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A youth group at New Market United Methodist Church was not afraid to get down and dirty when devising a fundraiser for a local organization that provides aid to homeless women and children.

With only two weeks to plan and execute the fundraiser, young church members decided to raise $250 by collecting $1 pledges from parishioners to kiss a pig.

On Friday, the end of the fundraising drive, Melinda McCollum was the front-runner, having garnered $104 out of a total $276 raised, according to Cathy Gamble, the church's administrative assistant. McCollum must now kiss the pig at a date to be announced, as holiday activities have created some scheduling conflicts, McCollum wrote in an e-mail to The Gazette.

Other church members who raised money included Rod Miller who raised $70; the Rev. Mike Fauconnet who raised $53; and Nick Wood who raised $49, according to McCollum.

The youth group presented its check to Hope Alive on Nov. 14, along with groups from other churches, Gamble said. They were treated to a Christian rock band, Beyond the Flood, games, food and access to Hope Alive's gym, she said.

Ijamsville native completes outdoor leadership course

Dylan Bruder, of Ijamsville, recently completed a 30-day outdoor skills and leadership course offered by the National Outdoor Leadership School in the Wind River Range, Wyo.

Bruder's group of 12 students and three instructions took the course from June 22 to July 21, training in wilderness techniques such as cooking and stove use, camping, map reading and Leave No Trace techniques.

The course continued to training in route finding, expedition behavior, environmental issues, and plant and animal identification. Bruder and other students backpacked though 100 miles of the Wind Rive Range, fly-fished and rock climbed during the course.

The school was founded in 1965 by mountaineer Paul Petzoldt, and continues to provide students with wilderness education while instilling leadership, environmental ethics and outdoor skills, according to a press release.

Urbana High School marching band places in championship

Urbana High School's marching band placed third in the fourth U.S. Scholastic Band Association National Championship in Annapolis.

The competition was held Nov. 6 through 8, at the Navy-Marine Corpse Memorial Stadium, and Urbana was among nearly 100 bands competing in six groups, based on band size.

Eckard chosen as alternate

for legislative page program

Alex Eckard, a Linganore High School senior, was chosen to serve as an alternate page for the Maryland General Assembly 2010 legislative session.

Alex, along with six other Frederick County seniors, was chosen for the program which allows students to learn firsthand the legislative process in Maryland.

Red Cross needs community help to provide holiday cheer

The Frederick County chapter of the American Red Cross is participating in a national effort to provide current and former members of the U.S. military with holiday cheer.

The Holiday Mail for Heroes program is in its third year of sending holiday cards provided by volunteers to military bases, military hospitals and veterans hospitals across the globe.

"It's something that people want to do to show support to our troops," said Judy Peterson, supervisor of chapter operations. "The response has been overwhelming in past years."

This year, at least 2,000 cards from all over the country will be sent back to the Frederick County chapter and distributed to veterans, service personnel and their families in area communities, Peterson said.

Anyone who wants to participate should send cards to: Holiday Mail for Heroes, P.O. Box 5456, Capitol Heights, MD, 20791.

Cards received after Dec. 7 will be returned to the sender. It is asked for security reasons that only cards without monetary or decorative inserts are sent; no care packages. Senders are encouraged, however, to include messages of "cheer and appreciation" in the cards, a press release for the program said.

For questions or to give suggestions of where to distribute cards locally, e-mail Judy Peterson at info@frederickredcross.org.

Community Foundation names three Wertheimer Fellows

The Community Foundation of Frederick County honored three area residents for their "selfless contributions of time, energy and talents to the Frederick County community" this week.

On Monday, Miriam Lane of Union Bridge, Eugene Long of Thurmont and Frank Parsons of Frederick were recognized as the foundation's 2009 Wertheimer Fellows for Excellence in Volunteerism. Each received $10,000 to establish a new fund at the foundation or add to an existing fund there.

The awards are made possible by a bequest from the late Janis Miller Wertheimer, a Frederick businesswoman and volunteer.

A press release from the foundation gave the following accounts of each Wertheimer Fellow:

- Lane was chosen because she "has inspired many with her tireless service to others, despite her own ongoing battle against cancer." A retired physical therapist, Lane now volunteers with Mission of Mercy, traveling through Frederick County to serve patients four days each month at the mobile healthcare clinic's sites in Frederick, Mount Airy and Brunswick. She is Mission of Mercy's only physical therapist, enabling the nonprofit to help many patients who could otherwise not afford therapeutic treatments.

Lane plans to use her award to create The Jane White Fund for Mission of Mercy. Jane White was the director of the Korean orphanage where the Lanes adopted their daughter in 1986.

- Long, a retiree in his 80s, "refuses to take it easy" and is always on the lookout for people in need or situations that he could improve, according to the foundation. He is a longtime member of the Thurmont Lions Club. In 2004, Long spearheaded a project to revitalize a walking trail along the old trolley route through Thurmont and worked through 18 months of permitting and design. He secured many significant donations of equipment, labor and money so that the trail could be dedicated in September 2007.

Late last year, Long spearheaded a fund drive dubbed "Callie Needs a Van" for an 8-year-old girl and her family. He helped raise more than $38,000 to provide a new van and home improvements for the girl, who is wheelchair-bound because of spinal muscular atrophy.

With his award, Long has established The Davey Long and Mike Compton Memorial Fund in memory of his son, Davey, and his wife Shirley's son, Mike, both of whom took their own lives at a young age. The fund will award grants at the recommendation of the Longs and with the approval of the Community Foundation Board of Trustees.

- Parsons first sought out volunteer opportunities at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick after his retirement in the mid-1990s. It was a natural fit, given his career in the U.S. Air Force in the Medical Service Corps and his years as administrator in military and civilian hospitals. Parsons has served as a docent with the museum, has volunteered thousands of hours and traveled thousands of miles to and from the museum and other outreach sites. At the museum, he gives guided tours and inspires diverse groups of visitors with his passion for the Civil War and for medicine. He conducts educational presentations for school groups, authentically dressed as an 1860s civilian physician — a role he extensively researched to ensure the accuracy of every detail. He has achieved master docent status and been recognized by the Tourism Council of Frederick County for his interpretive skills.

With his award, Parsons has established The Frank R. Parsons Fund for the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. The fund will support community education so that the story of medical care during the Civil War continues to be told to the general public.

Do you have an item for News & Notes? Contact reporter Christian Brown at 301-846-2132, e-mail chbrown@gazette.net or fax news to 301-846-2124.