Kittery Residents Attend Boston Red Sox Game in the Dunkin’ Dugout
In 1979, Antonio and Joe Salema bought their family’s first Dunkin’ Donuts franchise in Exeter, New Hampshire. Currently Antonio owns and operates 15 Dunkin’ Donuts franchises — three in Maine and 12 in New Hampshire. According to Antonio’s son, Durval Salema, he had made his decision to be a Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owner when he was in high school. “I grew up with it, and it’s all I’ve ever done, I enjoy the business, its hard work because it is a 24/7 type of business that requires great execution, and strong employee and guest relationships” he says.
In 2008, Durval Salema bought a Dunkin’ Donuts in Kittery, Maine, where he currently resides with his wife and three children. Salema has taken a serious interest in his community, helping out wherever and whenever he can. Fourteen years ago, their first son, Trevor, was born with cystic fibrosis. “My wife and I started raising money for that, and since then our friends and family have helped raise over 1.5 million dollars, to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation” Salema states. “We try to help out wherever we can in the community, especially with kids in the school system. We provide sports sponsorships, and really try to give back throughout the whole year. We don’t have limitless resources so we try to give a little here and little there, as we cannot put a chunk of resources into one specific cause,” he says.
Salema has helped out with the Kittery Parent Teacher Association road race that was started three years ago, and always tries to help all three schools in Kittery with donations of coffee for school or teacher appreciation events. “Any event that is held we usually end up donating some sort of product,” he says. “Road races, soccer jamborees, you name it and we are there.”
Salema says they have been a sponsor for the Kittery Block Party, which is put on by the Recreation Department. According to Salema, the money raised goes not only to the Recreation Department, but to other deserving organizations in the town as well. When it comes to sports, Salema states that they like to go above and beyond. “Kittery doesn’t have limitless resources either, so we really try and give kids good opportunities.”
He is heavily involved with Little League Baseball, and sits on the board. In 2012, Salema took over the Babe Ruth program. “We have sponsored the Kittery Babe Ruth program for a couple of years, and last year purchased all new uniforms for the kids.” Salema says they have been sponsors of Kittery Little League for eight years.
Baseball isn’t the only sport he helps out with. “We helped out along with two other local companies who sponsored and helped purchase new uniforms for the Kittery Travel Soccer Program.” he states. For the past three years, Salema has also been one of the top sponsor for the Kittery Boosters/Recreation Department major fundraiser.
Many Dunkin’ Donuts provide scholarship opportunities thru Scholarship America. Salema also provides scholarship support to his employees. “If a child starts working for us as a freshman and stay with us through their senior year, we give that child a check for $1,000 as a thank you for sticking it out during those school years, and hopefully it helps them start out with college costs or whatever they need.” According to Salema, 99% of the time it has gone to kids who are moving on to college or a trade school.
“I am currently working on other ways of supporting education and the great teachers who teach in the schools,” Salema states. “Last year we held a teacher appreciation day in all our stores where any teacher that came in would receive a free coffee just as a thank you to them for all they do for our kids.”
“My wife and I have three kids in the school system,” he goes on, “and it just feels really good to be able to give something back.”