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Loren Plaxen, 21, of Brinklow earned a gold medal in the Special Olympics National Games held in Lincoln, Neb., last month.

Plaxen won a gold medal in the women's 200-meter run and also took fourth place in the women's 400-meter run and 4-by-100 relay.

Plaxen was one of three athletes representing Montgomery County. Teammate Jay Cromwell of Rockville won silver medals in the men's 100-meter, 200-meter and 400-meter events, and fourth place in the 4-by-100 relay.

Alisa Ogden of Rockville placed fifth in the women's doubles and mixed team bowling events.

The athletes were chosen to represent Maryland based on their previous performances at qualifying events at the state level.

Bank employees exceed fundraising goal

The employees of Sandy Spring Bank raised more than $55,000 to fight Crohn's disease and colitis.

Each year, bank officials identify 10 charities to support. This is the second year they have supported Crohn's disease and colitis.

Jay O'Brien, Sandy Spring Bank executive vice president and Northern Virginia president, challenged employees to exceed last year's total of more than $30,000.

"To have employees exceed my challenge two years in a row is proof of the compassion and dedication that exists in our organization," he said. "I couldn't be more proud of the enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by our employees nor more appreciative of their generous support."

Because many of the employees have families and friends who suffer from the ailments, matching faces and stories with the cause contributed to the success of the fundraiser.

At the kickoff breakfast, Kelly Farmer and Katie O'Brien, both of whom suffer from Crohn's disease and colitis and both daughters of bank employees, attended so employees could match a face with the courage and strength needed to fight the disease.

Farmer was a keynote speaker at the company's 2010 employee celebration and O'Brien designed the team's T-shirt, worn by more than 100 bank employees and family members who participated in the "Take Steps to be Heard" event held by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., in June.

Kulley Bancroft, Sandy Spring vice president of public and community relations, said that in addition to the walk, money was raised through silent auctions, raffles and ice cream socials.

According to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America website, Crohn's and colitis, known collectively as inflammatory bowel disease, affect approximately 1.4 million Americans, including some 140,000 children under the age of 18. To learn more, visit www.ccfa.org.

Blending service and education

Caitlin Rea D'Albora, 23, of Olney will be departing for the Dominican Republic on Thursday to begin pre-service training as a youth development Peace Corps volunteer.

D'Albora is the daughter of James and Deborah D'Albora, and a graduate of James Hubert Blake High School. She attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where she earned a degree in diplomacy/foreign affairs and Spanish in 2008. She is pursuing a master's degree in political science at George Mason University.

"I have been interested in Peace Corps service since high school but was always torn between education and volunteering until I discovered the Master's International program," D'Albora said.

During the first three months of her service, D'Albora will live with a host family in the Dominican Republic to become fully immersed in the country's language and culture. After acquiring the skills necessary to assist the community, D'Albora will serve for two years in the Dominican Republic.

According to information provided by the Peace Corps, D'Albora will join 192 Maryland residents serving in the organization.

Hospital earns gold award from national foundation

Montgomery General Hospital in Olney is one of 135 hospitals in the nation honored with the American College of Cardiology Foundation's National Cardiovascular Data Registry Action Registry – Get with the Guidelines Gold Performance Achievement Award for 2010.

The award is a result of a quality improvement program that helps hospitals align the care that they provide to coronary artery disease, stroke and heart failure patients with the latest scientific guidelines.

To receive the award, Montgomery General consistently followed the treatment guidelines for 24 consecutive months.

"The American College of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association commend Montgomery General for its success in implementing standards of care and protocols," said Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, Action Registry – Get With the Guidelines steering committee chairman and director of Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center. "The full implementation of acute and secondary prevention guideline-recommended therapy is a critical step in saving the lives and improving outcomes of heart attack patients."

Lions to host golf tournament

Aug. 25 is the deadline to register for the Olney Lions Club's 17th annual Olney Open Charity Golf Tournament.

The event will take place Sept. 10 at the Laytonsville Golf Course, 7130 Dorsey Road in Laytonsville.

For a fee of $100, part of which is tax-deductible, participants will receive a round of golf with a cart, morning refreshments, a cookout lunch, beverages and door prizes.

The honorary chairman is Frank Herzog, voice of the Washington Redskins.

For more details and registration information, call Mike Fekete at 301-774-6590.

Stay in the ‘Loop'

The Olney Loop, a cable television program offering vignettes about life in and around the Olney community, will feature a re-cap of Olney's popular Relay for Life, Athena Award winner Helene Rosenheim and the Sandy Spring Museum's Strawberry Festival on its September episode.

The show airs on Access Montgomery Channel 21, accessible on Comcast and the Verizon cable networks, at 9:30 p.m. Sundays and 6 p.m. Wednesdays.

To offer story ideas or to volunteer, contact Lisa Stancik at theolneyloop@yahoo.com

If you have an interesting note about the people and the events of our community, send it to Terri Hogan, Staff Writer, The Olney Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, or e-mail it to thogan@gazette.net. Our fax numbers are 301-670-7182 or 301-670-7183. Deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday for consideration for the following week. All items are subject to space availability.