91ֱ����Ƶ

Photo courtesy of Miranda Pomphrett

Students from the 91ֱ����Ƶ College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Sigma Sigma Phi (SSP) KAPPA Chapter continued a longstanding holiday tradition on Friday, Dec. 12, hosting their annual Holiday Giving Tree toy drive on UNE’s Biddeford Campus to support local families through the Biddeford Primary School.

Now in its seventh year, the drive has been held annually since 2019 and is coordinated in partnership with Biddeford school administrators and staff to ensure gifts reach families facing hardship during the holiday season.

This year’s effort resulted in the collection of more than 300 toys — twice the group’s target 150 — all donated by 91ֱ����Ƶstudents, faculty, and staff and wrapped by student volunteers.

“The Christmas season is my favorite time of the year, and it was such a blessing to be a part of the 91ֱ����Ƶ College of Osteopathic Medicine's Sigma Sigma Phi KAPPA Chapter Holiday Giving Tree,” said event co-organizer Miranda Pomphrett (D.O., ’28). “I was touched by the generosity of the students and faculty as we came together to collect around 300 gifts during finals season, doubling our goal to support local families.”

Biddeford educators emphasized the importance of the partnership and its continuity.

“We are incredibly grateful to the 91ֱ����Ƶ students for coordinating this annual Toy Drive with our Resiliency Coordinator,” said Meghan Schrader, principal of Biddeford Primary School. “This partnership has allowed some of our families facing hardship to choose meaningful gifts for their children during the holiday season. 

“The need in our community continues to grow, and we are so thankful for UNE’s commitment and for the many community members who step up year after year to make sure every child feels the joy of the season,” Schrader added.

Kin Ly, Pharm.D., Ed.D., advisor of UNE’s Sigma Sigma Phi chapter, said the toy drive reflects UNE’s broader commitment to service, care, and community well-being within its home communities, both during the holiday season and throughout the year.

That relationship remains strong, she said, even as Maine’s only medical school has transitioned its primary location from UNE’s Biddeford Campus to a new home on the University’s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences — maintaining and strengthening its deep ties to the city and its residents.

“Our 91ֱ����ƵCOM students’ commitment to bridging the gap between our campus and the local community is truly inspiring,” remarked Ly, who is an associate clinical professor in the College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Department of Biomedical Sciences. “By organizing this toy drive, they aren’t just distributing gifts — they are ensuring that every child in need at our partner Biddeford Primary School feels the warmth and joy of the season.” 

That service ethos is echoed across the University, including within another annual holiday tradition in which 91ֱ����Ƶundergraduate students partner with Heart of Biddeford, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering an inclusive and sustainable downtown for the thriving former mill city, to decorate downtown with festive lights, helping bring warmth and cheer to Main Street during the winter months.

Throughout the semester, UNE’s medical students have also led additional service initiatives benefiting communities across southern Maine. 

These include a ReSpectacle eyeglasses collection to support underserved individuals worldwide; a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater hosted by the American Geriatrics Society and Gerontological Society of America student chapter to raise funds for Southern Maine Hospice Center; and ongoing meal preparation by the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians student group for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Portland.

“(Our students’) commitment to serving others is commendable and reflects their strong sense of responsibility and empathy — great characteristics for our future osteopathic physicians,” Ly remarked.