Front Desk

The annual Hagerstown YMCA Gala fundraiser will be Saturday, Feb. 7, at Fountain Head Country Club. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m., followed by dinner and the feature grand prize drawing, your choice of one of three 2009 automobiles or a Mediterranean cruise. Tickets cost $325 per couple, available now and can be purchased from any member of the YMCA board of directors, or at the front desk of the YMCA on Eastern Boulevard in Hagerstown. The ticket entitles holder to a gourmet dinner for two and 150 chances for the grand prize drawing.

The fourth annual LuHowl, a Hawaiian-themed event to benefit the Humane Society of Washington County, will be Saturday at the home of Don and Jone Bowman at 10712 Hopewell Road in Williamsport. All proceeds will benefit the shelter's spay and neuter programs. The event will be held rain or shine, beginning at 6 p.m. There will be food and live entertainment by Ted & Tom. Don Bowman will have his private car museum open to the public. Festivities will include door prize drawings, a silent auction and a 50/50 drawing.

Marian Gale Age: 58 Resides in: Sharpsburg Where do you volunteer and what do you do there?: REACH Cold Weather Shelter in Hagerstown, where she works the front desk as clients come in. She checks IDs, learns if they plan to stay overnight and if they need a packed lunch the next day. What prompted you to begin volunteering?: "I felt so blessed that I wanted to return that blessing to others. " Your biggest reward as a volunteer?: Getting to know the clients, hearing their stories and being a good listener.

The Hagerstown YMCA's Achievers Banquet will be Saturday, April 13, starting at 6 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel's Hager Hall on Dual Highway in Hagerstown. This year's theme is “Be, Believe, Become.” The guest speaker will be Michael Markoe, associate superintendent for educational improvement and innovation for Washington County Public Schools.  Markoe leads system-wide initiatives that prepare schools and students to achieve maximum success in the 21st century. In addition, the following Adult Achievers will be honored: Octavia Harris, director of human services at Volvo Truck Operations  in Hagerstown and Brenda Thiam, autism specialist with Washington County Public Schools.

YMCA Christmas Waynesboro YMCA continues its "Twelve Days of Christmas" through Monday, Dec. 12. The remaining schedule: · Today - Red Cross bloodmobile from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. · Saturday, Dec. 3 - Seventh annual craft show in YMCA gymnasium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring area vendors. · Sunday, Dec. 4 - Free open swim in Pool 1. · Monday, Dec. 5 - Bring your child's letter to Santa, and Santa will leave a reply at the YMCA. · Tuesday, Dec. 6 - Nursing home Christmas bags - donate items to be packed in shoe boxes to be given to area nursing homes.

When you begin a new project, your hope is that it gets off to a good start. That's what we were thinking when we ran the first announcement of our "Take Us On Vacation With You" promotion in the paper in May. We invited readers to take The Daily Mail, our afternoon paper, on vacation and told them if they had their photo taken with the paper in clear view, we'd run that photo upon their return. OK, a few weeks went by and we didn't hear anything. It was early, school was still in session.

An overflowing crowd gathered inside the entrance of Meritus Medical Center Sunday for a tradition known as the Tree of Lights, which recognizes the spiritual nature of the holiday season while highlighting an annual fundraiser for the hospital. The crowd was pretty remarkable since it was held at the same time the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers were playing, said Joseph P. Ross, president and chief executive officer of Meritus Health. “That's testimony to the strength of this tradition,” Ross said, joking to a crowd of about 200 people.

Open house BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. - War Memorial Hospital's Center for Rehab and Wellness will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1. The event features facility tours, information on services, free balance and falls assessment, free refreshments, giveaways and door prize drawings. For information, call 304-258-8377. Bus trip Join the Washington County Historical Society on a bus trip to the National Museum of the United States Marine Corps near Quantico, Va. The trip is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10, and will depart from South End Shopping Center on Maryland Avenue at 8 a.m. The cost is $35 per person.

Don't forget to join the Hagerstown YMCA Black Achievers on Saturday, March 29, for the annual Gala at Fountain Head Country Club in Hagerstown. The semi-formal event is to honor special individuals chosen by businesses that contributed to the program or by the Black Achievers Steering Committee for their dedicated service to the community. This year's Teen Achievers will also be recognized. The adult nominees this year are: · Ed Dorsey, an employee at GBC Films Group, where he is plant manager.