Undergraduate Student Government donates $2,500 for nearby beachfront preservation
The University of New England’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG) has donated $2,500 to help preserve a piece of beachfront property in Biddeford Pool.
USG President Nicholas Miles, who is a senior medical biology major at UNE’s College of Arts and Sciences, announced the donation at the annual Coastal Neighbors barbecue dinner on Sept. 8, an event hosted by UNE for community members who live in nearby areas like Hills Beach, Biddeford Pool, and Fortunes Rocks.
The donation goes toward an effort to purchase and preserve the land of the former Marie Joseph Spiritual Center, which closed earlier this year.
The former Marie Joseph Spiritual Center in Biddeford Pool was a spiritual retreat center for 45 years. It was originally built as a hotel in the 1880s.
“UNE students are deeply committed to environmental sustainability,” Miles said. “We’re happy to do our part to help promote environmental conservation here in our backyard.”
Miles said news of the donation was received very well by community members who attended the event.
“We just really wanted to contribute to the community that we're in,” Miles said. “And this is just one of the ways we can show that we appreciate that they share this land with us.”