It’s not every day that a high school student receives a standing ovation from a room full of business people, but that’s exactly what happened Friday, Nov. 3, at the Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Chamber Awards Gala.

Eagle Scout Kaleb Brown was recognized with the chamber’s Health Care Partner Award for building a helicopter landing pad in his hometown of Palermo as his Eagle Scout project earlier this year. Because of his efforts, LifeFlight now has a permanent place to land when assisting patients in need of emergency care in Palermo and surrounding towns.

“Kaleb represents the best of us, and his commitment to community service sets an example that we all can aspire to,” said Denise Needham, PharmD, president of Waldo County General Hospital, in a news release.

Needham presented the award. The hospital sponsors the Health Care Partner Award, which recognizes individuals or organizations outside of the health care profession who demonstrate a commitment to improving the health of the community.

“We at Waldo County General Hospital are proud to recognize Kaleb as a partner in our shared vision of making our communities the healthiest in America,” said Needham.

At the ceremony, Needham also recognized the Belfast Farmers Market as a Health Care Partner Award winner. The farmers market, which has served Waldo County for 43 years, was recognized for its commitment to providing access to healthy food and for making it easier for those with limited resources to enjoy fresh local food by accepting SNAP/EBT and WIC at the market.

Waldo County General Hospital

Waldo County General Hospital is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of eight local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit wcgh.org.