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More than 800 third-grade students from 12 North Bethesda-area schools took home free dictionaries this year thanks to efforts by the Rotary Club's Dictionary Project.

Jay Davies, a member of the North Bethesda Rotary Club, said the group has been participating in the nationwide movement for the past four years as part of their Education and Literacy projects.

He said giving the books ensures students have a resource for expanding their vocabulary and reading skills.

"It's great for the kids and for us," he said. "It really is nice to see how the kids react when you give it to them and say ‘this is yours now; take it home and put your name in it."

The Rotary is one of 60 Maryland clubs who distributed more than 70,000 dictionaries to young students this year, Davies said.

"My favorite part is showing them how to use it and finding the longest word in the book," he said.

The North Bethesda Rotary Club funds the effort through its regular fundraising campaign.

The Dictionary Project was founded in 1992 by Annie Plummer of Savannah, Ga., to promote literacy. Since then, more than 10 million dictionaries have been distributed worldwide through the program.

Tune in!

Within just a month's time, Bethesda and Chevy Chase will each have sent a resident to the Jeopardy! game show.

On June 17, Peggy Enright, a 37-year-old realtor from Chevy Chase, appeared on the regular Jeopardy! program, as one of 400 people selected to compete on the show from 25,000 potential contestants.

"It was a very fun, but incredibly nerve-wracking experience," said Enright of the experience on the show. "And I was finally able to visit Los Angeles for the very first time."

On July 8, 12-year-old Catherine Evans of Bethesda will be on Jeopardy! as one of show's 15 contestants during Kids Week. Kids Week is for 10- to 12-year-old participants from around the country. The winner of each game during Kids Week will receive at least $15,000 plus a family vacation.

BBQ in Garrett Park

The Town of Garrett Park is holding its seventh annual "We Survived the Fiscal Year" cook-out at the Town Hall on Friday to celebrate the ending of its budgetary calendar.

The event is for Garrett Park residents only and free.

Food will be provided by the town and served by Town Hall employees, starting at 1 p.m.

The menu includes Supervisor of Maintenance Butch Frost's famous potato salad, Town Clerk Ted Pratt's Chinese chicken wings, and kabobs, burgers, salad as well as other barbecue favorite from town employees.

No RSVP is necessary.

RaPpfest back in Chevy Chase

RaPpfest, an annual block part held in Chevy Chase View to remember the late-William Rapp, is scheduled for the last time for July 10.

The annual party is a fundraiser for the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, where Rapp spent his final days, fighting the disease that took his life in September 2007.

The celebration of his life has been held each year since at the family's home, on the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Everett Street. This year, the family's home was put up for sale.

The block party has been planned to include food, drinks, live music, face painting, and a live auction to benefit the cancer center.

Last year's event garnered more than $14,000 for the center.

Future RaPpfests are expected to be held in Bethesda.

Strathmore starts summer series

The Strathmore Music Center's summer concert series kicks off today with accordion-driven Pistolera — a socially conscious Spanish language band that combines southwest sound with pop enthusiasm.

The concert is free and attendants are advised to bring blankets or low beach chairs.

New to the series this year is a "mini street festival" that includes clowning expert Sabrina Mandell and mime Mark Jester along with other performance artists.

The series is being held Wednesdays throughout the summer on the lawn near the Strathmore Mansion, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda.

Garden scholarship

Allison Palmer of Bethesda, a second year graduate student in Landscape Architecture at the University of Maryland, received a $3,500 scholarship from National Garden Clubs Inc. Palmer is a 2004 graduate of Walter Johnson High School. The organization awarded $112,500 in scholarships to 35 people.

Garrett Park seeks convertibles

The Garrett Park Citizen's Association is searching for residents with open-topped vehicles, specifically convertibles, willing to participate in its annual Independence Day Parade at 11 a.m. Monday.

This year's theme is Saluting our Heroes, and association member Christ Strong said he would like for the dignitaries featured in the parade to "ride in style if possible."

Anyone willing to donate a vehicle or their time should contact Strong at chris.s.strong@gmail.com or Mario Grande at mfgrande@aol.com.

Teach others to read

The Literacy Council of Montgomery County is looking for volunteers to help adults learn to read, write or speak English.

Information sessions for volunteers will be held at the Rockville Memorial Library, 21 Maryland Ave., at 7:30 p.m. July 6 and at 10:30 a.m. July 28. Volunteers work one-on-one with students or in small groups, usually at libraries or community centers. No foreign language skills are necessary.

For information, call 301-610-0030, e-mail info@literacycouncil

mcmd.org or visit

www.literacycouncilmcmd.org.

Campus Congratulations

Nadia Khan of Bethesda made the dean's list for Gettysburg College.

Tim St. Onge of Bethesda was named to dean's list at University of Mary Washington

Alexander Henry of Chevy Chase and Neal Brown of Potomac graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, on May 16.

Share your good news! Send items to Alex Ruoff at aruoff@gazette.net, fax at 301-670-7183 or snail mail to 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Don't forget to send photos!