College Park to hold Rett Syndrome Benefit

Rett Syndrome has affected College Park Mayor Stephen Brayman personally. His daughter Skylar suffers from the disorder.

The fundraiser, which starts at 5:30 p.m., will include dinner, a silent auction and a screening of ‘‘Nikki,” a documentary about a 12-year-old girl battling Rett Syndrome.

Silent Auction donations are currently being accepted.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the American Legion at 301-441-2783 or by sending an e-mail to rettangels@comcast.net.

Individual tickets are $50, and tables can be reserved for $500. Proceeds will benefit the International Rett Syndrome Foundation.

Beltsville’s magicalperformers

Children and adults from Beltsville and the surrounding areas will be performing in a story ballet ‘‘The Magic Forest.” The play includes five scenes, and tells the tale of the main character, Mazia who gets lost in the Magic Forest.

The show, being put on by the Ballet Academy in Beltsville will take place at High Point High School at 3601 Powder Mill Road in Beltsville on Friday. Show times will be 10:15 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The Ballet Academy can be reached at 301-595-5006

MLK eighth grader shows love for her country

Eighth-grader Hephra Varghese won Beltsville’s Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School’s essay contest.

Her essay, entitled ‘‘America — Home of the Brave, Land that I Love” cited some of Varghese’s favorite aspects of life in the United States, and discussed the history of the country from the revolution all the way up to the war in Iraq.

She will receive a cash prize courtesy of College Park’s American Legion Auxiliary Club, which sponsored the contest.

Putting world peace first

The College Park Rotary Club is currently reviewing applicants for Rotary International’s World Peace Fellowship. The peace fellowship is a scholarship awarded to students who demonstrate an active interest in using their college education for creating peace.

The club will send successful applicants on to Rotary International. Rotary International will select 60 winners.

Winners of the fellowship will receive full tuition, room and board as well as a living stipend.

Rotary International started the World Peace Fellowship program in 2002.

E-mail the Rotary Club at Rotary7620@comcast.net.

Bike To Work Day to roll through College Park

College Park will be one of 26 pit stop location on May 16 for National Bike To Work Day. Cyclists are encouraged to stop at the closest pit stop to celebrate Bike To Work Day with fellow riders.

At the pit stops, cyclists will be able to enjoy free snacks, beverages, giveaway items, entertainment and chances to win bicycles.

The event is sponsored by co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Commuter Connections program and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association.

Anyone who wishes to participate can register online at WABA.org.

Bike To Work Day is an attempt to encourage riders to live a more healthy lifestyle, while combating rising gas prices and reducing the amount of gases released into the air.

This will be the eighth such event put on by the WABA

There will be 25 other pit stops in the metropolitan area.

There are going to be two in Bowie, Rockville and Fairfax and one in Bethesda, College Park, Frederick, Hyattsville, National Institutes of Health, Indian Head, North Bethesda, Silver Spring, Alexandria, Crystal City, Dulles, Leesburg, Reston, Rosslyn, Springfield, Sterling, Tyson’s Corner and Vienna.

Augsburg holdingfirst full tuition contest

The Augsburg Academy in Beltsville just announced its first annual Full Tuition Scholarship Contest.

The winner will receive a full-tuition scholarship to the academy for the 2008-2009 school year.

Anyone in the state of Maryland is eligible to apply. Those interested can do so at www.AugsburgAcademy.net, or by completing an entry form at the display, which is located at The Gardens Ice House at 13800 Old Gunpowder Road.

Applicants can also send a postcard with name, address, phone number, email address, and name and age of students in the family to P.O. Box 140, Beltsville, MD 20704.

Only one entry per household is permitted, and no prior application to the school is necessary in order to win.

Winners of NationalFrench contest announced

Students from Robert Goddard French Immersion School were recognized as high scorers on the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) National Contest administered in late February and early March.

Contest winners included Manuel Ayala Sapelli of College Park, Alexandra Ahearn of Riverdale, Vivian Kramer, Emma McTague and Isabella Tilley of Hyattsville, Sophie Bernheisel, Habdel Coulibably, Julia Tartaro and Teresa Smith of Greenbelt, Ayat Abi of Glenn Dale, Naomi Diarra and Zeynabou Diallo of Lanham, Jordan Jackson of Laurel, Molly Kincaid of Brentwood, Shayla Norris of Bowie, Abram Shaw of Berwyn Heights and Marie Toure of Adelphi.

The winners will attend a luncheon at the Café de Paris where they will be presented with medals, certificates and prizes from the Maryland Chapter of AATF.

Their national rankings in the contest will also be announced at the luncheon.

Red Cross needscounty youth volunteers

The American Red Cross is calling upon county youth to donate time and energy this summer during blood collections.

The organization is asking youth to commit to commit to six blood collection of events during the course of the summer, each lasting about five hours.

Youth must be at least 14 years old and have transportation. Volunteers will greet donors, provide reading materials, offer refreshments and observe donors for any post-donation reactions to giving blood.

County volunteers will be trained from 10 a.m. to noon on June 26 at Prince George’s County Chapter of the American Red Cross, located at 6206 Belcrest Road in Hyattsville. Call 800-272-0094, Ext. 1, or e-mail karlofft@usa.redcross.org for more information.