AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
If ever there was a white glove event, Severna Park Community Center’s 25th Anniversary Drive-By Gala was it. Elegantly dressed, in keeping with the fundraiser’s “Hollywood Premier” theme, community center staffers, board members and volunteers greeted supporters who’d purchased Anniversary Gala dinner packages as they arrived in their cars.
The volunteers’ “white gloves” not only added the perfect touch of class to the event but were one of several COVID-19 precautions taken along with wearing masks and having supporters remain safely in their cars while picking up their dinner boxes.
CEO Sarah Elder, programs director Shelly Beigel, dance center director Kellie Greer and 18 others pitched in to make the event happen.
Beautifully turned out in silks, satins and pearls, Beigel and board member Patt Haun hailed each car as it entered the community center parking lot, greeted drivers and passengers and directed them around a circle where Greer and others sent them on to one of two Drive-By Stations to pick up their Anniversary Gala dinner boxes.
Haun and Beigel seemed pleased that the drive-by aspect of the fundraiser was going smoothly. They said the gala was going well with every dinner box ticket sold and an online auction/raffle continuing till midnight.
They admitted that switching from SPCC’s original plans for a glamorous 25th Anniversary event held in a hotel ballroom to a mostly online endeavor with a drive-by finale was challenging.
“Creativity has been the name of the game for 2020,” Beigel said. “We worked hard putting together the great dinner packages and coming up with the little touches you see here today.”
One such touch – taking place just below the outdoor stairway where Haun and Beigel were posted – was the appearance of the Arundel High School Jazz Band which serenaded attendees as they drove around the circle. Since the Severna Park Community Center draws visitors from throughout the county, band members considered performing there quite the feather in their caps.
“It’s the band’s first performance this year,” said Beigel. “They’re very happy about it.”
Automobiles heading around the circle past historic Holy Grounds were welcomed by greeters along a row of faux Oscar statuettes and a red carpet to their right.
Circling past historic Holy Grounds……. 
attendees were welcomed by greeters along the “red carpet” leading to the first Drive-By Station.
To their left, behind a rope line, was an impressive display of exotic cars with Dr. Diane Lebedeff, the board member who’d arranged the exhibit through a friend, upholding tradition by acting as “glamorous spokes model”
Opposite the autos, Drive-By Station #1 was manned by 25th Anniversary Gala honoree Lee Marston, wearing his signature orange paisley tuxedo jacket, former board member Larry Sells and volunteers Sylvia Marston and Joan Tiernan.
Back in 1966, Marston, Nancy Pascal, and Art Morris raised the funding and built the original outdoor pool for the Severna Park YMCA. The Y owned the pool and its small support building but Woods Church owned the land. Unfortunately, by the early 1990’s, the Y was failing financially..
“We had to figure out a way to save it,” Marston said. “That’s when the idea for a community center came up.”
In 1995, he and a group comprised of Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church members worked tirelessly to save the pool by building a new, modern community center around it.
Sells who’s just started a new company, Larry Sells Consulting, to help small businesses, is a longtime community center supporter and a former gala honoree. He explained that innovation became an absolute necessity when COVID-19 cancelled SPCC’s 25th anniversary celebration – a main fundraising event to have been held at the Hilton Hotel.
“Our goal was to raise $50,000 to continue paying down our mortgage,” he said. “The community was amazingly supportive and we sold 205 dinner boxes. Our online auction and sponsorship targets were met as well.”
Moving on toward Dive-By Station #2, Thomas Shade, acting the part of Clark Gable to Juliana Augustine’s Marilyn Monroe, waved from a red carpet at the community center’s main entrance. His mother, well-known community volunteer Jacq Shade, was on hand to help out too.
Thomas Shade, acting the part of Clark Gable, waved from the red carpet. Mom, Jacq Shade, peeked over his shoulder before helping elsewhere. 
Marilyn Monroe look-alike Juliana Augustine split her time between the red carpet and Drive-By Station #2. She loved playing a world-famous movie star.
At Drive-By Station #2, “Marilyn Monroe” joined volunteers Jean Andrew, Pam Henel, and Ellen Kleinknecht in handing out over 100 anniversary dinner boxes.
Drive-By Station #2 became exceedingly busy handing out 100 plus dinner boxes. 
Jean Andrew passed boxes in through the car window to a trio of happy Gala dinner box purchasers.
Kleinknecht, SPCC Board secretary, showed off one of the boxes which had labels emblazoned with the logos of companies that sponsored the event to the tune of $1,000 each. She explained that each box contained a split of champagne, a champagne flute, a special dessert and a gift certificate for $50 to one of a variety of local restaurants.
From the champagne and desserts to the gift certificates, everything in the boxes was donated by local restaurants, businesses and bakeries,
According to CEO Elder, the event was a huge success.
“We’ve tabulated all of our fundraising efforts including sponsors, tickets, raffle, and online auction,” she said on Monday. “We raised just shy of $50,000 and made our goal, which is the best news of all!”
Elder noted that there are more upcoming events for the community center.
This Friday, October 30, SPCC is holding a Halloween Parade for kids of all ages from 11 am to noon outdoors in the parking lot There will be treats, take-home crafts and selfies in front of a spooky backdrop. The event is free but reservations are required. Call 410-647-5843.
On Sunday December 6, the public is invited to SPCC’s 25th Anniversary Holiday Open House from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm: Held outside, there will be a strolling Santa, a fun backdrop for socially distanced selfies, carolers, hot chocolate, treats for kids, fun crafts an artisan marketplace and more. The event is free to the public.
The 25th Anniversary Spaghetti Dinner is being held February 13 from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the center’s Andy Borland Gymnasium. They’ll have both in-person and take-out dinners this year and family tables for eating in with lots of social distancing. Tickets are available at https://www.spcommunitycenter.org/.
