CAMDEN — I can help an organization simply by eating? Finally a cause I can sink my teeth into.

Another successful fundraising evening at Harborside Restaurant on Bayview Landing in Camden Tuesday evening, Feb. 12, this time to benefit Five Town Football. This marks the fourth Tuesday in a row that Harborside has donated 50 percent of the proceeds from sales to the agency represented that night.

Past organizations have included Interact/The Rig Guatemala Trip and Camden Hills High School Chorus and Band. Last Tuesday, Hope Elephants were the recipients of the fundraiser.

Coach Carl Chadwick is the current president is of Five Town Football, a nonprofit that operates outside the schools to provide support, equipment and training to the different leagues. In addition, they supply equipment, coaching, uniforms and transportation to the Camden Hills Regional High School Windjammers football team.

Five Town Football was founded in 2005 by volunteer parents interested in expanding football opportunities to students in Appleton, Hope, Camden, Union and Rockport.

A change coming is the removal of the name Peewee applied to Kindergarten, first and second grade leagues. The students playing in this league will be under a flag football program. Third and fourth graders will be under a junior league and fifth and sixth graders will be under the varsity league. Middle school will encompass seventh and eighth grades, while high school will encompass grades nine through 12.

Five Town Football is not affiliated with, nor financially supported by, the Five Town CSD, or School Administrative District 28. Funding and support for FTF teams is provided exclusively by area businesses, civic organizations, private patrons and community donations at Five Town Football fundraising events.

When asked how supportive the school board was of Five Town Football, Chadwick commented it was getting better.

“The schools are giving us greater emotional support and the high school level is building,” he said.
 
Chadwick also said that equipment alone for the high school league ran from $6,000 to $7,000 a year, while overall $10,000 to $12,000 was needed to fund the program. Five Town Football is looking to raise $5,000 to place permanent stands at the high school and as of this year it will adopt a Concussion Awareness Policy.

Five Town Football will be running concessions at the boys' basketball playoff game Feb 13,. Game time is 6 p.m.

You can find Five Towns Football on Facebook or online at fivetownfootball.com.

Upcoming Tuesday night benefits at Harborside Restaurant:

Feb. 19: Coastal Mountains Land Trust

Feb. 26: Children’s House Montessori School

March 5: Camden First Aid

March 12: AIO Food Pantry

March 19: Five Town Communities That Care

March 26: P.A.W.S.