ROME — The Travis Mills Foundation has announced that Central Maine Power is donating $150,000 to the foundation. The funds will be released over three years, with the first $50,000 installment to be made this year. The donation will be used to provide lighting for a new Health and Wellness Center located on the foundation’s retreat in the Belgrade Lakes region of Maine.

Travis Mills and his wife Kelsey founded the foundation in 2013, a nonprofit organization, formed to benefit and assist post 9/11 veterans who have been injured during active duty or as a result of their service to our nation. It began hosting retreats for veteran families at its home based in Rome, in 2017 for 11 weeks out of the year. The completion of the new wellness center will allow the foundation to expand its work year-round.

“The Travis Mills Foundation is honored and so thankful to partner with Central Maine Power for our Health and Wellness Center building campaign,” said Staff Sgt. Mills, founder and interim executive director of the foundation, according to the release. “Thanks to this incredible support, we will be able to use high-efficiency lighting in our wellness center and work toward raising the needed funds to build this facility so we can host even more recalibrated veteran families throughout the year.”

Central Maine Power’s donation will significantly help the foundation meet its fundraising goal of $5.1 million. The new 9,800-square-foot facility will house a new indoor pool and fitness center.

“Maine has a long-standing history of dedicated military service,” said CMP’s CEO and President Doug Herling, according to the release.  “CMP is proud to partner with the Travis Mills Foundation to give back to those veterans who have selflessly and bravely fought to protect our country. On behalf of CMP, I would like to extend our sincerest thanks and gratitude to the men and women of the U.S. military and their families for your valiant efforts to keep us safe.”

The center was originally scheduled to open this year but because of  the COVID-19 pandemic it will now break ground in the fall 2021. For more information about the foundation, visit its website at travismillsfoundation.org.