For three months following her daughter Abby’s birth, the Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore was a home-away-from-home for Julie Leach of St. Leonard and her family.

Though Abby now 17 months old and born with a rare condition called Cerebrocostomandibular syndrome is now doing well, Leach said she was looking to give back to the Ronald McDonald House after all it has given to her family.

Leach has formed a team called the “Joy Runners,” in honor of Abby’s middle name, for “The Red Shoe Shuffle” for the Ronald McDonald House.

The first-ever 5K run/walk to benefit the house will take place at 9 a.m. on April 15 and Leach said her team has already raised more than $2,000.

She said there are already more than 100 teams registered.

Leach said she and her family have been volunteering at Ronald McDonald House since their stay there and have planned events like Easter egg hunts and carnivals.

“We’ve been there; we know what [other families staying there] are dealing with. We want to show them that there is life after the Ronald McDonald House,” said Leach, who said Abby is “doing wonderfully.”

“She is, for all intents and purposes, your average 17-month-old. She’s getting into trouble, being sassy,” Leach laughed.

She said in the summer Abby will be having a procedure to get her last ventilator removed so her family will need to stay at Ronald McDonald House once again, though Leach said this is one procedure she is looking forward to.

“We were very excited about how she has weaned herself off the ventilator and done really, really well,” Leach said.

Leach, who teaches part-time for Calvert County Public Schools, said the Red Shoe Shuffle will start and end at the Ronald McDonald House and go through Baltimore’s historic district.

She said her team will be wearing purple “that’s kind of Abby’s color.”

To donate to the walk or to donate bottle tops, which the Ronald McDonald House collects to help fund transportation, contact Leach through her blog, www.lifeasaleach.blogspot.com.

“We are so excited about how well this has turned out,” she said.

Bike to end hunger

End Hunger In Calvert County is set to host its fourth annual End Hunger Bike Ride on Saturday, April 28.

According to a press release, there are four riding routes laid out: 63 miles for seasoned riders; 35 miles and 48 miles for intermediate riders; and 16 miles for beginners. A bike leader leads the beginner route.

All cyclists will start and end at Chesapeake Church in Huntingtown, where a cookout will take place following the ride. For more information and to register, go to endhungercalvert.org/bike.

New regional meats and seafood guide available

The Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission has published a directory showcasing Southern Maryland's meat, seafood and aquaculture producers.

The “So. Maryland, So Good” Meats and Seafood Guide is free and will be available from the first week of April at producers and businesses and Southern Maryland libraries. For a full list of pick-up sites and to view the guide online, go to www.smadc.com, or call SMADC staff at 301-274-1922, ext. 1.

Give trash a second chance

Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center is seeking clean, reusable waste for use in its new ArtLAB in quantities of 15 or more. A press release said Annmarie Garden is looking for surplus, discontinued and scrap materials. For an exhaustive list of items to donate go to www.annmariegarden.org

According to the press release, ArtLAB is a new “drop in” programming space where the public will learn about recycling and using waste in a creative and artistic way.

Call Annmarie Garden at 410-326-4640 to schedule a time to deliver goods. The grand opening of the ArtLAB is on Saturday, April 28, in conjunction with the Calvert County Green Expo.

Office closed on Friday

The offices of Southern Maryland Tri-County Community Action Committee will be closed on Friday, April 6, in observance of Good Friday. Offices will reopen for business on Monday April 9.

Meals on Wheels treasurer needed

Calvert Meals on Wheels is in need of a volunteer treasurer to fill an upcoming vacancy. Duties include depositing donations and payments; paying bills; sending out monthly statements to clients; managing the bank accounts; attending board of director meetings, held on the second Monday of every month; and reporting the financial status of the organization to the board.

Interested applicants can call the Calvert County Office on Aging at 410-535-4606, or email calvertmealsonwheels@comcast.net.

lbuck@somdnews.com