Maine West members Mike Wilson (Northern Forest Center) and Brendan Schauffler (Oxford County Wellness Collaborative), from left, present a check to Servant’s Heart Food Pantry Director Karen Eastman. Contributed

NORWAY — People across the Oxford Hills, greater Bethel and the River Valley areas completed more than 700 outdoor activities to earn $6,500 in donations to local food pantries as part of the Second Nature Adventure Challenge that wrapped up on Oct. 12.

Developed by the Maine West initiative, the program challenged people in northern Oxford County to earn cash contributions by completing 300 outdoor activities and logging them on the Maine Trail Finder website. In response, more than 200 signed up for the challenge – logging more than 700 hiking, walking, biking, rolling, swimming and paddling activities between July 18 and Oct. 12.

“The public response to the Second Nature Adventure Challenge was hugely encouraging,” said Brendan Schauffler, facilitator of the Oxford County Wellness Collaborative and program coordinator for the challenge.  He also credited the support of organizations like the Western Foothills Land Trust, Mahoosuc Land Trust, Mahoosuc Pathways and Bethel Outing Club.

Beneficiaries include the Bethel Food Pantry, Agnes Gray Elementary School Food Pantry, West Paris, and  Servant’s Heart Food Pantry, Peru. Each will receive a $2,000 contribution from Maine West.

Based on the success of the 2020 Challenge, program organizers are starting to plan additional challenges for 2021.

The challenge is a project of Maine West, a partnership of local and regional organizations working to position rural communities in northern Oxford County as viable and attractive places to live, work, do business and raise families. Maine West works across the Oxford Hills, River Valley and Bethel-Mahoosuc areas to provide network-based, collaborative programming in three focal areas: Active Communities, Broadband Access and Adoption and Educational Attainment and Aspirations.

To learn more about the Second Nature Adventure Challenge visit secondnaturemaine.com.