You don’t have to be a seamstress to help the Calvary Quilters finish a pile of quilts for kids on Saturday, March 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church in Gamber.
“Our 20th annual Quilts for Charity event is dedicated to the memory of our founder, Genie Corbin,” Calvary Quilter Carolyn Hill said. “Genie passed away in May 2017 after a long battle with cancer.”
The Calvary Quilters invite you to participate in this event to remember Corbin and her passion. The quilts will be donated to the Carroll County chapter of Project Linus, which provides homemade blankets and quilts to children, from newborns to 18-year-olds, suffering physical or emotional pain. They need quilts of all sizes, but especially for boys and teens.
“We’ll be tying actual cotton quilts, not the fringes of fleece blankets.” Hill said. “You don’t need to sew; you can just tie knots. And we will teach you to do that.”
Those who attend may come all day or for just a few hours. Lunch will be provided at no cost.
If you do sew, Hill said, you could bring your own scissors and a sharp needle with a big eye for tying quilts, or a sewing machine and extension cord for stitching binding. Volunteers must be middle-school age or older. You don’t have to bring anything, but if you do bring tools, be sure to label them with your name. Students should bring their form for school service learning hours.
“We have made patchwork quilt tops ahead of time and those are ready for volunteers to layer with fluffy batting and cotton backing, then tie evenly spaced knots to create a quilt. Finally, we’ll machine-stitch binding around the edges.”
The Calvary Quilters have been at this a long time, Hill said — this will be their 20th annual quilts-for-charity day.
For those who would like to join this group, the Calvary Quilters always welcome new members. They meet at the church at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month (except the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas). Interested quilters do not have to be church members and do not need prior experience. The group doesn’t charge any fees or dues at this time. To join, just come to a meeting.
“The second Wednesday of the month is usually a work session where members bring project to work on, while the fourth Wednesday often features a program to teach a quilting technique or pattern,” Hill said. “The goals are to help each other improve in quilting skills and to make quilts for giving."
For more information, please call Hill at 410-795-5186.
Calvary United Methodist Church is located at 3939 Gamber Road (Md. 91) in Gamber.
Surf and Turf Bingo
Deer Park Lions Club will host a unique bingo on March 21 inside the Gamber and Community Fire Company’s social hall. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and games start at 7 p.m. for this Surf and Turf Bingo. The bingo costs $22 in advance or $25 at the door.
“There will be 20 games and the prizes are meat and seafood bundles,” said Lions Club member Dave Hopkins, who said this is the first time for the club to try a Surf and Turf Bingo.
The approximate value is $80 for each [prize package]. “We will also have two fill the card bingos. The prizes for these are larger meat bundles, [worth] $120 and $180,” Hopkins said.
The first game of the night will be for those who donate two cans of food for Carroll County Food Sunday. Hopkins said that those who attend may also take part in two raffles. One is for half pig and the other is for gift cards for Bullocks and Millers meats.
“We will also have a king tut available [to play],” Hopkins said, adding that they will hold a 50/50 raffle, too. “And food will be available for purchase.”
Come hungry. They will have pulled pork sandwiches, chicken corn soup, veggie plates, desserts and hot dogs, plus snacks and beverages for those who choose to eat at the event.
For more information, contact Hopkins at 443-257-5882 or by email at davrhopkins@gmail.com.
Planning for the Future
A special workshop called Planning for Your Future will take place at the Westminster Church of the Brethren on March 1, 8 and 22, from noon to 1:30 p.m. This workshop strives to help participants consider all aspects of good planning for future needs with various speakers providing guidance about issues all adults should consider, necessary questions to ask, and resources to use to help you live well, now and later.
Linda Ibex and Jeanne Dussault have worked hard to organize this event.
“Many years ago, perhaps nine or 10, we did a similar workshop to help people be prepared for the future,” Dussault said. “The Stewardship Team and the Advisory Group, who work with me, both thought it was time to do it again. We feel that, whether you have children or parents to care for or just yourself, this workshop provides much-needed information and resources to build a secure future.
Future planning is important to adults of all ages. Here’s a list of what will be presented: On March 1, learn about financial and legal matters with Steve Aquino, financial planner with the Aquino Financial Group, and Dennis Twigg, a lawyer with Hoffman, Comfort, Offitt, Scott, and Halstead; on March 8, learn about eldercare and retirement communities with Debbie Frame, coordinator at Carroll County’s Bureau of Aging, and Jeanne Dussault, a resident at Carroll Lutheran Village; on March 22, Pastor Glenn McCrickard of Westminster Church of the Brethren will speak about funerals and memorial services, along with Justin Durboraw, owner or Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home, and Don Rowe, chair of Meadow Branch Cemetery.
No pre-registration is needed for this free event. Just drop in at the Westminster Church of the Brethren, at 1 Park Place.
Talks at the Tavern
Join the Historical Society of Carroll County on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. inside the historic Cockey’s Tavern for the first session of the group’s new evening speaker series, Talks at the Tavern.
This inaugural event will feature Warren Dorsey and Dorsey’s biographer, Jack White. At 99 years old, Dorsey is a Carroll County treasure. Starting school in the underserved Sykesville Colored School House, he then served in World War II, studied microbiology, and then became a teacher and principal in Frederick. Dorsey’s story is one of beating the odds and is a story of inspiration.
“Warren's coming up on his 100th birthday, but he never tires of telling his story, and he's looking forward to coming out to Westminster, where he finished first in his class in high school nearly 85 years ago,” said White, who is not only Dorsey’s biographer, but also curator of the Gate House Museum of History in Sykesville.
At the event, Dorsey will interweave song with the story of his fascinating life as White interviews him. Signed copies of Warren’s book, “In Carrie’s Footprints: The Long Walk of Warren Dorsey,” will be available for purchase.
Look for light refreshments, and two attendees will receive gift bag door prizes with Dorsey’s book inside.
The fee to attend is $3 for HSCC members or $7 for nonmembers, to be paid at the door.
Future talks will take place at 7 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month inside Cockey’s Tavern, at 216 E. Main St. in Westminster. To learn more, visit the HSCC website at www.hsccmd.org or call 410-848-6494.
Lois Szymanski covers Finksburg, Gamber, Pleasant Valley, Reese, Sandymount, Silver Run, Smallwood, Union Mills and Westminster. Reach her at 443-293-7811 or LoisSzymanski@hotmail.com .