Hoak honored as ‘Sports Hero’ by Bangor radio station

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    GUILFORD — Cindy Hoak doesn’t consider herself a hero by any means. “There are thousands of people just like me all across the nation,” Hoak said. “They just don’t get recognized.”

    Nevertheless, Hoak, the president of the Piscataquis Community Schools’ Pirates Sports Boosters, was one of three recipients of the 92.9 Radio Sports Heroes at a recent ceremony at Hero’s Sports Grill in Bangor.
    The other honorees were Tony McKim, a longtime volunteer and coach from Mount Desert Island; and Dana Kearns, a referee, coach and scorekeeper for Holbrook School in Holden.
    Hoak, who was nominated by Piscataquis Community Secondary School softball coach Tim Richardson, said she had no idea she was being considered for the award until radio host Dale Duff called her. “It was definitely a surprise, and I’m very grateful,” Hoak said.
    In addition to her volunteer duties with the sports boosters, Hoak has also served on the School Administrative District 4 Board of Directors for the past nine years.
    “We’re an all-sports boosters club, which makes it a lot easier for us,” Hoak said. “When you have booster clubs for individual teams, you’re really competing with each other. Then there’s the problem of having your own kids on different teams.”
    Her daughter, Sarah, is a sophomore at UMaine; and her son, Jeff, is a PCSS junior.
    The Pirates All-Sports Boosters have accomplished a lot in the last few years. They’ve raised funds to renovate the softball field and paid for new benches for the soccer field, travel uniforms and warm-ups, an ice machine and a new scorer’s table for the basketball teams.
    In addition, they’re helping raise funds for a new wrestling mat so the school can host bigger meets, Hoak said. “Since we raise a lot of money through concessions, it’s also to our advantage to help attract bigger crowds,” she said.
    The boosters club has about 12 to 15 active members, but Hoak said that there are many other helpers outside of the organization. “We have parents who will gladly help out at concessions or other events, but don’t want to bother with meetings,” she explained. “Some of them don’t even have kids in school anymore.”
    After five years at the helm, however, Hoak will be stepping down as president next year. “It’s time to turn it over to someone else,” she said, “although I will still be a member and volunteer when I can.”
    Hoak lives in Cambridge and works for New Balance in Skowhegan. “I’ve lived around here all my life, so I’m very proud of our school and our community,” she said. “This award really belongs to them.”