AUBURN — Mac’s Grill hosted the last Summer Block Party, an annual fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Maine launched in 2015 by the late Jim Marston.
Rounding out about four hours straight of live music was 17-year-old Matthew Gahagan of Standish filling in as lead vocalist for local band Fire in the Hole, performing John Mellencamp’s ‘Rain on the Scarecrow’ and Bob Seger’s ‘Turn the Page.’ Gahagan was Make-A-Wish Maine’s latest grantee, but belting out a couple 1970’s classics — quite successfully, too, according to the crowd — wasn’t the crescendo of his evening. The foundation granted his ultimate wish: one year of vocal lessons, a Taylor acoustic-electric guitar, amplifier and all the necessities for a budding singer-songwriter.
Gahagan said he started singing seriously around two years ago, not long before he began fighting leukemia. He said he looks forward to starting his lessons and hopes to eventually start a band.
“It feels great especially to come out here and play some songs,” Gahagan said. “Make-A-Wish is very generous and kind organization.”
Randy and Kelly Baril dance Saturday to the music of Tattooed Lies at the Summer Block Party fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Maine at Mac’s Grill in Auburn. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
The block party originally started as a celebration for Uncle Andy’s Digest advertisers. Marston, publisher for LA Metro Magazine and the long-running Uncle Andy’s Digest, also wanted the event to benefit a charity making a difference in the community. After attending a Make-A-Wish Maine annual breakfast and hearing the story of a 16-year-old fellow Hodgkins lymphoma survivor, Marston was sold on working with the foundation.
Since then, the event raised around $600,000 toward 81 wishes which gave this year’s final event a goal of $133,000 to grant 19 more. The event helped grant 18 wishes last year by raising $126,000. The average cost of granting a wish in Maine is about $7,000.
This year’s event featured food and beverages by Mac’s Grill, vendors, a kids’ zone and many family-friendly activities. Over 80 items were donated for a silent auction and six for a live-auction including skybox tickets to the Savannah Bananas at Hadlock Field, a “Florida Escape,” $3,000 value of gas for a year, concert tickets to The Chicks, a Make-A-Wish Block Party quilt and a catered brunch.
Suzanne Marston, right, hugs Pam Ashby, publisher of Uncle Andy’s Digest at the final Summer Block Party on Saturday at Mac’s Grill in Auburn. Marston’s late husband, Jim Marston, was the founder of the annual fundraiser for Make-A-Wish Maine. “It’s bittersweet,” says Marston. “We have a box of tissues ready.” Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
Before Marston died in 2022 from head and neck cancer that spread to a lung, he dreamed of hitting the 100 wishes granted mark, said Sue Marston, Jim’s wife and one of the event’s lead organizer’s.
“If that goal is met, then in nine years we will have granted 100 wishes at the Summer Block Party,” she said. “The community has been wonderful and we don’t want to keep asking year to year, so we wanted to end on a great note … This is Jim’s baby. He loved to give back to the community. He loved small business, supporting small business. That was his thing: shop local, visit your local restaurants, keep it all where the people of Lewiston and Auburn need it to be.”
Friend and fellow organizer Pam Ashby said Marston’s death has been a lot for everyone and it seems appropriate to bring the party to an end.
“We don’t want it to become someone else’s Summer Block Party because this is Jimbo Marston’s legacy,” Ashby said. “This is his.”
Jim Marston’s best friend, Larry Roy, said the Summer Block Party is the largest external event for Make-A-Wish Maine and all proceeds go toward Maine kids. After Roy became involved in 2016, both were elected to Make-A-Wish Maine’s board of directors. Since Marston’s death, Roy has tackled the past two events, but he said it was clear to him, as it was to many, that the event would have to come to an end.
“We’re looking to crest that mark and I think we’re going to do it,” said Roy. “We’re thankful for the man who started it because to say that the Summer Block Party has donated enough money to grant 100 wishes in the state of Maine is just awesome. It’s bittersweet.”
Matty croons Bob Seger’s “Turn The Page” Saturday with the band Fire in the Hole at the Summer Block Party fundraiser for the Make-a-Wish Foundation at Mac’s Grill in Auburn. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
Make-A-Wish Maine’s CEO Kate Vickery, who introduced Gahagan on stage and presented his wish, said the end of the Summer Block Party event is definitely bittersweet, but it is also a great way to celebrate the Lewiston-Auburn community and its generosity.
“What better way to sunset this event by …. going out on top which is the way it should be,” said Vickery. “It’s such a celebration of this community … and I hope that maybe it’s not the end. I think this community has had great love for our mission.”
Along with the greatness of the community coming out to have a good time and raise money, Roy said much of the thanks go to all the live bands that play for free, vendors who donate their labor and product, everyone involved in making entertainment possible and to Mac’s Grill which has played the important role of host from the beginning.
Mac’s Grill owner Gerry Gagne said the event has done many great things and it’s all thanks to a great community.
“The community couldn’t be more generous and accommodating, but it’s kind of run its course with Jim Marston passing away. He was the head of the spear, so when he passed away it was hard to keep it going. We thank the entire Lewiston-Auburn community for being so supportive and helping kids in need. We very much appreciate it.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
