Trekkers’ 20th Anniversary Event: Paul Theroux and Wooden Buoy Auction on July 16th

ROCKLAND, Maine - Trekkers will welcome travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux to the Midcoast next month as part of the organization’s 20th anniversary event at the Strand Theatre on July 16th. Trekkers is an outdoor-based youth mentoring program that works with 7th through 12th grade students. The six-year program builds mentoring relationships between local youth and caring adults through expeditionary learning, community service and adventure-based education. Since 1994, Trekkers has worked with over 600 students, providing unique long-term mentoring services, educational programs and academic support.

In designing the 20th anniversary celebration, Trekkers wanted to highlight the use of expeditionary learning and travel-based education in building up students’ skills, confidence and life experience. As part of the event, Paul Theroux, who is most widely recognized for his witty and thought-provoking writing about travel and destinations such as western Africa and Asia, will emphasize the importance of travel and cultural exploration. Trekkers students will also have an opportunity to share their travel and expeditionary learning experience as part of the presentation. The event will conclude with a question and answer session and a book signing by Mr. Theroux.

The evening of celebration will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a pre-event reception at the Maine Lighthouse
Museum in Rockland where reception attendees will have the opportunity to meet and greet Paul Theroux. Reception attendees will also receive preferred seating for the event at the Strand Theatre from 7 to 9 p.m. On display at the Maine Lighthouse Museum will be 50 unique wooden lobster pot buoys that were specially created for Trekkers by 50 notable artists with ties to Maine. These one-of-a-kind pieces of art will be auctioned off this summer with proceeds to benefit Trekkers programs. Forty of the buoys will be available between July 1 and 21 in an online auction. The other ten buoys will be offered at a live auction by Kaja Veilleux from Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, following Paul Theroux’s talk on July 16.

Tickets for the public event with general seating are $20. The pre-event reception tickets with preferred seating at the Strand Theatre are $45 each. Tickets are available at the Trekkers office in Thomaston, hello hello books and the Reading Corner in Rockland, and The Owl & Turtle in Camden. Sponsors for the 20th anniversary event include SummerMaine and Crandall, Hanscom & Collins, P.A. For more information, to join the list of sponsors, or to reserve tickets, please contact the Trekkers office by calling (207) 594-5095 or www.trekkers.org