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Christmas will be a bit brighter for children in developing countries, thanks to Girl Scout Troop No. 81085 of Frederick.
The troop's 9 year-old Junior Scouts filled 15 large shoeboxes with toys, school supplies and candy and donated them Nov. 10 to Operation Christmas Child, an international program through Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief organization. Operation Christmas Child volunteers distribute the boxes to children around the world.
Troop leader Fran Haller said the girls packed toys and gifts that they enjoy and wanted to share, including toys from McDonald's. "They really gave their heart into those boxes," she noted.
Since it costs $7 to $10 to ship each box, Haller said Chick-fil-A at Riverview Plaza in Frederick agreed to sponsor the troop's efforts and ship the boxes at no cost to the troop.
Though this is the first time the girls have participated in Operation Christmas Child, they are no strangers to giving back. In 2007, the scouts sent more than 100 boxes of cookies and personalized letters to soldiers wounded in Iraq.
Caregiver's essay wins in national contest
Alice Kennedy of Frederick won $500 in respite care from Home Instead Senior Care, thanks to her winning essay in Caring Today magazine's national contest, "Give a Caregiver a Break."
Kennedy, caregiver for her husband, was one of 12 national winners chosen from 300 applicants who wrote personal essays about their experiences in caring for loved ones.
Home Instead Senior Care, which has locations in Frederick and Carroll counties, provides at-home care for the elderly, such as meal preparation, housecleaning, companionship and transportation and respite care.
According to Nev Cefo, owner of Home Instead Senior Care in Frederick, Kennedy received some much-needed personal time last month as Home Instead Senior Care stepped in to take care of her husband. Kennedy's essay will be published in Caring Today's November edition, Cefo said.
Operation Whitecoat marks 35th anniversary
Nearly 100 former volunteers of Operation Whitecoat — a Cold War-era biological weapons program conducted by the military — gathered Sept. 19-21 at Frederick Adventist Church to mark the 35th anniversary since the program ended.
Operation Whitecoat was a top-secret Army program at Fort Detrick that used human volunteers to test the effectiveness of 13 vaccines and antibiotics as countermeasures and treatments meant to protect citizens and soldiers in the event of an attack.
From 1954 to 1973, volunteers were exposed to Q-fever, yellow fever and Rift Valley fever, among other germs and pathogens, and then treated with antibiotics and vaccines.
The volunteers, numbering more than 2,000, were draftees who belonged to the Seventh-day Adventist Church and registered as noncombatant, conscientious objectors for religious reasons. Many had served as medics at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, and were recruited to Fort Detrick for Operation Whitecoat.
Fisherman takes top prize
Congratulations to Steve Scrivener of Frederick for catching a 52.6-pound striper and winning $28,875 in the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishermen Association's 16th Annual Chesapeake Bay Fall Tournament on Nov. 15 and 16.
Scrivener took top honors with his catch and competed at every skill level, earning him prize money along the way.
Scientific achievement earns silver medal
The U.S. Department of Commerce recognized Stephen A. Wise of Frederick with the silver medal award for his outstanding achievement in organic chemical measurement science and Standard Reference Materials development.
Wise was one of 40 National Institute of Standards and Technology employees honored with gold and silver medal awards, the two highest honors from the commerce department.
Silver awards are bestowed in the categories of leadership; personal and professional excellence; scientific and engineering achievement; organizational development; customer service; administrative and technical support; and heroism.
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