First Trunk of Treasures giveaway set for tomorrow

THIS ‘N' THAT

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Tomorrow, April 30, the St. Mary's County Division of Tourism will be selecting the winner of the spring Trunk of Treasures giveaway. This is the first of three drawings for collections of gifts to be awarded this year as part of the campaign to promote Maryland's 375th birthday.

The winner of tomorrow's trunk will win a variety of gifts with a Leonardtown theme — dining in the county seat, artwork, wine and champagne from Leonardtown merchants, a stay at a hotel, a cooking class, a guided kayak tour and more.

Carolyn Laray, tourism manager for St. Mary's County, said the trunk itself, which will hold the treasures, is notable. Organizers of the giveaway wanted something more special to hold the gifts than a basket, so they came up with the idea of a 17th-century gentlemen's traveling trunk, called a "portmanteau."

They took a photo of such a trunk to Loveville Leather, where the craftsmen replicated the trunk for the giveaway. "They created them from scratch," Laray said. "They're beautiful in and of themselves."

There are two ways to participate in the giveaway drawings. One is to go online at www.Maryland375.com and answer a question of the week by visiting the "Value Card Deals" page and search the page for the answer, then submit a response. Participants can also visit the county's welcome center in Charlotte Hall and fill out a print entry form.

The Trunk of Treasure giveaway winner will be randomly selected from the welcome center entry forms and correct online answers. Entries for tomorrow's drawing will be accepted until noon on April 30, when the drawing will take place. So far, Laray said, they have received approximately 2,000 entries in the spring giveaway contest.

The summer giveaway contest opens April 30 at 12:01 p.m. and ends at noon on June 30. The theme for that Trunk of Treasures giveaway will be Lexington Park and south county merchants and sites.

The final event, the fall trunk giveaway, opens June 30 at 12:01 p.m. and ends at noon on Sept. 1. Those gifts will reflect the northern end of the county, with a special focus on fall events, Laray said.

County employees are not allowed to participate in any of these giveaways.

Laray noted that there is another way that even more people can cash in on the state's birthday celebration. Discover St. Mary's County cards are available at a variety of area sites and merchants and the welcome center in Charlotte Hall. This card provides "wonderful discounts and deals," Laray said, noting that special deals are especially welcome with the struggling economy.

"This a great little birthday card from us to you," she said.

For more information about St. Mary's County's Celebrate 375 campaign, call 301-475-4200, ext. 1404, or visit www.Maryland375.com.

Hospital auxiliary seeks new members

The St. Mary's Hospital Auxiliary, a group established in 1916 to provide hospital improvements, has dedicated hours and dollars to improving hospital facilities and services. The auxiliary has helped St. Mary's Hospital offer mammography, fetal monitoring, stroke intervention telemedicine, infant warming, fluoroscopy and has made improvements to cancer care and infusion services, ambulatory surgery and the atrium. Most recently, the group raised more than $15,100 to go toward a mobile EKG machine for the emergency department to detect potential cardiac cases.

Altogether, the auxiliary has donated more than $4.3 million in gifts to the hospital since the 1970s.

Kay Owens serves as the president of the hospital auxiliary this year, with Bonnie Trader as vice president, Kathy Frazier as secretary/treasurer and Charles Ridgell and Audrey Ridgell as recording secretaries.

New auxiliary members are always welcome. To become a part of it, download the membership form at www.smhwecare.com/auxiliary.html or call 301-475-6455.

NARFE donates

St. Mary's National Active and Retired Federal Employee Association Chapter 969 has made its annual contributions to both Hospice of St. Mary's and Alzheimer's Associations. Sally Wood, NARFE hospice chairperson, and Judy Loflin, NARFE president, presented a check for $5,500 to Kathy Franzen, with Hospice of St. Mary's. Alzheimer's co-chairpersons, Estella Thomas and Carol White, also presented Dorothy Flynn, Alzheimer's program manager, a check for $2,500. A $2,500 contribution was sent to the National Hospice Organization.

County to sponsor day trips by bus

St. Mary's County will sponsor a trip to the Baltimore Aquarium on Saturday, May 2; a day in New York City on Saturday, June 13; and whitewater rafting in West Virginia on Saturday, July 18.

Details for these trips are available at www.stmarysmd.com. Log onto the "Recreation and Parks" page under the "Services" box. For additional information, contact Sandie Greene at sandie.greene@stmarysmd.com or 301-475-4200, ext. 1800 or 1801.

Outstanding senior citizens wanted

The Maryland Senior Citizens Hall of Fame is looking for a maximum of 50 nominees from around the state who embody the highest level of volunteerism and service to their communities. Deadline for nominations is April 30.

Nomination forms are available by calling Parker Koons at 410-828-5852. Those sending in nominations should include a photograph of the candidate and a reference letter from an individual who knows the nominee's accomplishments.

The selection committee will examine the completed forms and choose the nominees. Notification will be made during the month of August. The annual awards luncheon will be held in October.

Registration ongoing for Greenwell camps

Online registration for summer camps at Greenwell State Park in Hollywood is continuing. Visit www.greenwellfoundation.org for dates and rates and to register.

Greenwell has several summer camp options to choose from, including Camp Greenwell, the park's traditional outdoor recreation camp; horse camp; kayak camps and fishing camps. Summer camps begin June 22 and continue through Aug. 21. Camps run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; before and after care is available.

County summer camp registration continues

Registration for summer camps offered by the St. Mary's County Department of Recreation and Parks has begun and will remain open as long as space is available.

Summer day camps include TREK (Teaching, Reaching, Enriching Kids) Camps for 6 to 10-year-olds, PTO (Pre-Teen Only) camps for 11 and 12-year-olds, PLAY (Positive Learning Atmosphere for Youth) camps for 3� to 5-year-olds, New Horizons Camp for children with disabilities, Camp Inspire for children and young adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and new specialty camps, including arts and crafts, Elms Beach Camp, youth fitness, Let's Play and Silly Science.

Summer day camps begin the week of June 22 and will run for one week sessions through Aug. 14. Camp Inspire Camp begins the week of July 6 for ages 5 to 10 and July 13 for ages 11 to 17.

Summer sports camps include baseball, softball, basketball, cheerleading, lacrosse, football, field hockey, tennis and soccer instructional camps.

Registration forms can be obtained by visiting the recreation and parks main office at 23150 Leonard Hall Drive, Patuxent Building in Leonardtown, or by calling 301-475-4200, ext. 1800 or 1801, between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Forms may be downloaded from www.co.saint-marys.md.us/recreate/Forms/FormI.pdf and delivered or faxed to the office at 301-475-4108.

Information posted on services available to veterans

The Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs newsletter has been posted to the St. Mary's government Web site at www.stmarysmd.com. Click on "Forms and Documents" under "Resources." The newsletter is posted in the public information list. This newsletter highlights services available to assist Maryland service members and veterans make the transition from battlefield and combat to community and home.

Hoyer accepting academy applications

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) is accepting U.S. service academy applications for the 2010-2011 school year. Packets are available at http://hoyer.house.gov/services/academy.asp. Included in the packet are all information and materials needed to complete and submit the application, which must be postmarked for delivery to Hoyer's office by Oct. 15.

Call Betty Rogers in Hoyer's Greenbelt office at 301-474-0119 to learn more.

scraton@somdnews.com