Campus Update and Gratitude for the Bethel and Gould Communities

We want to report that the Gould campus is safe and dry and that power was restored last night despite the nearby flooding. Students are home for winter break, and our employees are safe. Our Buildings and Grounds team, led by Jerry Bernier, has been remarkable, working long hours and caring for the on-campus families and homes. This is just the beginning of our gratitude for the greater Bethel community. Watching the local outpouring of support for those in need throughout this ordeal has been miraculous. Watching our neighbors in Bethel, at MSAD #44, and at Sunday River spring into action to help others has been inspiring.

The most significant damage we at Gould sustained was at the beloved Kailey Competition Center, slopeside at Sunday River. Substantial damage occurred as the result of a mud and ice slide. Our misfortune is minimal compared to what others in the area have endured. No one was injured, and our students will continue their seasons, relying on the Lieblein Performance Center in the lower level of Ordway Hall as a home base and space to boot up before heading to the mountain.

We have received countless messages of support with offers to help rebuild. We are still assessing the damage to the comp center and determining next steps. We appreciate your generosity and will keep you informed as we learn more.

Two of Gould’s core values, courage, and kindness, have been displayed everywhere you look this week. Thank you, Sunday River, for not backing down from this challenge, reopening this weekend in the face of adversity, and being a world-class partner for our coaches and students. Thank you, Central Maine Power, for working tirelessly around the clock to bring power back to our homes. Thank you to our community’s first responders for helping to keep people safe and warm. We are inspired by the work of our local service organizations, including the Bethel Rotary Club, which is collecting and distributing support through their Bethel Area Community Emergency Relief Fund. Thank you, Bethel, Maine, for coming together in an hour of need and caring for each other.

As we ring in the new year, we are endlessly grateful for the Gouldies sending us love from across the globe. We will return stronger than ever in the new year, and may 2024 be brighter for us all—happy holidays from Gould.