WHEREAS, the Maine Needham was first introduced in 1872 by John Seavey, owner of the confectionary Seavey’s Sweets, which is rumored to have been located in either Auburn or Portland at the time; and

WHEREAS, named after a popular preacher of that era, George C. Needham, the Needham candy consists of a mashed potato center surrounded by coconut and chocolate; and

WHEREAS, it is thought that Needhams gained popularity with home cooks during the Great Depression, when Maine people would use their extra potato harvest to make the treat; and

WHEREAS, Needhams have become synonymous with Maine, and they help celebrate locally harvested Maine potatoes; and

WHEREAS, today, sweet shops and home cooks around our state keep the beloved tradition of the Needham alive by continuing to produce and perfect this iconic Maine treat for us to enjoy and share with the world; and

WHEREAS, on September 28, 2024 the second annual Maine Needham Festival will be held at the Maine Tasting Center in Wiscasset to celebrate the Needham and it’s great history in Maine; and

WHEREAS, in accordance with 1 MRSA § 150-S, the State of Maine observes the last Saturday in September each year as Maine Needham Day;

NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved that I, Janet T. Mills, Governor of the State of Maine, do hereby proclaim September 28, 2024 as

Maine Needham Day

in Maine, and I urge all citizens to recognize the Needham’s history and celebrate this delectable Maine treat.

In testimony whereof, I have caused the Great Seal of the State to be hereunto affixed GIVEN under my hand at Augusta this eleventh day of September Two Thousand Twenty-Four