Most people know Katrina Dunsmore and life partner James Barter as the faces of the family business the Ice Cream Hut at Dolphin Mini Golf and the extensive Shell Museum. But the seasonal family biz isn’t all Dunsmore is known for. She is all about volunteering, which began when her eldest, basketball player Addie, began Pre-K or kindergarten. Dunsmore joined the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at Boothbay Region Elementary School and quickly started out as secretary and, for the last four years, been president. Dunsmore serves with fellow PTO volunteers Michele Barter, vice president and treasurer; Heidi Spurgin, secretary; Shannon Leeman, media person; and Shelly Barter and Krystle Hodgdon.

She attributes some of her volunteer spirit to her mom, Nancy Tibbetts Stoddard. “It all started with my mom. She used to drag me here, there and everywhere volunteering; she volunteered for everything and I volunteered her for more things! (laughs) “But it was the speaker at our 1999 senior banquet, I can’t remember her name. She talked about giving back to your community that has given to you. That really stuck with me. It’s a great message: Give back to your community.”

Among other things, the PTO pays the membership fee at Ruth’s Reusable Resources in Portland for BRES to get things there. Ruth’s is a store for Maine teachers and their classrooms and is filled with lightly used furniture, etc. donated by companies. Dunsmore noted getting a table and some chairs for the conference room from there.

The PTO also helps raise funds for fourth through sixth grades to attend Burnt Island camp, and hopes to do it again this year; the PTO also contributed a few pieces for the new playground behind the school, and funded eighth grade dances and contributed to the class trip; PTO members volunteer as chaperones at school dances, help out with the concessions on the baseball/football fields and work on the three Scholastic Book Fairs held during the school year. 

Said Dunsmore, “It’s really important for the kids to be able to get books in their hands and they really enjoy the fair. The PTO also keeps the book vending machine (funded by a donor and grant money) in the lobby of BRES filled with books,” Dunsmore said. “Virginia Jones, of Georgia and Boothbay Harbor, donated a portion of the cost of the book vending machine. It was her idea!"

Dunsmore also noted the PTO has been raising funds intended for the elementary school’s new basketball scoreboards, if funds cannot be fully covered by donors and grants.

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6-10. On Wednesday, May 8, the PTO will put on its teachers’ luncheon. And a few more volunteers would be most appreciated. The luncheon begins at 11 a.m. Dunsmore said anyone who’d like to make a crock pot of soup, chowder, or stew; toss up some salads, make sandwiches, or bake up some desserts or breads, should email her at: katdunsmore99@gmail.com

“It’s about helping the kids, and it’s also about helping the teachers, who do so much. And, joining the PTO is a good way to meet other parents and start friendships,” said Dunsmore. “We’ve got to have people step up and join us. It feels good to volunteer, to help get things done. It’s a completely enriching experience.”