Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines - Ocean City

by Dave Landis

MCE Speaks to Kiwanis Club. Pictured (R to L) are Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines - Ocean City President Mike Morton and guest speaker Christan McIntyre, Training Coordinator for Salisbury based Maryland Capital Enterprises (MCE), "a private nonprofit that empowers business to grow, create jobs and generate wealth on Maryland's Eastern Shore and across the state. Offering businesses access to the resources they need to start or grow their business: business loans, business education and business consulting."

Kiwanis Welcomes Two New Members. It was a great day for the Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines - Ocean City as it welcomed two new members. Pictured (L - R) are new member Carolyn Dryzga, Kiwanis Club Membership Chair Pat Winkelmayer as she performs the ceremony, new member Jackie Todd and Kiwanian Peg Morton who sponsored both. The Kiwanis mission of "Serving the Children of the World" plus the other community service projects were a fit for both women. Carolyn Dryzga comes from a strong military family. Her father retired after 30 years in the US Army as a Lt. Colonel having served in WW II, Korea, and Vietnam. Carolyn married a West Point graduate who became a USMC officer and Vietnam veteran. Now divorced, they still share a longstanding friendship as the parents of two children, both graduates from Penn State. Her daughter is a stay-at-home mother raising two children. Her son is a Lt. Colonel in the Marine Corps who will be assuming command of his own squadron HLMA267 of over 500 Marines in San Diego, CA in May 2012. She's now retired in Ocean Pines having been a administrative and marketing manager for over 20 years with an international human resource firm. She and Jackie Todd, her best friend for over 40 years have a small home-craft business together. Carolyn also loves gardening, tennis and volunteering with organizations that support children, fund breast cancer research and support our veterans. Jackie Todd is a native Pennsylvanian who lived in California where she had a daughter Lisa who now lives in Bucks County with her husband Mike and whose children lovingly refer to their grandmother as Mimi. Jackie moved back to the East Coast as a single parent living in Bucks County and held high level management jobs with an international oil company and then as an Administrative Director for several multinational law firms. She retired to Ocean Pines where her brother John and best friend of 40 years, Carolyn Dryzga, also live. She actively supports Believe in Tomorrow/Children's House By the Sea in Ocean City, breast cancer projects, supporting our troops, and serves on the Board of the Ocean Pines Players theatrical company. She and Carolyn share many interests as well as the small business they have together and now as members of Kiwanis.

Kiwanis Hears Important Message from Women Supporting Women. Pictured is Virginia "Ginny" Reister of the Berlin, MD office of Women Supporting Women, a community service organization that supports women with Breast Cancer as she addresses the members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines - Ocean City. Kiwanis President Mike Morton is on the left. On the table in front of Ginny are the pink Information Tote Bag given to patients and a pink and a blue Piglet Pillow which women use after surgery for support under the armpit of the area of the operation. WSW was founded in 1993 in Salisbury, Maryland by three women. It now also has two more offices, namely Berlin and Crisfield. They offer Awareness, Education and Support for breast cancer patients. All services are free as they are funded by donations from the community which go back to the community. Ginny advise that about 1% of men also suffer from breast cancer. Also, on the Eastern Shore the incidence of breast cancer is still on the rise. For more information go to www.womensupportingwoemn.org or call the Berlin office at 410-641-2849 or Salisbury office at 410-548-7880. Fore-warned is fore-armed.

Kiwanis to Hold Winter Pancake Breakfast. It may be winter, but don't just hibernate! Get up and get out on Saturday February 11, 2012 for the Kiwanis Annual Winter Pancake Breakfast at the Ocean Pines Community Center from 8 AM until 11 AM to benefit local youth of the community. The price remains a most reasonable $5 for adults, $3 for Children under 12, and Children under 5 are free. Enjoy pancakes, sausages, fruit cup, orange juice, coffee and tea. There is also milk for the kids. Carry-outs are available and tickets can either be pre-purchased or at the door. For information or tickets call 410-208-6719.