Student group throws animal adoption party

Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010

Animal shelters are filling up fast this winter, but not if Northern High School students can help it.

Northern High School's Future Business Leaders of America is partnering with the Tri-County Animal Shelter to host an animal adoption party for the community called, "Dear Santa, I Wanna Come Home!" from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Tri-County Animal Shelter in Hughesville.

The event will feature pet photos with Santa, for which owners are invited to bring a well-behaved pet with a valid rabies license, according to a press release. Ice cream and cake, hot cider, music and vendors also will be available, along with the main attraction: dogs, puppies, cats and kittens to consider adopting.

A costume contest for the pets in holiday attire will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, and games will be held with prizes and reduced rate adoption incentives.

Nancy Cohen, the FBLA advisor, said the group has helped Tri-County with several community service projects in the past. Some of the current seniors who were freshmen at the time of their "Paws for a Cause" program are now FBLA coordinators, including Danielle Otranto and Allison Ridgely, and took the reigns with "Dear Santa."

At the beginning of the year, Cohen said, FBLA partnered with the Humane Society of Calvert County to help with its annual Pet Day 5K and started volunteering at the shelter.

"Instead of helping with only one organization, we decided to expand to help the [Tri-County Animal Shelter] where HSCC rescues many of [its] animals," Cohen said. "We know that [Tri-County] serves a much bigger population and sadly, many of those animals will not find a home."

Her friend Lynne Gillis, an animal rescue volunteer, helped her and the students develop the idea and coordinate the event, she said, and Laurel Matthews of Chesapeake Beach and many others contributed the money needed to put on the event.

Of NHS's 113 FBLA chapter members, Cohen said, about 20 will work the event each day, but others are working already.

"The members have already done a huge marketing and advertising campaign for this event, donated money to buy the supplies, came up with cute games, contests and fun for the day, contacted all three counties' commissioners for a special tour of the shelter…, contacted vendors to be there, assisted with decorations and themes, contacted other close associates and businesses for financial aid, and started being huge advocates for animal adoptions and shelter awareness," Cohen said, "just to name a few" of the activities they have undertaken in preparation for the party.

Cohen said she is proud of her students' decision to take on the event. "The students have worked exceptionally hard for this project — many of them balance their schoolwork, part-time jobs, working at both HSCC and Tri-County, and being committed to other FBLA duties, and this project has required a lot of work and dedication from them," she said.

"They wanted to help animals at the shelter any way they could," shelter supervisor Kim Stephens said of the FBLA students.

Their help could not have come at a more perfect time, Stephens said, especially since the amount of stray cats and dogs brought into the shelter has increased dramatically over the last three weeks with no known reason. Normally the number of strays increases during the summer months when most animals reproduce, she said.

"I really think what we see here is a community problem and we really need the community to help," Stephens said, adding that about 50 dogs and just as many cats are currently available for adoption and even some of the foster animals need help getting adopted at the moment. "We are full," she said.

For that reason, the shelter also is hosting "Free Feline Frenzy" every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in December, where it will waive adoption fees for cats.

The "Dear Santa" entrance fee is a donation to the shelter of laundry detergent, Milk Bones, puppy food, cat litter or any financial donation. The shelter is at 6707 Animal Shelter Rd. in Hughesville.

Make a list and check it twice at the Calvert Marine Museum

‘Tis the season to shop locally for holiday gifts and discover Chesapeake Bay treasures at the Calvert Marine Museum store in Solomons. Open daily from 10:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., the CMM store has operated for more than 36 years, with all proceeds benefiting the programs and exhibits at the museum. "People like shopping at the Museum Store, because it's not the ordinary gift you can buy at the mall," Maureen Baughman, Calvert Marine Museum store manager, said in a press release.

Patrons can choose from hundreds of items that make perfect gifts for family and friends of all ages, according to the release. Featured items include: etched crab glassware, fossil hunter kits, silk ties, books for every age, limited edition glass photo necklaces, sea glass jewelry, cast heron necklace on freshwater pearls, crab, turtle, and shell jewelry and accessories, ornaments and cards. Stocking stuffers like peccary poo, crab eggs, Chesapeake sea glass candies and more are arriving daily. Many items are made in the U.S.

A 10 percent discount at the store is a benefit to all museum members. A limited selection of items is also available at the online store, www.calvertmarinemuseum.com/store/. For more information, call 410-326-2750.

Circle of Angels throws launch party

The Circle of Angels Initiative Inc. will hold its annual launch party from 12:30 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18, at the Calvert Library Prince Frederick. Members of the community are invited to join the volunteer organization, a faith-based community started in 1999 to advocate policy initiatives that eliminate poverty and prevent risky behaviors like chemical addiction, bullying, domestic violence and self-destructive behaviors.

Attendees will enjoy free food and hot cider as they learn about programs that promote family help, youth mentoring and networking. Family programs include Calvert food pantries, Commission for Women, Calvert Crisis Intervention, League of Women Voters, Daughters of Abraham Luke 13:10-17, HELP Association (Northern Calvert County), Housing for All Coalition, In God's Care Inc., Lethality Assessment Program, Mutual Aid Housing, SMARTCO and SMILE (Southern Calvert County). Youth and networking programs include South County Assistance Network of Anne Arundel County, Calvert Crusade for Children & Youth, Calvert Mentoring Partnership, Southern Maryland Celtic Society, Southern Maryland Action Coalition, Web For All, Women Moving Forward Conference, Women of the World Conference, World War II Day, World War II Unit, Living History Association and USO Night.

Bayside Chevrolet Toyota to help Santa

As a way of giving back to the community, Bayside Chevrolet Toyota will help Santa Claus again this year. Bayside's certified technicians will assemble toys for residents of Calvert County. There is no charge for this service. Residents can drop off a toy at the service write-up lane, and technicians will put it together for next day pick-up. There is a limit of two toys per household. This has been a tradition for years and the technicians always look forward to helping Santa, according to a Bayside press release. For further information, contact service director Kevin Murray at 410-535-1500 or 800-97-CHEVY.