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Some would say that the hard work 16-year-old Brittany Sullivan put in to making sure ill children have an opportunity for fun while hospitalized paid off for the scholarship pageant contestant.

On July 4, Sullivan took the title of America's Miss Teen and will travel the country to promote the benefits of education, leadership and volunteerism.

"Winning a national title is something that I had always dreamed of, but never imagined would happen," she told The Gazette in an e-mail. "I have worked for years at perfecting the walk, talk and style of a pageant girl and it has finally paid off."

She said she will spend the year promoting her platform, Starlight MidAtlantic, a non-profit children's organization that helps bring joy to seriously ill children and their families through entertainment, education and family activities.

It was through Starlight Children's Foundation MidAtlantic that she donated the Wii Fun Center to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville in the spring.

The mobile entertainment unit contains a flat-screen television, DVD player and Nintendo Wii system with 22 programmed games.

Sullivan said during a March 25 dedication ceremony that she wanted to give patients a fun distraction while they stay in the hospital.

She also hopes to travel internationally, having recently returned from a service trip to Honduras, "where I helped the poor and marginalized," she said.

The Gaithersburg resident and rising senior at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney was crowned America's Miss Teen at The Hilton Baltimore BWI Hotel in Linthicum.

Local chef part of statewide

‘Buy Local' challenge

A Silver Spring chef's recipe for root beer float bars was featured at the kickoff of the statewide Buy Local Challenge Week, which began Saturday and runs through Sunday.

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) played host to the cookout on Thursday in Annapolis.

Recipes were submitted by chef/producer teams and selected for their creativity, availability of ingredients, geographic representation and maximum use of local ingredients.

Chef Susan Callahan, who teaches hotel restaurant management for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) in Rockville, teamed up with local producers to submit the recipe for the event, which challenges Marylanders to eat at least one locally grown, made or harvested product each day during the week.

The producers included dairy farm South Mountain Creamery in Frederick County, Evensong Farm in Washington County and Washington Flour in Howard County.

Over 60 recipes were submitted in the categories of appetizers, side dishes or salads, main dishes, desserts, beverages and table decorations (centerpieces). All submissions, along with a few O'Malley family favorites, have been published online. The Maryland Wineries Association recommended wine pairings for each recipe.

For information about the Buy Local Challenge Week and to find local products, visit www.marylandsbest.net.

New board chairman named

at Charles E. Smith Life Communities

David A. Samuels is the new chairman of the Board of Governors at Charles E. Smith Life Communities.

The not-for-profit Rockville organization, anchored by the 99-year-old Hebrew Home of Greater Washington, serves 1,000 seniors a day in long-term care, post-acute rehabilitation services, independent and assisted living residences, and health center, officials reported.

Samuels is chief financial officer and a member of the board of directors at Catch the Wind Ltd., a publicly-traded company that focuses on the manufacture of laser wind-sensor products.

Concert draws hundreds

to benefit wounded warriors

More than 300 people helped raised almost $6,200 for the Wounded Warrior Project during a benefit concert in Rockville July 11.

The Wounded Warrior Project uses the money to help severely injured servicemen and servicewomen.

The concert, which also included a silent auction, featured The Digits!, a local band that played for four hours to entertain the crowd at Woodley Gardens Pool in Rockville.

Naomi Miner and Dawn Sumner organized the auction and Hard Times Café and Carmen's Italian Ice donated winds, hot dogs and ice cream to help raise donations, band member Tom Miner said.

Guest singers, who included Richard Tolbert, Pete Bentley, Sue Harris, Alan Weiss, Colleen Stewart Cosentino and Will MacNamara, "blew the crowd away," he said.

"My band mates continue to get better and better and were great sports when I asked them to do this show," Miner said in an e-mail to The Gazette.

TLC lauds service of staff, board

and volunteers

The Treatment and Learning Centers Board of Trustees recognized the exceptional efforts of board members, staff and volunteers at its Annual Meeting and Celebration on May 20.

