WATERVILLE -- J. Alfred Boucher, philanthropist and owner of Fred's Coffee, along with his wife, Katherine, is receiving yet another honor in recognition of a lifetime of leadership and for his large charitable contributions within the community.

The Bouchers were chosen as the honorees for the Boys and Girls Club and YMCA New Year's Eve Gala as the organization seeks funding for its various programs. Boucher has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations he perceives as providing especially beneficial programs to the communities.

Boucher, now 84, started Fred's Vending Service in 1951, with 15 peanut machines and a $300 investment. Now, Fred's is a multi-million dollar corporation. Boucher uses his money to support programs that respectively educate children and young adults, feed the hungry and provide health care.

"Why do I do it? Because I believe in them and I like to promote them," he said. "It's just like if you believe in a baseball team, you like to help them out."

The Alfond Youth Center is likely to raise as much as $40,000 in the event on New Year's Eve, according to the Center's chief executive officer, Ken Walsh.

"Fred, as many people in the community know, has been a tremendous leader in the community as well as a donor to many worthy causes," Walsh said.

The event will cost $100 per couple, and will include a live band, dinner and a slide show to display the results of some of the Boucher's philanthropic efforts, a celebration Walsh said will be "well-suited for a great man who has done wonderful things."

But Boucher says that his contributions are not so remarkable.

"I feel honored," he said. "But I've been in the position to be able to help. There are a lot of others who, if they were in the same position, they would do the same thing.

"It's just the natural thing to help people."