May 16 may have been a day off from school for many county students, affording them the luxury of sleeping in and relaxing at home or hanging out with friends. For nearly 200 students and 50 chaperones at Folly Quarter Middle School, the day dawned early for a special musical adventure -- the annual trip to Hershey Park, Pa., for the Music in the Parks Music Festival and Competition.

The day was cool and rainy as students and parents met five buses at school at 5:30 a.m. to head off on their journey. While the weather may have tried to put a damper on the day, these terrific musicians could not be held down.

Each of the musical ensembles to perform at the competition is evaluated and given a rating, from poor, fair, good, excellent, to superior for the very best performances.

For the competition portion, ensembles were entered into categories, and schools separated by size. Folly Quarter Middle School is very proud of their ratings and competition results.

The FQMS Singers, under the direction of Stacy Sartor, received an excellent rating and earned first place for the Middle School Treble Chorus category. The FQMS Advanced Chorus, also under the direction of Sartor, earned a superior rating and won first place for the Middle School Mixed Chorus category.

The FQMS Concert Band, under the direction of Andrew Spang, earned a superior rating and won first place for the Middle School Concert Band II Category. The FQMS Symphonic Band, also under the direction of Spang, also earned a superior rating, taking second place (to Patapsco Middle School) by a mere 2.5 points.

The FQMS Chamber Symphony, under the co-direction of Spang and Patrick Walls, received an excellent rating, capturing first place in the Full Orchestra category. The FQMS Symphonic Strings, under the direction of Walls, earned a superior rating, winning first place in the String Orchestra category and earning the Best Overall Orchestra award.

Of course, the success of this day would not be possible without the talent of the outstanding FQMS music department who works with the students every day -- Sartor, Spang and Walls.

In addition, there are many parents and staff volunteers who help coordinate this event and endure a very long day so that the students can enjoy this experience. First, a big thanks to the staff volunteers -- Emy Coonts, John Eckstrom, Chris Fox, Erin Goins, Julie Rout and Angie Szalecki.

Additional special thanks is extended to all of the parent chaperones, and especially to Betsy Brown for coordinating the parent chaperons, and to Rolf Hawkins for driving the large equipment and instruments.

Glenelg High School is very proud of all of their athletes who have participated in sports throughout this school year. This spring sports season was a success, and the school would like to recognize the following teams for their great efforts.

The boys varsity lacrosse team finished out their regular season undefeated with a 13-0 record and earned the title of county champions. Other county champions at Glenelg included the girls varsity lacrosse team and the varsity softball team.

Both lacrosse teams also went on to win state championships as well. The girls beat Loch Raven, 17-11, and the boys beat Southern of Anne Arundel County, 7-4, to win their second straight state title.

Individuals and groups throughout the western part of the county are busy raising funds for the second annual Western Howard County Relay for Life. The event, scheduled to take place on June 20 at the Western Regional Park, is slightly more than four weeks away.

Each of us has had our lives touched in one way or another by cancer. This event is a great time to celebrate, remember and hope for those who have faced cancer. I attended this event last year and one of the most touching parts for me was walking the track and seeing all the luminaria along the way to honor and pay tribute to those who have battled cancer.

This year's goal is to raise $80,000. Currently, individuals and teams have raised slightly less than $30,000.

To learn more about Relay for Life, or to make a donation to your favorite team or team member, go to their Web site at main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RelayForLifeSouthAtlanticDivision?pg=entry&fr_id=9348.

If you have a story you would like to share about your involvement in this year's event, please feel free to contact me.

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