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Middletons announced as honorary chairs for annual gala
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by CAROL HARVAT
Michael and Sara Middleton are this year's honorary chairs of the 28th Annual Cancer Crusade Gala to be held on Aug. 6 at the Chesapeake Beach Rod 'N' Reel restaurant. Michael Middleton is president of Community Bank of Tri-County, the presenting corporate sponsor of the gala.
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Some new ideas and the honorary chairs of this year's 28th Annual Cancer Crusade Celebration of Life Gala were announced last Thursday night at a media dinner reception.
"We've got something extremely special this year," said Gerald Donovan, who, along with this brother Fred Donovan, started the fundraiser that has grown into Calvert's premiere fundraising event, raising more than $3.8 million since its inception. This year's event will be held in August at the Rod 'N' Reel Restaurant in Chesapeake Beach, where last week's reception took place.
The gala, known for its fresh seafood, gourmet dishes, array of scrumptious desserts and live music, raised more than $439,000 last year for the American Cancer Society's research, education, advocacy and patient services.
This year's honorary chairs will be Michael and Sara Middleton, and Community Bank of Tri-County, of which Michael Middleton is president and chairman of the board. The bank is considered the presenting sponsor of the gala.
When Michael Middleton went to his first gala, he said his response was, "Wow, this is fantastic." His wife Sara, too, was impressed with the galas she attended and said, "This is absolutely the best fundraiser I've ever been to."
Both of them, who said cancer has personally touched their lives, said, "We're really honored to do this."
"When they come to the table, it's been something special, very special," Donovan said of the bank and thanked them for sponsoring the event for $25,000 "right off the bat."
The bank, which loaned the Donovans money to build the Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa, took on the responsibility of marketing and branding the event, calling it the cancer crusade this year and presented the media at the dinner reception with media kits.
"Our whole culture of this bank is community, that's why it's in our name," Michael Middleton said.
"I don't know of anyone's needs that are less in this recession," so Middleton and the bank decided to step up to sponsor the event in full force.
Employees at the bank's 10 branches were the ones who agreed they wanted to participate in fundraising for the event. The branches will challenge each other to raise funds and Middleton said the employees are just as excited as he is of being a part of raising money for the American Cancer Society.
"We are all local folks. The value of what we do is essential," he said. "We've been around a lot of charities," Middleton said of himself and his wife, adding, "It makes a difference."
Donovan announced the new ideas starting this year including selling candles called "rays of hope" that people can purchase in memory or honor of someone that will be lit and sent afloat in the hotel's pool during the gala.
A complimentary shuttle bus will be provided by Reid's Bus Service for the event with buses shuttling guests all the way from Solomons and making four other stops in the county.
Different sponsor levels have been set up that include VIP gala tickets and this year audio visual equipment will display sponsors' logos on screens set up in rooms during the event. Donovan said he would also like to display individual donors' names on a screen, who may contribute a much smaller amount, but at a much larger percent when considering their income.
"We never want to forget the people. Keep dancing with the people that brought you along," Donovan said.
"It's a tough year, but great things are happening," he added.
This year's gala will again include Maine lobsters, shrimp, oysters, clams, mussels, crabs and fresh fish as well as roasted pig, filet mignon, barbeque ribs, grilled chicken, steamship round, desserts galore and more. An open bar, a few different genres of live music and dancing inside and out will also be part of the evening's festivities.
For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.rodnreelcancer gala.org.
If you want to go
This year's gala will be held on Aug. 6 from 7:30 to 10 p.m., with advanced purchased tickets costing $125 or $150 on the day of the event. Tickets may be purchased online at www.rodnreelcancergala.org.
