Because service to humanity is the best work of life!

For the past 12 months, the Salisbury Jaycees have made a difference in the lives of thousands in the Wicomico County community and beyond. Here’s a look back at some of the projects and events that helped make 2011 a great year to be a Jaycee.

Community
From March to December, the Jaycees:

• Distributed free books to some 50 children during Wicomico County’s only countywide Read Across America program;
• Sponsored a birthday party for residents of Deer’s Head Hospital;
• Participated in the Fruitland Easter Parade;
• Co-hosted Safe Kids Day with Safe Kids Lower Shore of Maryland;
• Handed out goodies during the National Night Out crime prevention initiative;
• Co-hosted the second annual Salisbury Super Soapbox Spectacular;
• Raised thousands of dollars for cancer research during Relay For Life, including winning the second annual Great Clue Caper;
• Provided a safe trick-or-treating venue for some 450 children during Treat Street;
• Helped some 200 children purchase gifts at no cost to them or their families during the Children’s Christmas Shopping Tour;
• Donated to area food banks; and
• Volunteered at events including the First Baptist Church of Fruitland’s annual community Thanksgiving dinner.

Management
Beginning in April, the chapter:

• Fundraised by participating in Wicomico County’s Pork in the Park barbecue festival (where some members also served as barbecue judges) and the annual Salisbury Festival;
• Held the largest-ever Soft Shell Metric Century bike ride; and
• Delivered Santa Claus to town before a crowd of thousands during the Jaycees’ 64th annual Salisbury Christmas Parade.

Membership & Individual Development
Throughout the year, the Jaycees:

• Visited more than a dozen venues during its happy hour and Restaurant of the Month series;
• Continued popular annual events such as Murder Mystery Night, Sushi Night, the Super Bowl social, the chapter’s crab feast and the pre-Thanksgiving dinner;
• Hosted new and revamped events such as Minute to Win It, the Pajama Jammy Jam and geocaching to expand the Jaycees’ social offerings;
• Visited Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., as part of the chapter's Day Trips Series; and
• Sponsored a weekly Greene Turtle trivia team, which won hundreds of dollars in free food!

State & National
The Salisbury Jaycees earned high accolades in 2011, including:

• Earning the Maryland Jaycees’ Henry S. Giessenbier Memorial Award as the state’s No. 1 chapter;
• Inducting chapter member Jason Rhodes into the Maryland Jaycees Militia (the state’s highest member honor) and presenting aged-out members Buddy Brooks and Tracy Kelly with honorary lifetime chapter memberships; and
• Being honored as one of the U.S. Junior Chamber’s top 25 chapters in the nation with the Charles Kulp Jr. Memorial Award.

Want to join in the fun in 2012? Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.