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Brittany Sullivan of Gaithersburg, America's Miss Teen 2009 dedicated a "fun center" on Aug. 17 to Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Washington, D.C., in honor of Justin Thornton of Germantown, her classmate at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Olney. A fun center is a mobile entertainment unit that contains a flat-screen television, DVD player and Nintendo Wii system with 22 programmed games. 

Thornton received a bone marrow transplant in 2008 after he was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia, a blood cancer in which too many T-cell lymphoblasts, or immature white blood cells, appear in the blood or bone marrow, according to the National Cancer Institute's Web site. Thornton, who is now 18, had 26 months of radiation and chemotherapy before he received a bone marrow transplant.

Sullivan, who serves as Teen Ambassador for the Starlight Children's Foundation MidAtlantic office, raised enough money to bring the $4,200 portable fun center to Johns Hopkins through fundraisers, including "free dress days" at Good Counsel. The donation is her second. She previously donated a center to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville.

Say goodbye to summer

Staying in Gaithersburg this weekend? Enjoy a 71-year-old tradition and see the city's Labor Day Parade wind through Olde Towne.

The parade, which begins at 1 p.m. Monday, winds through the city center, including East Diamond and Russell avenues. Fire engines, high school marching bands, giant balloons, horses, clowns and more will be on hand. Julie Wright, who is traffic reporter for WTOP News Radio and part of the Fox 5 Morning News Team will serve as master of ceremonies. A 30-foot-long, 8-foot-wide and 12-foot high balloon of Thomas the Tank Engine celebrates Gaithersburg's railroad history.

The parade is rain or shine. Free parking is available in the Olde Towne garage, at the corner of Olde Towne and South Summit Avenues. Handicap parking is available behind Victor Litz Music Center at 306 E. Diamond Ave. and behind the Gaithersburg Shell station at 15, S. Summit Ave.

A shuttle bus will also bring residents from the Lakeforest Shopping Center transit station to Gaithersburg Middle School starting at noon.

For more information, call the city parks department at 301-258-6350.

Pinkies up

The city of Gaithersburg will host a Grandparents' Day tea from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Kentlands Mansion, 320 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. An assortment of sandwiches, desserts and teas will be served.

Cost for the tea is $20 per person for adults and $15 for children 12 and younger. Reservations are required.

For details and directions, visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/kentlands

mansion. For reservations, call 301-258-6425.

Be a teen advisor

Montgomery County Public Libraries is looking for young people to join its Teen Advisory Group, which helps library officials design programming and publicity for teen events.

Members must be ages 14 to 18 and reside or attend school in Montgomery County.

Members write book, music and film reviews and suggest Web links, according to a statement from the county. They help identify teen artists or writers to feature; help promote the library; assist in designing teen spaces; help develop library programs, and initiate podcast and video productions. Participants can earn up to 40 Student Service Learning hours.

The deadline for applications is Saturday, and terms will run through May 2010. To apply, complete an application at www.montgomerycountymd.

libguides.com/teensite or complete a paper application, available at all Montgomery County Public Libraries, and send it to: Susan Levine, Silver Spring Library, 8901 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910. For details, e-mail teensite@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Kudos

Meoiu Liu of Gaithersburg won a "Future Scientists Scholarship" sponsored by Kelly Scientific Resources, a business unit of Kelly Services Inc. Liu studies environmental science and policy at the University of Maryland. Liu was one of five students in the U.S. to receive the scholarship. She received an honorable mention prize of $750 that can be used towards her educational costs, according to a statement from Kelly Services, Inc.

This summer, she interned in the hematology and oncology division at Case Western Reserve University's department of medicine in Cleveland.

Liu won her scholarship through an essay contest. To read the essay, visit www.kellyscientific.com.

Park preview

Get a sneak peek at Ken Burns' upcoming documentary "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" at Whalen Commons in Poolesville on Sept. 11.

