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The second annual "Cut-a-Thon" at the St. Elizabeth School in Rockville on Oct. 26 raised over $1,500 for the Children's Inn at NIH, as local hair stylists welcomed any and all customers who needed a trim or new hairdo.

The money will help provide accommodations and services to young patients who are being treated at NIH as well as their families.

The event, which drew about 80 customers, also featured a bake sale, raffle baskets and fresh fruit for sale. Maura Kilner, a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, was the driving force behind the fundraiser, arranging for everything from the hair salon chairs to the fruit baskets, according to Laura King, a spokeswoman for the Children's Inn. Several of the stylists came from the Kindle & Boom Salon in Rockville.

"It was a community effort. Of course we are really grateful to St. Elizabeth," she said.

Quilt group

celebrates 30 years

The NeedleChasers of Chevy Chase, a quilt guild with more than 80 members, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

The group started in 1978 when three women with a love for quilting started meeting at the home of Sue Hannon, who is still an active member. Over the years, as the group has grown, it has had to find bigger locations. Now, the group meets for its monthly meeting at the North Chevy Chase Christian Church in Kensington. The monthly meetings feature speakers and sometimes demonstrations and workshops. Members also meet at each other's homes for a monthly bee where they work on group or individual projects.

Longtime member Marjorie Mills of Gaithersburg said the guild has stayed together so long because of the friendships that have grown out of it.

"Part of quilting is getting to know people," she said. "It's a way to make friends. That's how it started and that's how it still is."

Over the past 30 years, quilting has changed quite a bit, Mills said. There are newer, faster techniques and designs, she said.

"Artists have taken it to a new height," she said. "It's more than just bed quilts."

Aside from working on their own projects, the NeedleChasers have made quilts for community causes over the years. They have donated quilts for AIDS patients to the Whitman Walker Clinic and for babies at the House of Ruth shelter, both in Washington, D.C.

The work of the NeedleChasers will be on display this weekend at a quilt show at the National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Ave., Northwest, Washington, D.C. The show will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The theme is "Celebrating the Seasons" and will show more than 200 quilts made by guild members.

The guild welcomes quilters of all levels. For more information, visit the Web site at www.needlechasers.org.

An interfaith celebration

As part of their effort to learn about the traditions of many different faiths, children at Cedar Lane Unitarian Universalist Church in Bethesda recently built a Sukkah and learned about the Jewish celebration of Sukkot, commemorating God's love and care for Jews in Biblical times, during 40 years in the desert after escaping their slavery in Egypt. The holiday also celebrates the gifts of harvest.

In the months to come the children will learn about Christmas, Hanukah, and Chinese New Year among other holidays. "The children are learning that there are basic religious questions about life shared by many religions," Minister Susan Archer said in a statement. "By learning about the world's religious holidays and basic tenets, we deepen our respect for all people and for the quest for our own greater understanding of life."

Swimmer to represent state in Senior Olympics

Bethesda resident Kathleen "Kate" Fisken won three medals in the Maryland Senior Olympics swimming events recently held at the Montgomery County Recreational Complex in Germantown. She won the medals in the 50-yard backstroke, the 100-yard backstroke, and the 50-yard freestyle.

As a result, she will represent the State of Maryland at the National Senior Olympics to be held at Stanford University in August 2009.

Fisken's journey to the Senior Olympics comes five years after she suffered lower back pain. Doctors recommended either surgery or exercise and physical therapy. Fisken chose exercise and started swimming regularly at the Montgomery County Aquatic Center in Rockville although she had not participated in competitive swimming since high school.

During her first swim at the aquatic center, she could not finish even one lap, but swimming three times a week, Fisken gradually increased her ability and eventually went on to compete in the Chesapeake Bay Swim and Lake Audubon Swim.

Fisken has become an advocate for swimmers in the county, particularly those over 50 years old. She is vice chair of the Montgomery County Recreation Department Community Advisory Board and is also on the executive committee of the Master Swimmers organization in the county, "The Ancient Mariners."

Fisken is a principal in the Bethesda CPA firm Gelman, Rosenberg and Freedman.

Fisken's trip to Stanford University for the National Senior Olympics will be a romantic return for her. She met her husband some 40 years ago a weekend workshop held at Stanford.

This column is for you. Share your good news! Feel free to send press releases and news tips. Contact Stephanie Siegel via e-mail at ssiegel@gazette.net, phone at 301-280-3006, fax at 301-670-7183, or snail mail at 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.