LEWISTON, Maine – A long-awaited refund tied to a Lewiston benefit concert has now been received and is being deposited, clearing the way for funds to finally reach the VictimsFirst fund, but the development is unfolding against the backdrop of a still-simmering controversy surrounding the Maine Community Foundation and the handling of millions raised after Maine’s deadliest mass shooting.
Organizers confirmed that the refund check tied to the Franco Center benefit has officially been received. The next step is for Penny Drumm at the Franco Center to issue a check, or complete a direct deposit, to the VictimsFirst fund. Once that transfer is completed, organizers say the money will finally reach survivors and families exactly as originally intended.
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Organizers thanked the many community members who attended the benefit concert and donated, emphasizing that public support made the effort possible and underscored the strong community response following the October 2023 tragedy.
“To be clear: it was always our intention that this money go directly to support those affected by the Lewiston tragedy,” organizers said. “It is beautiful to see that finally happening.”
But while this smaller refund is now moving toward victims, the larger controversy surrounding the Maine Community Foundation continues to cast a shadow over the broader recovery effort.
$1.9 Million Sent to Nonprofits Sparks Ongoing Backlash
At the center of the controversy is the Maine Community Foundation (MCF), which created and administered the Lewiston–Auburn Area Response Fund after the October 25, 2023 mass shooting that killed 18 people and wounded 13 others at Schemengees Bar & Grille and Just-In-Time Recreation.
MCF established two tracks for distributing donations: one for victims and families, and another for broader community recovery efforts. Under the second track, roughly $1.9 million was divided among 29 nonprofit organizations, with each receiving about $65,522.
That distribution has fueled intense backlash across Lewiston, where survivors, family members, and residents have repeatedly questioned why organizations not directly impacted by the shooting received large grants while many victims continue to struggle with medical bills, lost income, and long-term trauma.
Critics have argued that donor intent, money given in the name of victims, was diluted when funds were directed to organizations that were not themselves victims of the shooting.
Public frustration has played out repeatedly at Lewiston City Council meetings, where survivors and residents have demanded investigations, audits, and the return of funds distributed to nonprofits.
One nonprofit, The Root Cellar, ultimately returned more than $65,000 it had received from the nonprofit grant pool and redirected the money to VictimsFirst, a move widely viewed as a direct response to public pressure.
A Pattern of Questions and Demands for Accountability
The controversy surrounding the Maine Community Foundation has not been limited to a single distribution decision. Instead, it has grown into a broader debate about transparency, accountability, and the responsibility to honor donor intent.
More than two years after the tragedy, survivors and families have continued pressing for answers about how decisions were made and whether enough priority was given to those most directly affected.
Residents have repeatedly pointed to the same central question: when donations were made in the name of victims, why did nearly $2 million flow to organizations that were not themselves victims of the shooting?
For many families, the issue remains deeply personal.
Speakers at city council meetings have described the financial and physical burdens survivors still face, including ongoing surgeries, rehabilitation, and lost wages, while watching large sums of money flow to institutions that were not physically present during the attack.
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Smaller Refund Seen as Symbolic — But Larger Questions Remain
The refund now moving to VictimsFirst represents a relatively small amount compared to the millions distributed through the broader fund. Still, organizers say it carries symbolic importance.
The original benefit concert raised nearly $7,000, which had initially been tied to a memorial effort that showed little visible progress more than two years later, prompting organizers to request that the funds be redirected to direct victim aid instead.
That request, and the eventual refund, came amid mounting concerns across the city about stalled memorial projects, missing public updates, and limited transparency surrounding how certain donations were being used.
Now, with the refund confirmed and the final transfer pending, organizers say the money will soon reach survivors and families as originally intended.
The Larger Fight Over Donor Intent Continues
Despite the progress on this individual refund, the broader fight over the Maine Community Foundation’s handling of shooting-related funds shows no sign of fading.
Across Lewiston, the debate has evolved beyond financial accounting into something far deeper, a question of trust between donors, institutions, and the families left behind after the worst mass shooting in Maine history.
For many residents, the issue is no longer just about dollars and cents.
It is about accountability.
It is about honoring the intent of donors.
And above all, it is about ensuring that the people who suffered the greatest loss are never treated as an afterthought.
