Chesapeake Charities annual Celebration of Charities – Luncheon honors those making a difference in our communities

STEVENSVILLE – Chesapeake Charities’ fourth annual Celebration of Charity is set for November 14, 2019 from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in Stevensville.

A community foundation that supports more than 90 non-profits in the region, Chesapeake Charities honors people and organizations that have made a difference in our communities each year at the award luncheon. The Celebration of Charity luncheon raises awareness about issues and solutions that affect our lives and recognizes those making a real difference.

“As we celebrate our 15th anniversary, we want to recognize individuals and organizations who have had a profound effect on the community during that time period,” said Linda Kohler, Chesapeake Charities executive director. “Our trademark is finding solutions to meet community needs and this year’s honorees exemplify that philosophy. The 2019 honorees are doing incredible work and it is a privilege to honor them.”

This year’s honorees include Claudia Boldyga, Volunteer of the Year; Compass Regional Hospice, Non-Profit of the Year; and Chesapeake Women’s Network, Philanthropist of the Year.

An Eastern Shore resident with a family business in Annapolis, Boldyga and her husband are founding chairs of the Anne Arundel Medical Center’s Denim & Diamonds Bash. Boldyga’s expertise as a seasoned event planner has helped raise millions of dollars for vital mental health and addiction care services and lifesaving breast cancer awareness, detection, and treatment services. She also serves on the board of Bosom Buddies Charities whose black-tie ball provides funding for breast cancer care programs and equipment at Anne Arundel Medical Center and Shore Regional Health Breast Center.

This year’s Nonprofit of the Year Award recipient, Compass Regional Hospice, provides high quality home and residential hospice and palliative care services as well as grief support programs. From its inception in Queen Anne’s County in 1985, Compass has evolved into a visionary, state-of-the-art organization serving patients and families in Queen Anne’s, Caroline and Kent Counties.

“The creation of a hospice program in Queen Anne’s County and its development into a regional
hospice, palliative care and bereavement program is really worth celebrating,” said Audrey Scott, Chesapeake Charities’ board chairwoman. “The dedication of the board, staff and volunteers is remarkable, and the community has benefitted from their unwavering commitment to excellence.”

This year’s Philanthropist of the Year, Chesapeake Women’s Network (CWN) is recognized as for their efforts to empower adult women to secure a college degree or technical training certificate to enhance their career, begin a new career or return to the workforce. Founding members of CWN in 2007, who recognized that not all women have the necessary resources to pursue fulfilling careers, established a scholarship program, which has since helped nearly 100 women.

The Celebration of Charity awards luncheon has become a hallmark for recognizing those who give in extraordinary measure. Past honorees include Gov. Larry Hogan, in 2016; Talbot Goes Purple, Farming for Hunger and the Samaritan House in 2017; and last year, The Wills Group, Mark Freestate and the Light House Homeless Prevention Support Center.

For the third year, The Governor Larry Hogan Scholarship will be awarded to a medical student
pursuing a career in cancer research. Chesapeake Charities established the scholarship in 2016 to honor the courage and leadership Hogan displayed while waging a personal battle against cancer during his first year in office.

Sponsors for the luncheon include the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club, Rural Maryland Council, WHBG
Certified Public Accountants, Customer Relationship Metrics, GGM Wealth Advisors, Shore United Bank, Anne Arundel Medical Center Foundation, Avon Dixon, Chaney Enterprises, Ride Entertainment, and David A. Bramble.

Tickets for the event can be purchased online at chesapeakecharities.org/event or by calling the office at 410-643-4020. Sponsorships for this event are available. For more information email info@chesapeakecharities.org.

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Located in Stevensville, Maryland, Chesapeake Charities is a community foundation that supports over 90 nonprofit funds that impact a range of charitable causes including animal welfare, arts, education, health and human services, and the environment. To date they have generated more than $25 million in investment and grant funding for charitable projects in eight counties: Anne Arundel, Calvert, Caroline, Charles, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot. For more information, contact Chesapeake Charities at (410) 643-4020 or info@chesapeakecharities.org, or visit www.chesapeakecharities.org.

Chesapeake Charities is accredited by the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations.