This weekend, Ellicott City resident Nancy Shirey will participate in the National Kidney Foundation of Maryland's 13th annual Greater Baltimore Kidney Walk on Sunday, April 19, at Camden Yards.
For Shirey, it's a cause that hits close to home. In October, she became a kidney transplant donor for her brother-in-law Bob. Due to complications, the surgery was rescheduled two times before the successful operation took place on Oct. 5 at University of Maryland Medical Center.
The cancellation of the first surgery led Shirey to a chance encounter with one of her favorite sports celebrities. When checking her medical charts moments before surgery, Shirey's doctors were alarmed at what looked like an enlarged liver. They immediately postponed the surgery and ordered a battery of tests. While waiting for the hospital staff to schedule the test appointments the doctors suggested Shirey and her husband go out to a late breakfast.
They decided to eat at the iconic Baltimore eatery Miss Shirley's Cafe. As they entered the Inner Harbor restaurant, they saw two people eating breakfast — Joe Flacco and Dennis Pitta. As huge Ravens fans, it was an unexpected thrill to meet and take pictures with the football players after a disappointing morning.
"To this day, my surgeon still refers to me as 'Flacco' and told me that he shares my story of meeting Joe Flacco whenever he can," said Shirey, a CruiseOne Stowaway Travel franchise owner.
On Saturday, Shirey will continue her support for kidney donations when she joins over 5,000 people in her second community fundraiser in Baltimore. The walk calls attention to the need for organ donation and prevention of kidney disease — the ninth leading cause of death in the United States.
Participation in Kidney Walk is free; howeverthere is a $100 minimum amount required to earn a walk T-shirt. Companies, friends and families are encouraged to participate and form teams. Sponsorships are also available. To register or receive information about walk sponsorship or volunteer opportunities, call 410-494-8545 or go to http://www.kidneywalk.org. For more information about the NKFM, go to http://www.kidneymd.org.
Happy 50th anniversary Mt. Hebron High School. To celebrate, the school will host a community dinner on Saturday, April 25, at 5 p.m. Join former staff members, alumni, and current staff and students in a celebration that includes a buffet dinner and tour of the school's new renovations.
Tickets are $30. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to http://www.mthebronvikings/Home or call 410-313-2880. No tickets will be sold at the door.
Interested in learning more about Pre-K through 8th grade parochial schools in Ellicott City? Trinity School is hosting an Open House for all grades on Thursday, April 23, at 9 a.m. Prospective students and their parents will meet the admissions director, principal and parent volunteers during a welcome ceremony followed by a school tour.
Trinity School is an independent, Catholic school sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur on a wooded 48-acre campus at4985 Ilchester Road. For more information, call 410-744-1524 or go to http://www.trinityschoolmd.org.
Big news for historic Ellicott City shoppers and diners. Howard County Executive Allan H. Kittleman made good on his campaign promise to address parking complaints in the downtown area.
As of April 2, he announced the use of parking meters in downtown Ellicott City will be discontinued. Meters on Main Street, Maryland Avenue and in Parking Lot B in Historic Ellicott City will be covered and a two-hour parking limit will be enforced for parking spaces in those three areas. On Main Street and Maryland Avenue the two-hour parking limit will be in effect from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. New signs will be installed to reflect the changes in parking enforcement.