fraction of the time.
- Breast Tomosynthesis Scanner - This new digital technology improves our ability to diagnose breast cancer, even in people who have no signs or symptoms. This scanner produces a 3D mammogram by combining multiple breast X-rays to create a three-dimensional picture of the breast.
Thank you to all the donors whose commitment and support made this achievement possible, and a special thank you to the committee members who are responsible for the success of this challenge: Wendy Penley, Kevin Carleton, Holly Bancroft-Brown, Susan Doliner, Dr. Gregory Hardy, Andrea Patstone and Abbie Graiver.
Below is a summary of the results we achieved.
Leadership Gifts and Pledges
| Norway Savings Bank Mr. & Mrs. Richard Penley The Sutton Family Schiavi Family Foundation One Pie Canning, CO. Paris Farmers Union | Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Carleton Mr. & Mrs. Todd Patstone Mr. & Mrs. Cushman Andrews Benner Family Charitable Fund Town & Country Mobile Home Mr. Harry Yeaggy |
Memorial Gifts
| Anonymous Mr. & Mrs. Fred Austin Dr. & Mrs. Charles Frost Dr. & Mrs. William L. Medd Mrs. Jan Stowell Mr. & Mrs. William White Ms. Holly Bancroft-Brown Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Charlton Mr. & Mrs. Steve Barber Mr. & Mrs. H. Arthur Brummer Cross Financial Corporation Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Cushman Mr. Edward Dilworth Dr. & Mrs. Todd Gauger Mr. & Mrs. Garth Grover Hahnel Bros. Co. Mr. & Mrs. David Ott Oxford County Agricultural Society Mr. & Mrs. John Schiavi Mr. Jeffrey Sprague Ms. Karen Whitford WMH Senior Leadership Team Dr. Jim Gallea and Dr. Claire Danby Mr. Arthur Aleshire Ms. Patricia Annino Ms. Brenda Birney & Mr. Bob Houtori Mr. James Bolderbook Mr. & Mrs. James France Ms. Marcia Hindle Mr. & Mrs. Scott Mulkern Dr. & Mrs. Brian Nolan Norway Savings Bank Ms. Joan Smith Mr. Jack Sours Mrs. Judith Gideonse Hannaford Brothers Mr. & Mrs. Gardner Jackson Mr. and Mrs. Peter Prescott Mr. Tony Rice Mr. & Mrs. William Ryan Dr. & Mrs. Philip Anson Mr. Luc Desbiens Mr. & Mrs. Joseph McGahan Mr. & Mrs. Kevin Naughton Richard D. Bartlett & Associates, LLC Dr. & Mrs. Robert Story Mrs. Carol Mitchell Mr. Bobby Allison | Ms. Joline Andrews Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Autry Ms. Nancy Bell Mr. Robert Bizier Mr. & Mrs. Weston Bonney Mr. John Brooks Mr. & Mrs. C. Thomas Brown Mrs. Mary Ann Brown Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Chase Mr. & Mrs. James Delamater Dr. & Mrs. Christopher Lanoue Mr. & Mrs. Peter Laverdiere Mr. & Mrs. A. Kenneth Loper Magee Family Trust Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Major Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Martin Ms. Geraldine McMullin Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Millett Mrs. Winnifred Mott Mr. & Mrs. Robert Moorehead Mr. & Mrs. Gilbert Rogers Steve’s General Store Ms. Donita St. John Thayer Corporation Mr. Hall Thompson Mr. & Mrs. John Veasey Mr. & Mrs. Robert Whitehead Mr. William Webster Mr. & Mrs. Harvey LaMontagne Mr. & Mrs. Mike Morin Mr. & Mrs. Peter Elitzer Ms. Sandra Aldrich Mrs. Susan Batchelder Ms. Ann Caffey Rev. Albert Colpitts Ms. Joanna Dow Mrs. Mary Elder Ms. Valerie Foresta Gernatt Asphalt Products, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Clifford Parsons Mr. & Mrs. Lynn Presby Riverside Kwik Stop Mr. Wayne Whittemore Ms. Gail Preble Ms. Doris Cowles Mr. & Mrs. Sidney Strom Mrs. Patricia Soule |