What happens when you combine a great party with helping your neighbors? Pop the Cause and Pop for Change. In 2008, Bettina Doulton of Cellardoor Winery and Lani Stiles of Megunticook Market, began hosting an annual party, Pop the Cork, in Rockport to benefit midcoast organizations such as the Farnsworth Art Museum and the Penobscot Bay YMCA. Last year they decided to radically revamp Pop the Cork: they renamed it Pop the Cause and pledged to raise $160,000 for four local charities. Tickets for this June 26th event sold out in less than two hours. This prompted them to add a second event, Pop for Change, on June 28th. Tickets for this event were only available to those who had donated four hours of volunteer work. Today we speak with Bettina Doulton and Devon Salisbury of Cellardoor as well as representatives of the organizations who will benefit from this year’s Pop the Cause and Pop for Change: Joe Curll of Coastal Opportunities, Rusty Brace of United Midcoast Opportunities, Lee Karker of Meals on Wheels, and Stephanie Primm and Pinny Beebe-Cemter of the Midcoast Hospitality House.
Guests
Bettina Doulton
Bettina Doulton is the owner of Cellardoor Winery in Lincolnville and Rockport. She is one of the driving forces behind the creation of Pop for Change and Pop the Cause.
Devon Salisbury
Devon Salisbury is the director of events at Cellardoor Winery and the volunteer coordinator for Pop for Change.
Joe Curll
Joe Curll is the executive director of Coastal Opportunities. The organization is based in Camden and works with developmentally disabled adults so that they are able to become active participants in the local community.
Stephanie Primm
Stephanie Primm is the executive director at Midcoast Hospitality House, a program based in Rockport that works to provide housing and assistance to homeless individuals and families in Knox County. [HH reopened in Feb 2014 after a 15-month hiatus. They are still not at capacity because of lack of funding.]
Lee Karker
Lee Karker is the executive director Methodist Conference Home, which runs a Meals on Wheels program for residents in Knox County.
Pinny Beebe-Cemter
Pinny Beebe-Cemter is on the board of directors at Midcoast Hospitality House.