The Maine Power Builders Club became a recognized club last spring by the Student Government. In February 2016, the president and founder, Dan Rich, formed the club in hopes of bringing together students passionate about fitness, weightlifting, powerlifting and bodybuilding.
“This club is designed and has the support network for University of Maine bodybuilders and powerlifters to interact, share information and form connections. It is also a club open to people interested in bodybuilding or powerlifting that would like to learn more about everything weightlifting oriented,” Rich said.
Recruitment is typically through word of mouth and currently on the active roster are 10 women and 25 men. Members include students from all colleges on campus, including KPE, nutrition, business, communication and engineering students. Some members are also fitness instructors at the New Balance Recreation and Fitness Center at the University of Maine.
“We are truly a diverse club,” Powerlifting Chair Tim Waterman stated. “We have 190 members who have actively signed up for our public Facebook page and our meeting attendance varies, but we’ve seen numbers close to 30 people. We can always rally a significant number of people to participate when we have events, such as the food drive we held over the summer,” he said.
During meetings on Wednesday evenings from 7-8 p.m. in the Walker Room in the Memorial Union, the club discusses future plans for the organization such as fundraising and charity events.
On Friday, Oct. 28 the Maine Power Builders are hosting a fundraiser at Margaritas Restaurant in Orono. On Thursday, Nov. 10 they are hosting a charity event at the Recreational Center for Veterans’ Day. The club will work with the Maine Veterans Project at the University of Maine to benefit veterans in the Bangor area by hosting a lifting competition for all athletes.
The event starts at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10 and each participant will receive a time slot. Each athlete will need to find people to pledge money towards either a single lift or a number of repetitions done. Flat-rate donations are also welcomed. The last day to sign up for the event is Nov. 7.
In the spring of 2017, the club will host fundraising events including a “Redneck Olympics,” with games such as keg tosses and tire flips. They are also in the process of planning the first intercollegiate powerlifting competition with schools such as Bates College and Husson University.
The Board of Directors for the club includes President Dan Rich, Powerlifting Chair Tim Waterman and other positions including a fundraising chair, a treasurer, a motivational chair, a social service chair and a public relations chair.
There are Facebook and Instagram pages to announce updates, announcements and events for the club. Anyone interested in joining the club or signing up for the Veterans’ Lift on Nov. 10 should contact Daniel Rich on First Class or at dan.rich47@yahoo.com.
