The Wal-Mart in Westminster recently donated $845.70 to the Carroll County Children's Fund.
The fund's president, Robert Schilling, accepted the check from Jena Turfle, cash office manager, and H. K. Chow, co-manager.
The money represents proceeds from store vending machine sales of Sam's Choice soda.
The Carroll County Children's Fund helps families of hospitalized children meet medical expenses.
Farm Credit visits with Japanese group
Central Maryland Farm Credit, which has offices in the Carroll County Air Business Center, recently sponsored a visit by 17 Japanese management representatives from the Aichi Prefectural Union of Agricultural Cooperatives in Aichi, Japan.
The visit, coordinated by the Maryland Department of Agriculture and the Maryland International Center, gave both organizations the opportunity to share information about their goals, services to clients and strategies for the future.
In both countries, members are concerned with the conversion of farmland to industrial and residential uses, said Ron Byrd, chief executive officer of Farm Credit.
Clientele for both organizations is about 70 percent field crop farmers and 30 percent livestock farmers, he said.