Written by Cyndi Wood of the  Ellsworth American  

Thursday, December 10, 2009

BUCKSPORT — Carol Hamilton, owner of Carol’s Neighborhood Gym, set a modest goal for a recent fund-raiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

Carol Hamilton (right), owner of Carol’s Neighborhood Gym in Bucksport, offers encouragement while spotting a weightlifter during a gym open house Dec. 4.

The Bucksport business owner and powerlifter figured she would be happy raising $100 at an open house at the gym. When she discovered she had already surpassed that figure by midday Dec. 4, she set her sights higher. She decided to try to raise $435 — the cost of supplying one day of oxygen to a young patient.

In the end, the gym beat both goals and raised $600.

“We were just so happy,” Hamilton said.