‘Walk Across Maine Drag-a-thon’ begins today

FARMINGTON – Beginning today, a University of Maine at Farmington senior art major will spend the next two weeks walking nearly 300 miles – from one end of Maine to the other – raising money and awareness along the way.

Tim Berry intends to start walking from University of Southern Maine campus in Gorham today and arrive 15 days later at the University of Maine at Presque Isle via the UMF and UMaine Orono campuses. He will be easy to spot walking along in the bright pink gown he will be wearing.

“My plan is to walk the entire state of Maine dressed in drag as a fundraiser for various United Way charities in the state,” Berry said. “This project (titled Walk Across Maine Drag-a-thon), is intended as a serious artistic investigation into Maine culture and how it relates to something typically outside of itself (like a drag queen), trying to do something good within/for it.”

This is not Berry’s first art project fundraiser for United Way. On Nov. 19 and 20, 2008, he endured temperatures in the teens though the night on a teeter totter dressed as Marie Antoinette and earned more than $1,000 for the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area and two big boxes full of food for the Care and Share Food.

The gown he will march in across the state is similar to the Antoinette-wear but without the tall, white wig.

Berry, an Orono, Maine native, said the dress he’s constructed for the trek is a contrary mix of gender themes. “It’s bright pink and impractically shaped (like a lot of feminine clothing), but it is also constructed out of waterproof material that breaks down to work as winter camping gear. By having a stereotypically feminine costume work with a stereotypically masculine endeavor, I’m hoping to make people think about what gender really means and how it works as a social construction,” he explains on his charity web sites (listed below).

“Maine is my home state and it is a part of me, but I don’t think enough is being done here to support diversity,” he said. “By presenting people who might be offended by this project with the paradox of do-gooder drag queen, I’m hoping to make them think hard about what prejudices they hold onto and why. I have no doubt that I’ll be presenting some people with a very complex package.”

The UMF artist has enlisted a support group who have volunteered to accompany him and, at various points along the way, document via video and or still photographs his charity work. He plans on camping out and stopping to talk with people about his project in the various towns he walks through.

Berry hopes his project will raise $1,000 for each of the United Way agencies across Maine. Anyone wishing to donate to his cause, links are provide below:

http://www.firstgiving.com/timothyberryUnitedWayEasternMaine

http://www.firstgiving.com/timothyberryUnitedWayTriValley

http://www.firstgiving.com/timothyberryUnitedWayAroostookArea

http://www.firstgiving.com/timothyberry

(The last web site listed is for the United Way Portland area) 

Berry’s schedule

USM- UMF via Rt. 4
Day 1- Thursday Feb 12 USM Gorham to Auburn area-30 miles
Day 2- Friday Feb 13 Auburn to Livermore Falls area- 30 miles
Day 3- Saturday Feb 14 Livermore Falls to UMFarmington- 15 miles

UMF – UMO via Rt. 2
Day 4- Sunday Feb 15 UMF to Skowhegan area- 27 miles
Day 6- Tuesday Feb 17 Newport to hermon area- 21 miles
Day 7- Wednesday Feb 18 Hermon area to UMO- 15 miles

UMO- Houlton via Rt. 2
Day 8- Thursday Feb 19 UMO to Enfield area- 30 miles
Day 9- Friday Feb 20 Enfield area to Mattawamkeag- 22 miles
Day 10- Saturday Feb 21 Mattwamkeag to Reed Area (via rt2a NOT Rt2)- 22 miles
Day 11- Sunday Feb 22 Reed Area to Houlton(staying on rt2a)- 34 miles

Houlton to UMPI via Rt. 1
Day 12- Monday Feb 23 Houlton to Bridgewater- 21 miles
Day 13- Tuesday Feb 24 Bridgewater to UMPI- 21 miles LAST DAY!!!