Club is not horsing around

Tate Shaw raised the most money with more than $700 and was awarded a St. Jude’s saddle pad.

Tori Willis raised the second highest amount of money with more than $500 and Theresa Alexander raised the third highest amount of money with more than $300.

This is one of the club’s biggest community service projects of the year, and the 13th year the group has participated. The club also donates cereal to the men’s shelter, collects stamps, donates supplies for injured horses, and writes letters to soldiers in Iraq.

Damascus firefighterelected to state office

Leonard King of the Damascus Volunteer Fire Department was elected secretary of the Maryland State Fireman’s Association at its annual convention in Ocean City last week.

King was also chairman of this year’s convention.

The association represents 392 fire and rescue departments throughout the state. At the convention, firefighters visit displays of the newest firefighting and emergency medical equipment and attend seminars related to fire and rescue operations.

School suppliesneeded

The Damascus Ecumenical Laymen’s Association and Damascus Help are again collecting back-to-school items for children in need.

Suggested supplies are backpacks, composition books, three-ring binders, folders, spiral notebooks, scissors, colored pencils, pencil pouches, highlighters, No. 2 pencils, glue sticks, crayons, book covers, loose-leaf paper (wide ruled) and pens (red, black and blue).

Donations are given to local school children and can be dropped off between July 9 and Aug. 13 in the labeled, yellow boxes at the following locations: Tom and Ray’s Restaurant, Damascus Senior Center, Damascus Post Office, Mercantile Potomac Bank, Sandy Spring Bank, Damascus Community Bank, Curves, Fitness 4 You, Music Café and local churches.

Damascus student earns national honor

Valerie Thomas of Damascus earned national honors for special education excellence.

The Council for Exceptional Children recognized Thomas with its Undergraduate Award, which is presented annually to one outstanding student enrolled in a special education program, based on academic excellence, leadership, service and contributions to the field of special education.

She was one of three students to be honored with the Universities at Shady Grove Student Leadership and Service Award based on her campus activities and academic achievement. She also was recognized with the Maryland Distinguished Teacher Candidate Award and the State of Maryland Governor’s Volunteer Service Certificate.

Thomas graduated from Towson University’s elementary and special education program in May; however, she attended classes at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville so she could stay close to home and continue her volunteer efforts in Damascus.

‘‘Valerie has stood among the best of the student body at USG,” said Stewart Edelstein, executive director of the Universities at Shady Grove. ‘‘She’s a model student graduating with a 3.75, and has served the school as a student ambassador, vice president of the international education honor society and president of the council for exceptional children at USG.”

MCPS has hired Thomas to teach special education at an elementary school in the fall.

Thomas plans to use the $500 cash prize from the Council for Exceptional Children to outfit her new classroom and buy supplies.

USG is a collaboration of eight public universities in Maryland offering more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Montgomery County.

On campus

Gregory Frazier II of Damascus received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland this spring with a double major in communications and criminology⁄criminal justice. Frazier, a 2003 graduate of Damascus High School, is the son of Paul and Judy Frazier of Damascus.

Hand in the fireworksthis weekend

The county’s Fireworks Amnesty program will let residents to drop off fireworks between 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday or 2 and 5 p.m. Sunday at Gaithersburg Fire Station 8, 801 Russell. Ave.

All fireworks are illegal in Montgomery County, and the program allows people to dispose of them without fear of arrest. Participants are eligible to win free admission to Six Flags America. Call 240-777-2263 for more information.

Items appropriate for People and Places must be received by 9 a.m. Friday. They can be sent by mail to The Damascus-Clarksburg Gazette, 1200 Quince Orchard Blvd., Gaithersburg, MD 20878. They can also be sent by fax to 301-670-7183 or e-mailed to ssingerbart@gazette.net.