Norm Labbe is Honored with an ALF Volunteer Award

Norm Labbe of ALF’s Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse was honored with a “Len Hadley Volunteer Award” during the American Lighthouse Foundation’s annual Gala, which was held at the Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine, on May 4, 2025. The following tribute was written by George Bruns, ALF Board Member and FOWIL Chairperson:

As one of the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse’s volunteer “Woodchucks” who help to maintain the light station, Norm Labbe has been instrumental in a number of important projects that occurred at the offshore light station in 2024.

Following the devastating back-to-back storms in January 2024, Norm used his truck to move and launch Light Runner in emergency fashion on the icy landing in Biddeford Pool. Norm’s efforts proved invaluable during the mission to recover the historic wooden peapod and other contents inside the storm-stricken boathouse.

As FOWIL stabilized the damaged boathouse, Norm loaned heavy-duty building jacks and equipment, cut and gifted personal trees, donated his time and sawmill, milled them into lumber before using the lumber to level and replace the boathouse sills. He also worked with the team to install the replica well pump on the new walkway.

And there is more. During the summer and fall, as we prepared the plans needed for reconstruction of the light station’s 1892 barn, Norm’s engineering skills were instrumental in calculating the precise location of the barn using multiple historic photographs of the structure taken from both land and sea.

In light of his many contributions to the Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse, it gives the American Lighthouse Foundation great pleasure to present Norm Labbe a well-deserved “Len Hadley Volunteer Award!”