RANGELEY — A late night act of vandalism did little to spoil a celebration of 25 years of community giving.

More than 100 people gathered at the town park to participate in lighting the Giving Tree on Nov. 24 despite the fact that nearly all of the strands of lights had been cut the night before.

Volunteers inspected the strings of new lights on Friday, Nov. 23, before hanging them, and everything worked perfectly, said Marie Sutherland, secretary for the Giving Tree’s core group of angels.

When Parks and Recreation employee Rick Godaire arrived to hang the decorations on Saturday morning he found the light strings cut. He called Sutherland, and within a short time, Fire Chief Tim Pellerin, Police Chief Dennis Leahy and Town Manager Tim Kane started to make things right.

Kane authorized buying replacement lights. Pellerin sent out a call that he needed volunteers to string the replacements and he said he received many more responders than he had tasks to keep them busy.

“Steve Grant Sr. and Jr., Dennis Marquis, Gordon Sikes, Lisa Symes and Suzanne Lord restrung the new lights by early afternoon,” Pellerin said. “That’s the best part of living in a community like this. People are willing to take the time to help each other and give their time when it’s needed.”

Sutherland brought large cardboard numerals to hang as a reminder of the 25 years of giving.

Many of the volunteers remembered when 5-year-old Mary Ellen Richardson was sliding on Christmas Day and died when she was struck by a car, said Marie Sutherland, secretary for the Giving Tree’s core group of angels. Rodney Richard, known widely as The Mad Whittler, carved an angel for the tree in memory of his little niece, and the community continued to gather in remembrance and appreciation of the importance of donating all 12 months of the year.

Volunteers, known as angels, decorated the blue spruce with the twinkling lights for the celebration that has drawn generations of locals and visitors “from away” for a quarter century.

When the celebration began, Kane shared the story of the vandalism with the crowd and thanked those who stepped in to make sure the event continued as planned.

Sen. Tom Saviello, R-Wilton, and Rep. Jarrod Crockett, R-Bethel, presented Kane and the nonprofit Giving Tree President Carmen Glidden with a legislative Certificate of Recognition for the quarter century of Giving Tree and angels’ service.

Angels are hard at work year round. They have wrapping parties, which include sorting coats, boots, scarves and hats by size and gender for distribution.

“We have people who want to knit mittens and others who go shopping for what we need,” angel treasurer Sheila Waldeck said. “We have people from out of state who send donations every year.”

Many people have fallen on tough times, Sutherland said, and those who give aren’t rich, and those who receive aren’t poor. Recipients might be a retired couple providing their adult child and grandchildren a place to live for a while. A single parent might have a job that leaves no money for winter boots and clothing for the children. 

People suggest prospective recipients, and the angels hold fundraisers to buy gas cards for those who may travel long distances for medical treatment, or IGA gift cards for food.

The group welcomes volunteers and donations of money, toys and warm clothing and continues to collect grocery gift cards for community seniors.

The Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce and the Camden National Bank branch serve as drop-off locations. For more information, call 864-3807, email [email protected], or write to The Rangeley Giving Tree, P.O. Box 222, Rangeley, ME, 04970.