In our peculiar coronavirus pandemic life, high school sports that are normally played in the fall are now underway. Although local and state health guidelines are limiting attendance at athletic events, River Hill High School is still putting fans in the stands — cutouts of fans, that is.
The River Hill High School Boosters and PTA organized an effort to place color picture cutouts of fans in the gym for volleyball, in the stadium for cheer, field hockey, football, poms and soccer, and on the courses for golf and cross country. The spirit signs offer encouragement for the Hawks student athletes and serves as a fundraiser for the boosters. There is even a pet section of adorable four-footed fans at the stadium.
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As Howard County Public School System students opting for the hybrid model return to school buildings, one group of students has found a way to help teachers during the transition.
Student volunteers from the Clarksville Youth Care Group wanted to thank teachers and staff for their efforts to teach virtual and hybrid classes and all of the challenges that entails. To show their appreciation, the service-oriented youth group is making COVID teacher care kits. The packages include a handmade, school-themed face mask, disposable mask filters and an ear saver to make mask-wearing more comfortable.
Five students from Clarksville Middle School — Michael Jiang, Jerry Huang, Daniel Liu, Amanda Wang and Brandon Yu — are participating in the project.
Wang along with her brother Arthur, started the youth group in spring 2020 to make and donate face shields to hospitals at the beginning of the pandemic, when personal protective equipment was scarce. The effort grew to include more than 50 students from 15 schools throughout the county who made over 3,600 reusable face shields for essential workers in seven states.
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Local teachers can request a care kit and choose from a variety of design options. The nonprofit group accepts donations to help fund its efforts. Learn more at clarksvilleyouthcaregroup.org.
Scouting for Food in Howard County is holding its annual food collection drive. Sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America Baltimore Area Council, the service project brings together Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and community and school volunteers. Groups have been busy delivering door tags requesting donations to local homes. They will return to collect nonperishable food items on Saturday.
The food items that are collected will be delivered to locations such as Open Doors at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, one of the 20 local food pantries working to fight hunger in Central Maryland.
“This year, due to the pandemic, food pantries in Howard County have seen higher demand for their services, and many are reporting empty shelves,” said Sori Meredith, co-chair of Scouting for Food. “During this year’s food drive on March 13, Scouts from all over Howard County hope to alleviate this need and help the community, in particular, those experiencing food insecurity.”
For more information, contact scoutingforfoodnpd@gmail.com.
The St. Louis Catholic Youth Ministry and its annual Italian dinner go together like spaghetti and meatballs. This month marks the 40th anniversary of the culinary fundraiser. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the group had to cook up something a little different. Instead of a large gathering in the school cafeteria, the youth group offered meals to go. “A Taste of the Italian Dinner!” served homemade meatballs and pasta sauce, prepared from the secret family recipe that has been passed down to chefs of the Italian dinners for the past four decades.
Do you have a case of cabin fever? Clarksville Commons is holding monthly outdoor markets featuring local food and craft vendors. Upcoming markets will be held on the second Saturday of the month, March 13 and April 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more at clarksvillecommons.com/gather.