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Chevy Chase resident Garland Miller had a special gift for 10 wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center just before Thanksgiving. Miller, who founded the Combat Soldiers Recovery Fund a couple of years ago, presented each of the soldiers with $300 checks on Nov. 26, for them to use however they needed to.

The goal of the foundation, which gives checks to soldiers in $300 increments, is to raise $100,000 for the year, Miller said. So far this year, the nonprofit has raised about $63,000. Since the organization has no overhead, all of the money raised goes directly to soldiers, Miller said.

The idea for the foundation came to Miller several years ago after a confluence of events. After Sept. 11, 2001, she was disappointed to learn that a donation she made to the Red Cross went toward the group's overhead, rather than directly going to people who needed help. Later, she met a Walter Reed volunteer who encouraged her to give five $100 donations to soldiers, rather than one $500 donation in order to help more people. After that she found out that a new neighbor near her home was a doctor at Walter Reed. She connected the dots, and Miller, who runs her own bookkeeping business, figured out that she could start a foundation to directly help wounded soldiers herself.

The entire group is run by volunteers and the nonprofit is based out of Miller's home office.

Soldiers use the $300 donations for all kinds of needs ranging from paying rent to flying in family from out of town, she said.

"It started that I wanted them to [use the money] to go out and have a good time, but they can't," she said. "There are too many needs."

Miller said running the foundation has made her realize how much she has to be thankful for.

"It has changed my life and the way I look at things," she said. "My goal is to never complain again. I have nothing to complain about."

To learn more about the Combat Soldiers Recovery Fund or to donate, visit www.combatsoldiersrecoveryfund.org.

Midshipman

returns to academy

Midshipman Benjamin H. Weinstein of Chevy Chase returned recently to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., where he is a student, after spending four months at sea, training aboard a U.S. merchant vessel, the President Polk.

All students at the academy spend part of their sophomore and junior years at sea, gaining practical knowledge about the performance and operation of various types of merchant vessels. They become familiar with the ocean trade and routes of the world.

The son of Chris and Jerry Weinstein, he is a graduate of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High school.

 Among the countries that he visited were the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Oman, Malaysia and Singapore.

 He was nominated to attend the Academy by U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D-Dist. 8) of Kensington and Sens. Benjamin L. Cardin (D) of Pikesville and Barbara A. Mikulski (D) of Baltimore.

The academy trains young men and women from across the nation as licensed merchant mariners, U.S. Navy Reserve officers, and the future leaders of America's transportation industry. A federal institution, the academy is operated by the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Bethesda Big Train baseball announces awards

The Bethesda Community Base Ball Club honored four county businesses for a decade of service to the community at its Annual Big Train Base Ball & Auction on Nov. 9 at the Pooks Hill Marriott in Bethesda. Miller & Long, Co., Sandy Spring Builders, Hopkins & Porter, and Ledo Pizza & Pasta received recognition for their roles in building Shirley Povich Field and supporting Bethesda Big Train baseball.

"Along with our founder John Ourisman of Ourisman Automotive, these are the companies that have made it possible for us to build and sustain Povich Field as a beloved community jewel," Co-Founder Bruce Adams said in presenting the awards. Adams was joined in the presentation by County Executive Isiah Leggett. 

In addition, the Big Train announced that the new brick garden entrance at Povich Field will be named in honor of John McMahon, chairman of the Miller & Long concrete construction company, and that the Big Train's Annual Outstanding Service Awards will be named in honor of Randy Schools, chair of the Big Train Booster Club since the club's founding in 1999. 

Since completing the construction of Shirley Povich Field in 1999, the Bethesda Community Base Ball Club, because of the success of its annual Big Train Base Ball & Auction, has invested more than $500,000 in improving youth baseball and softball fields. At the Nov. 9 event, the club presented Walter Johnson High School with a check for $5,000 for the development of the school's new baseball field. Tippy Martinez, commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Baltimore Orioles' 1983 World Series Championship; ESPN's Tim Kurkjian; and L.J. Hoes, a St. John's College High School standout now a rising star in the Baltimore Orioles organization, were the night's special guests.

This year's Randy Schools Outstanding Service Awards were presented to Mike Lenkin and John McMahon of Miller & Long; Mimi Kress, Phil Leibovitz, and Richard Mandell of Sandy Spring Builders; Mike Denker and Guy Semmes of Hopkins & Porter; Rob Rubin of Ledo Pizza; former Big Train General Manager Dave Ireland; former Big Train Assistant GM Michael Groeneman; ESPN's Tim Kurkjian; and long-time Big Train volunteer Mark Whipple. Elizabeth Campbell, Brendan Cassidy, Paul Cassidy, Michael Castiglione, Josh Fanaroff, and Nichole Witten were recognized as the newest members of the Big Train's John Ourisman Volunteer Honor Roll for five years of volunteer service to Big Train baseball. 

Big Train Manager Sal Colangelo announced his 2008 season awards, honoring Matt Hiserman of the University of San Francisco as Most Valuable Player; Danny Stienstra of San Jose State as Most Outstanding Hitter; Ryan Mulligan of Saint Mary's College of California as Most Outstanding Fielder; Scott Schneider, also of Saint Mary's College of California, as Most Outstanding Two-Way Player; and Steven Leach of Jacksonville State with a Big Train Leadership Award.

Sangamore to perform free a cappella concert

Sangamore, an a cappella octet made up of primarily professional musicians all somehow affiliated with the Washington Waldorf School, will perform at 7 p.m. today at the Bethesda Barnes and Noble Bookstore, 4801 Bethesda Ave. Their hour-long performance is free and is one of several performances that will support a fundraiser benefiting the Bethesda school serving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

The group includes Nevin Bender, a pianist and music director of Washington Waldorf School and the Luther Place Church in Washington, D.C.; Brad Clark, pianist, vocalist and instrumental accompanist and director of the Avalon Chamber Ensemble; Anna Danylevich, choir director at St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral; Ksenia Danylevich, music director at the St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral and WWS Math Teacher; Holly Gibbons, Suzuki violin teacher, member of the Lehrer String Quartet, violinist; James Jenkins, WWS piano accompanist, singer and composer; John Parker, long-time choral singer; and Linda Caro Reinisch, singer and arts administrator.

Sangamore performs work by such wide ranging composers as Vaughan, Williams, Brahms, Hawley, Billy Joel, Finzi, Gershwin and local composer, James Jenkins.

For more information, go to www.washingtonwaldorf.org.

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