TLC is a Rockville-based private, non-profit organization providing educational, vocational and therapeutic services to children and adults with special needs and typically developing children.

The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, a key supporter of TLC programs since 1997 with grants totaling more than $160,000, was named the Benefactor of the year.

Pat Bailey was honored as Volunteer of the Year for her dedication to the Katherine Thomas School (KTS), her work as chair of the annual parents' soiree, which raised more than $27,000 for the school in 2009, and the inception and production of the monthly KTS parent and staff newsletter.

The Outcomes Employer of the Year Award went to ChildKind Inc. director Jaydah Wilson.

After serving on the TLC Golf Classic planning committee for six years including the last three years as chairman, Jim Dixon received the Barry Scher Public Relations Award.

Recipients of the Outstanding Service Award were Ginny McDonald, Karen Beveridge and Julie Hunter for fundraising, event planning, staff support and dedication to KTS.

The Past President's Award was presented to Ray Baldwin for his service for the last two years during a critical time dominated by the executive director transition process. He is the new general counsel to the board.

The Rosemary Colston Award was given to Richard Ward, who has served on TLC's board for 12 years and led the Executive Director Transition Team. He is also the new board president.

TLC's Executive Transition Team earned The Teamwork Award for its selection of TLC's new director, Pat Ritter, and creating a strong vision and agenda for the future of TLC.

Rema Haddad, human resources director, received The Richard Pavlin Leadership Award for dedication and commitment to the 200 staff members.

Other new board members include Bruce Hunter, vice president; James LaGrone, treasurer; and Froma Roth, secretary.

"When people ask me about TLC, I tell them there are two kinds of people out there and they are both lucky," TLC volunteer Dixon said in a prepared statement. "There are the people who are lucky enough that no one close to them has special needs. And then there are people like me who have loved ones with special needs and are lucky enough that TLC is there for them and giving them the help they need."

Learn to sew, help others

at the same time

Members of the American Sewing Guild will offer lessons in the basics of using a sewing machine in exchange for creating a pillowcase to be donated to a local Ronald McDonald House.

All supplies will be provided and all ages are welcome to sign up.

The lessons will be offered every half hour 2-5 p.m. Sunday at G Street Fabrics in the Montrose Shopping Center, 5520 Randolph Road in Rockville. For more information, call 301-871-2128 or e-mail hfpdr@comcast.net. 

On campus

-Rockville residents Alison Russell and Jessica Williams are studying abroad through Boston University's international programs office. A history major at BU's College of Arts and Sciences, Russell is enrolled in the Padova Language and Liberal Arts Program, while Williams, a psychology major in BU's College of Arts and Sciences, is studying in the Dublin Internship Program through the end of the fall semester. Russell is scheduled to graduate from BU in 2011 and Williams is scheduled to graduate in 2010.

-Sharon Englar of Rockville graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations during spring commencement exercises at York College of Pennsylvania. She also was named to the Dean's List for the spring semester. To be eligible, a student must earn a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

-Allison Young Keyser, daughter of Tony Keyser of Frankfurt, Germany, and Katherine Sheils of Potomac, graduated magna cum laude from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., on May 17 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and women's and gender studies. Keyser is a graduate of Thomas S. Wootton High School and was named to the Dean's List.

-Neena Tiscza Chakrabarti of Rockville graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., on May 17 with honors in general scholarship and chemistry. She was also inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

-Derwood resident Yo Kim graduated May 21 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from the University of Arts in Philadelphia. Kim is a 2004 graduate of Col. Zadok Magruder High School in Derwood.

Items appropriate for this column should be sent to Judith Hruz, Editor, The Rockville/Aspen Hill Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md. 20877; faxed to 301-670-7182 or 301-670-7183; or e-mailed to jhruz@gazette.net. Deadline is Thursday at 5 p.m. for consideration for the following week. Items are subject to editing and used on a space-available basis.