2025 Awardees Selected for Maine Seacoast Mission’s Annual Sunbeam Award Gala
NORTHEAST HARBOR, ME– Maine Seacoast Mission President John Zavodny has announced the two recipients of the Sunbeam Award for 2025: Cornelia Cogswell Rossi Foundation and Sunrise County Economical Council for their commitment to the communities that the Mission serves.
Both awardees will be recognized at this year’s Sunbeam Award Gala. The Gala is the Mission’s annual opportunity to celebrate those who embody the ideals of the community and whose work has made a lasting impact. The 2025 event will take place on Thursday, August 21 at the Bar Harbor Club.
President John Zavodny shares, “Thanks to our partnerships with Cornelia Cogswell Rossi Foundation and Sunrise County Economic Council, the Mission is able to strengthen both island and Downeast communities and ensure that residents can continue to thrive in the places they call home.”
The Cornelia Cogswell Rossi Foundation carries on the philanthropic vision of Dr. Joseph and Connie Rossi, a couple with a strong love of Maine. The foundation has a commitment to supporting efforts intended to benefit all the people of Maine including promoting healthcare, education, and environmental conservation.
For more than 30 years, Sunrise County Economic Council has facilitated prosperity in Washington County by working with a consortium of community-minded businesses, nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and citizens. Their work focuses on developing the workforce, increasing support and resources for entrepreneurs and businesses, and improving and strengthening natural and built environments in Washington County.
Past Sunbeam Award recipients include:
2024—Diana Davis Spencer Foundation & Island Institute
2023 – Sharon Daley, RN & the Mission Healthcare Partners
2022 – Les Coleman & Downeast Education Partners
2021 – Acadia Senior College & Sigma Kappa
2019 – Bryan Colket and the Sunbeam “All Hands on Deck” Committee & Dr. Diehl Snyder, MDI Hospital Behavioral Health Center
2018 – Marjorie Withers & Maine Community Foundation
2017 – Robin Alden & Earl Brechlin and Alan Baker, The Mount Desert Islander
2016 – Edward R. Flanagan & Cookie Horner and Jack Russell
2015 – Joseph M. Murphy & Todd West
Beginning Monday, June 2, reservations for the Sunbeam Award Gala can be made through the Mission’s website at https://seacoastmission.org/gala/ or by mailing a check to PO Box 600, 6 Old Firehouse Lane, Northeast Harbor, ME 04662. The Gala will take place at Bar Harbor Club and includes a presentation and cocktail hour.
Rooted in a history of compassionate service and mutual trust, Maine Seacoast Mission seeks to strengthen coastal and island communities by educating youth, supporting families, and promoting good health. For more information, please visit https://seacoastmission.org/
Press release provided by Maine Seacoast Mission. For more information, please contact Kierie Piccininni, Chief Marketing Officer, (207) 801-6011, kpiccininni@seacoastmission.org .