DAMARISCOTTA, Maine — The Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta announced the recipient of the Paris Pierpont Memorial Scholarship on Monday.
The festival previously announced in July the launch of the new scholarship, which was created in memory of Paris Pierpont, a Jefferson teen who died in a car crash in 2021.
Pierpont, who was a rising senior at Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro, had plans to pursue her EMT certification following graduation to serve Lincoln County.
The festival said in a release in July the scholarship aims to memorialize Pierpont's aspiration to become an EMT and nurse by helping others achieve that goal.
On Monday, the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta said in a release the scholarship was awarded to "a person, who exemplifies the qualities outlined for the paramedic portion of the scholarship."
William "Billy" Smith of Damariscotta accepted the award, which will help him achieve EMT/paramedic certification and serve in Lincoln County, just as Pierpont aspired to do.
According to Monday's release, Smith is well-known in Midcoast Maine for his extensive career in public service and safety. He previously worked for Rockland Fire and EMS, as well as with the Damariscotta Police Department.
Damariscotta Police Chief Jason Warlick endorsed the selection of Smith for the scholarship.
"You may not have known Billy participated in all these programs, simply because it is not in this nature to boast about his efforts," Chief Warlick said in Monday's release. "He simply does it because it’s the right thing to do and he loves watching others smile."
Smith plans to become re-certified in paramedics, which the release describes as the career he first began and fell in love with.
While Smith has been in the public safety field for 33 years now, he continues to carve out new paths of service, according to the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta.
In addition to his time spent working in the EMS field, Smith also volunteers in his community from at the YMCA to the Great Salt Bay School to the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest and more.
Following receiving the award, Smith asserted he would “continue to make a difference," Monday's release said.
In July, the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta said the scholarship awards would range from $1,000 to $6,500 to support careers of emergency medical staff in the Damariscotta community. Smith received a scholarship amount of $6,500, according to Monday's release.
The festival said Monday three more awards as part of the Paris Pierpont Memorial Scholarship will be offered, starting in late February. The awards will be given to an AEMT, a high school senior pursuing EMT, and another EMT, all to serve Lincoln County.
For more information about the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta and the Paris Pierpont Memorial Scholarship, click here.
