MORE THAN 300 Howard County senior citizens celebrated Thanksgiving a little bit early this year.
The Rotary Club of Columbia Patuxent Charitable Trust held its 13th Thanksgiving dinner for senior citizens Sunday afternoon.
The guests filled the ballroom at the Columbia Hilton in Oakland Mills.
During the turkey dinner, the seniors were entertained by piano music provided by Andrew and Tristan Caron. After dinner, guests were treated to holiday music performed by the Howard High School Madrigals, under the direction of Rick Lawrence.
About 35 students from the Hammond High School Interact Club set up the room, escorted people to their seats and served the dinner.
"It's a wonderful event that just runs like clockwork at this point," said dinner chairman Eliot G. Striar.
When it started 13 years ago, the Rotary Club contacted Judi Bard, program specialist for the Howard County Office on Aging, to invite a group of senior citizens.
"The biggest difference this year was the transportation," Bard said. "In past years, people living in housing for the disabled were not able to come."
Rotary Club member Joyce Wood of Wilde Lake coordinated transportation, which was provided by Howard Transit Services and the airport shuttle, for nearly 150 elderly people.
"People are just so grateful," Wood said. "They get off the bus, and they are so excited."
For Geraldine Smith, 85, of Owen Brown Place, the event is much more than just good food.
"I just enjoy it so much," Smith said. "I just like to be with the crowd."
The dinner was a meaningful experience for the students, as well.
"I feel like I've given something by helping these people enjoy their dinner," said Kristen Jenkins, 16, an Interact member.
Fellow Interact member Katie Ryan agreed.
"I really like seeing their smiles when we help them," said Katie, 17.
The adults involved also shared the good feelings.
"My mom is 94, and she lives in Ohio," said Donna Ange, a Rotary member from Long Reach. "I know there are people there that do things like this for her. I am thrilled to do this for someone else."
About 50 Rotary Club members were on hand to help throughout the dinner. Howard County Executive James N. Robey and state Sen. Sandra B. Schrader, among other local and state dignitaries, welcomed the senior citizens.
"For some people, this is the only Thanksgiving celebration they will have," said Michael Koplow, former dinner chairman and incoming Rotary Club president. "Why do we do it? Well, because we can."
The Columbia Hilton donated the ballroom and kitchen facilities. Unilever Bestfoods Foodservice donated the food. All leftovers were donated to Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center.
Other members of the dinner committee who planned the event were: Joan I. Athen, Dr. K.S. Rajan, Christopher M. Macary, C. Alan Jefferson, Dushyant P. Patel, Cynthia L. Klapproth, Caroline Sherman, Thomas Allen, Skip Coale and Michael Higgins.
Congratulations
Congratulations to 13 Stevens Forest Elementary School children, who were honored by the Council of Elders of the Black Community of Howard County for their outstanding performance on the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, administered last year. The students were recognized at an assembly at Oakland Mills High School this month.
Fifth-graders receiving recognition were Renee Bell, Damien Gero, Chelsea Mayo, Joshua Mills and Ryan Shorter.
Third-graders receiving recognition were Kurtis Coleman, Lauren Dawson, Kevin Hayman, Darius Heyward, Randall Lawson, Kristen Lee, David Reed and Devonte Walker.
Young writer
Congratulations also to Hammond High School senior Paula Fortner. She earned the National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Award in writing.
"She is clearly one of the finest writers at Hammond High School," said her English teacher Joyce Pfister. "She deserves the recognition."
As far as Paula's future is concerned, she has expressed an interest in English, Pfister said.