Cruise LaBrie, a 7th grader at Gorham Middle School, just finished his third season as a Go-Kart racer at Bartlett Bridge Raceway in Lyman. During his last night of racing, he decided to do something special, asking his fans to bring food or monetary donations for the Gorham Food Pantry. Cruise said, “I have been wanting to donate to the food pantry for awhile and thought the last race would be a perfect opportunity because it was close to Thanksgiving.” He said he was inspired by his racing heroes who donate to their communities; his favorite NASCAR racer is Jimmie Johnson.

Many people helped to make the food drive a success by getting the word out to fans and other racers. It was announced at the track during the final few races as well as posted on his racing Facebook page (CLR #10). Jen Banks, a Gorham Food Pantry Board Member, attended quite a few of LaBrie’s races this season. She shared, “Cruise is a thoughtful, appreciative young man and we were quickly fans.”

Banks said the deal was sealed when he and his family organized this event. “Their desire to give back and bring the competition together for the good of the community was remarkable. The outpouring of support that we saw, when we showed up with our food donations, was heartwarming on a cold fall night at the track.” she said.

That night, and in the following days, Cruise collected 260 pounds of food and $235 cash for the Pantry. Deb Tanguay, Gorham Food Pantry Director, said, “Cruise had a thoughtful idea this past winter, and, with the support of his family and the race track, was able to be persistent and see the project through to fruition. It warms my heart to have people on our community, particularly youth in our community, willing not only to think of others, but to ACT on behalf of others.”

LaBrie’s family was touched by his efforts. His father, Andre, who helped him deliver the donations, said, “I’m very proud of my son for taking an opportunity in the race community to give back to others.” His mother, Megan, said she enjoyed watching him mature over the last three seasons and shared, “Cruise has a huge heart and it shows on and off the track. My most favorite experience watching him at the track is to see the sportsmanship he has towards others; knee down in the dirt leaning into a friend’s go-kart wishing them good luck before they head out and being one of the first to congratulate after the race.”

Food insecurity can affect many different types of family dynamics. In Gorham, the Pantry’s clients all have one thing in common – they are hungry. Donations and drives such as this help support these families in our community. If you would like to help by making donations to the Pantry, current needs are the following: Cereal (preferably low sugar), Juices/juice pouches (preferably low sugar), Spaghetti, Mac-n-cheese, Peanut butter,Canned or dried beans. As Thanksgiving approaches, donations for Thanksgiving Baskets are also appreciated. Those items include stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy and Hannaford Helps boxes (these are purchased at Hannaford and brought to the Pantry).

If you feel you could use a hand up, the Gorham Food Pantry’s hours are Thursday mornings from 9-11 a.m., and the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, 6-7 p.m. The Pantry is located 299-B Main Street in Gorham (next to St. Anne’s Church). For more information, call 222-4351.