Since its inception in 1952, the Laurel Volunteer Rescue Squad, a nonprofit, private corporation, has been providing cost-free medical, rescue and fire services to the residents of greater Laurel for more than half a century.
During that era, it has gone from serving what was a small-town, rural setting, to a suburban area spanning four counties. The need for services continues to increase; in some instances by greater than 20 percent.
Answeringthousands of emergency calls each year, the squad relies heavily on a legion of dedicated volunteers who give up holiday celebrations, along with evenings and weekends with families and loved ones, to stand ready to act when needed.
Once a year squad volunteers reach out asking area residents for financial support, which aids with training, tools and the means to sustain emergency vehicles. You may have already acknowledged their efforts via a flier recently mailed out asking for assistance in the upkeep of state-of-the-art equipment, attending to medical emergencies and fire/rescue needs. If not, please consider doing so. The next call for help may come from you.
For more information on a variety of services and opportunities to be of service, go to the website laurelrescue.org.
St. Philip's Episcopal Church, situated in Old Town at the corner of Main and Sixth streets, will host its annual Chili Cook-Off, Sunday, March 1. Social hour will commence at 4 p.m., with the contest starting an hour later. Entrants must be registered by 5 p.m.
Contestants may submit entries in up to three categories, including chili, cornbread and dessert.Tickets to the event are $15 for adults and $5 for children ages 2 to 10. Toddlers younger than 2 will be admitted free of charge.
There will be live music and a 50/50 raffle. Proceeds from the raffle will go toward upgrading the house of worship's sound system. Raffle tickets can be purchased ahead of time, or during the contest.
All other funds raised will aid in covering the cost of the of the Thanksgiving dinner offered free of charge by the congregation and the Rev. Shelia McJilton. For more information on competing in the contest, buying raffle tickets or attending the gastronomical challenge, contact the church's administrative office at admin@stphilipslaurel.org.
If you received a gift card from Radio Shack as a holiday gift, you will want to redeem it sooner rather than later. The company recently announced the closing of 10 stores in Maryland, including Laurel, Columbia and Bowie. Also set to shutter its doors are three stores in Silver Spring, and one in Greenbelt. The stores are set to be closed by March. 31, so the savvy consumer would be wise to make use of the gift card before prolonged travel will be required to do so.
Local birthdays include Kayla Dustin-Dougherty, Jan. 2; my word game nemesis Peggy Carlo McGill, Feb. 2; Laurel Elementary School fifth-grader A.J. Duke, Feb. 3; my brother, John Paul, Feb. 7; and my faithful friend, Tina Leisher, Feb. 10.