WATERVILLE -- The Colby College radio station has held food drives for Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter each holiday season for more than a decade.

This year the station, WMHB-FM 89.7, wanted to increase its contribution to the emergency shelter.

The result is the WMHB Holiday Dinner, a free event for the community scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the REM Forum in The Center.

Anybody can come for a meal, and those who bring canned goods and other nonperishable food donations can get music CDs and gift certificates to local restaurants.

"This year we wanted to do something a little more significant, given the state of the economy," WMHB President Adam Lowenstein said.

Lowenstein, a Colby senior, said the dinner -- turkey will be the main entree -- is a joint effort between Colby students and the greater community, both individuals and businesses.

"That is what we really wanted it to be," he said, "not just a Colby event, but a Waterville area event."

Mike Marston, executive director of Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter, said WMHB's annual effort on behalf of the shelter has been invaluable.

"We serve over 12,000 meals a year," he said, "and (the WMHB food drive) is something we can count on every year. It has just been tremendous."

REM executive director Faye Nicholson said the WMHB Holiday Dinner is a prime example of different segments of the community collaborating for a good cause.

The Colby radio station became one of REM's partners last fall, one of 52 groups with membership in the community revitalization organization.

"We have been getting them together," Nicholson said, "and what I am finding is they are joining hands in all sorts of ways."

Nicholson said REM is donating the space for the dinner.

Lowenstein said radio station staff, which includes community members, called local businesses to help with the event. He said those businesses were more than happy to help.

Some donated food, including desserts and side dishes for the dinner. Many restaurants contributed gift certificates to their establishments, Lowenstein said.

Lowenstein said five to 10 volunteers -- most from the radio station -- will be at the dinner at any given time to cook, serve food and clean.

Along with a fee meal, the event will feature entertainment, including a live WMHB broadcast from The Center and some a a cappella groups and bands from Colby.

Lowenstein isn't sure how many diners can fit into the REM Forum at one time, but he said the idea is to have people coming and going throughout the three hours.

"We are going to accommodate as many as possible," he said.

Marston sees the dinner as another example of young people stepping forward to help their community.

It is a phenomenon, he said, that has been growing stronger and stronger in recent years and from young people at every level -- college, high school and elementary school.

"It just gives you so much faith in the future of your local community and of the country as well," he said.

Colin Hickey -- 861-9205

chickey@centralmaine.com