The free 45-minute preview is at 7:30 p.m. at the park, 19701 Fisher Ave., and is sponsored by the Heritage Tourism Alliance of Montgomery County and the C&O Canal National Park. Visit www.heritagemontgomery.org for more information.

The six-part, 12-hour series premieres Sept. 27 on PBS.

Preschoolers rock and roll

The City of Gaithersburg invites young children to roll around Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Skate Park at Bohrer Park, 510 S. Frederick Ave.

Preschoolers ages two to six will can play on the lower ramps of the Skate Park with scooters, Big Wheels, and just about anything else that can roll.

Admission is $3 per resident child and $5 for nonresidents. Parents are welcome to watch for free. Pre-registration is not necessary.

For details, call 301-258-6350, ext. 168 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.

gov/skate. Preschoolers will roll again from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 3.

Computer classes for seniors

The Jewish Council for the Aging's SeniorTech Computer Centers are offering six-week programs for seniors interested in learning more about computers.

The next session begins this month.

Centers are located at Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Bethesda Vital Living Center on Edgemoor Lane and B'nai Shalom of Olney.

In addition, the Olney location is looking for senior volunteers who are skilled computer users and would like to share their knowledge with others.

For information on volunteering, call Dana Hirsch at 240-395-0916 or e-mail dhirsch@accessjca.org.

To request and application to sign-up for a session, call Hirsch or visit www.accessjca.org.

Ramadan Iftar celebration

Come one, come all to a county celebration of Ramadan from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Sept. 10 in the Executive Office Building Auditorium, 101 Monroe St., Rockville.  The event is co-hosted by the County Executive's Office of Community Partnerships and the Montgomery County Muslim Council.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar when Muslims fast and observe other restraints during daylight hours. It is also a time of worship and contemplation when Muslims concentrate on their faith. Ramadan ends Sept. 19.

At sundown, there will be a short presentation on Ramadan and breaking of the fast. Dinner will be served.

The event is designed as an educational program to introduce an important cultural heritage shared by many residents of Montgomery County.  The event is free, but pre-registration is requested.

To register, contact council chairman Dr. Aquliulur Rahman, arahman@neopharm.com.

For more information, contact Lily Qi at 240-777-2524 or lily.qi@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Score for police foundation

The End Zone Bar and Grill, Heineken USA Inc., and the Gaithersburg Police Foundation are teaming up for a fundraising event to benefit Gaithersburg public safety, according to a city statement.

The fun runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sept. 19 at The End Zone, a bar and restaurant at 317 E. Diamond Ave. in Olde Towne which will donate 15 percent of the day's gross proceeds to the Gaithersburg Police Foundation.

The nonprofit foundation — formed in 2008 by president Keith Bryan of Laytonsville and Gaithersburg Police Chief John King — supports the Gaithersburg Police Department in its mission to provide quality services to city residents, according to the city statement.

A Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament will start at 1 p.m. with a $40 cash buy-in and full- and half-rebuys until 2:30 p.m. A silent auction will run from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Bands such as The Ron Land Band, Terry Willis and the Just Us Band, Poverty Ridge Band, Mad Tea Party, Vincent 52 and DJ Domino, will perform.

Drop by, have some fun and some snacks — and meet Gaithersburg Police officers. For more information, call the Gaithersburg Police Department at 301-258-6400.

Send submissions to Patricia M. Murret via e-mail at pmurret@

gazette.net, fax at 301-670-7183 or mail to The Gaithersburg-Montgomery Village Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.

Schedules for Labor Day,

Monday, Sept. 7, are as follows:

-Offices for Montgomery County government, MCPS, state agencies and courts closed.

-Montgomery County libraries closed.

-Montgomery County liquor stores open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; however, Cabin John, Diamond Square and Twinbrook stores will be closed.

-Ride On, Metrobus and Metrorail follow a Sunday schedule.

-Parking at public garages, lots, curbside meters free.

-No trash or recycling pick-up; collections shift one day later.

-Transfer Station closed.