Hospice House feels Blue Crabs' pinch as charity of season

Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008

By partnering with the Hospice House campaign, the Blue Crabs lend their support to raise awareness and funds for Charles County's first Hospice House.

Through the partnership, the Blue Crabs have devised a plan for the local nonprofit to enhance its fundraising efforts for the house through ball park opportunities including five Hospice Nights, a 5K Walk/Run, golf tournament, access to skybox suites for all 70 home games, signs throughout the ballpark and two unique events to be held at Regency Furniture Stadium.

"The Blue Crabs mission is not only to provide quality entertainment to Southern Maryland, but also to be a loyal partner to the community," said Chris Allen general manager of the Blue Crabs, in a press release. "I cannot imagine a more worthy project, and I am thrilled that the Blue Crabs can play a part in making the Hospice House a reality for the citizens of Charles County."

"This partnership could not have come at a more opportune time", said Dixie Poe, president and CEO of Hospice of Charles County, in the release. "We understand that economic times are challenging and we need creative ways to raise the $2 million necessary to open Charles County's first Hospice House. The Blue Crabs recognized how valuable a Hospice House will be and they have stepped up to the plate to help. What better way to support the Hospice House than through the local, family-friendly atmosphere that the Blue Crabs have brought to Southern Maryland and Regency Furniture Stadium?"

The announcement came two weeks after the receipt of land from the Charles County Commissioners affording the Charles County Hospice House a physical location on Davis Road in Waldorf and a proclamation recognizing the efforts of the hospice during November which is nationally recognized as national hospice month.

"We are grateful to the many people who have jumped in to help make this project a reality. With the help of the Charles County delegation, the County Commissioners, Friends of Hospice, a generous community, and now the Blue Crabs, we're finally heading toward home plate with the Hospice House," Poe said in the release.

For more information about the tax-deductible sponsorship opportunities at the stadium go to www.CharlesCountyHospiceHouse.com or call Julie Rahall Casalino at 301-751-9601.

Remembrance ceremony set Dec. 20

For the past 13 years, Trinity Memorial Gardens has sponsored a Christmas Tree of Remembrance service to help families remember and somehow ease the pain associated with a loss.

The service provides a special opportunity for families to honor their loved ones and to help make a difference in the community, Ronald D. Abbit, general manager of the cemetery, wrote in an e-mail announcing the event.

A $6 donation places a red velvet ribbon on the Remembrance Tree with the name of the deceased loved one. All money collected is donated to local charities in honor of those individuals, Abbot said. A candlelight service will be held at 5 p.m. Dec. 20 on the cemetery grounds in the Chapel of Hope Mausoleum.

The cemetery is at 3321 Mattawoman Beantown Road.

"This special event provides a religious service, music and the highlight of the event, the reading of the individuals' names," Abbit wrote. "This holiday service has become a holiday tradition within our community with over 300 in attendance. Through our continuous efforts we have been able to donate over $15,000 to local charities."

For more information about the event, call 301-932-8900 or 301-843-2651.

Find the lost city

The Port Tobacco Archaeological Project will meet at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17 at the Port Tobacco Courthouse. Archaeologist Jim Gibb will speak about discoveries made at the old county jail, the "lost town" of Chandler and a historic period Indian site that may be the village of Portobac visited by Capt. John Smith of Jamestown in 1608.

Child care referrals available

The Charles County Family Day Care Association is a professional organization for family child care providers who are registered by the Maryland State Department of Education's Office of Child Care. Its mission is to provide and promote professional and quality child care service to families throughout the county.

One of the benefits of membership is monthly training and networking opportunities for parents and providers, according to an association press release. The association also provides a free service for families interested in finding child care in Charles County. The providers' access line is a resource which parents can use to locate family child care providers who are registered with and approved by the state.

Call membership coordinator Clare Foss at 301-645-0534 for more information.

Washington lunch and cruise trip planned

Lunch and a cruise on the Potomac River will be offered March 31 by the Charles County Department of Community Services.

A stop will be made after the cruise at the Vietnam Memorial. The deadline to register is Feb. 28. Cost is $80.

For more information or to register, call 301-934-9305 or 301-870-3388, Ext. 5151.

LifeStyles to give out food baskets

LifeStyles of Maryland, a nonprofit organization that provides services and programs to support the needs of the community, will provide holiday food baskets to the community Dec. 22 and 23 at Wills Park in La Plata.

LifeStyles is in need of food items such as turkeys, vegetables, boxed pastas and potatoes and desserts; the goal is to provide at least 400 food baskets this holiday.

LifeStyles has been providing turkeys for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays for the past 10 years, and its outreach efforts have grown substantially over the years. This past Thanksgiving, LifeStyles fed 2,127 individuals through direct provision and coordination with other organizations.

For more information about how to donate, call Corae Briscoe: at 301-609-9900, Ext. 214 or e-mail cbriscoe@lifestylesofmd.org.

SMECO scholarships available

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative is offering $1,500 scholarships to four high school seniors who live and are schooled in SMECO's service area. Students who wish to apply for college scholarships must submit their application packages by March 2.

To be eligible for SMECO scholarships, students must have maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Scholarships will be awarded based on scholastic achievement, financial need, and community and school involvement. Seniors must be enrolled or plan to enroll full time in an accredited college or university. As part of the application process, students must submit an essay on "Why Is a College Education Important to Completing my Lifetime Goals?"

To obtain an application, see high school counselors, call SMECO at 888-440-3311, EAxdt. 4340, visit any SMECO office or print an application at www.smeco.coop. Completed application packages (all items must be submitted as one package) may be taken to any SMECO office or mailed to SMECO Headquarters, Attention: Bernadette Lewis., P.O. Box 1937, Hughesville, MD, 20637.

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