(L-R) Community Foundation President Elizabeth Y. Day, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Edmond B. (Ted) Gregory, congratulate 2007 Wertheimer Fellows for Excellence in Volunteerism Grace and Edna Smith, Jeannine Milyard, Ruth and George Dredden, and Robert Ward.

Community Foundation Announces
2007 Wertheimer Fellows for Excellence in Volunteerism

September 6, 2007: The Community Foundation of Frederick County, the leading philanthropic organization in Frederick County dedicated to filling the needs of the community through grants and scholarships, is pleased to announce the 2007 Wertheimer Fellows for Excellence in Volunteerism: husband and wife George and Ruth Dredden of Frederick, sisters Grace and Edna Smith of Frederick, Robert Ward of Brunswick, and Jeannine Milyard of Walkersville.

The Wertheimer Fellows for Excellence in Volunteerism is a Community Foundation initiative launched in 2003 to honor the memory of Janis Miller Wertheimer, a well-known Frederick County resident whose generosity and volunteerism were legendary. The late Mrs. Wertheimer bequeathed the greater portion of her estate to the Community Foundation for the creation of two permanent funds. The Wertheimer Fellows for Excellence in Volunteerism are made possible through the generosity of one of those funds, The Janis Miller Wertheimer Endowment Fund.

The Community Foundation’s Wertheimer Fellows are remarkable people who generously give of their time, energy, and special talents to make a profound difference in the lives of others by volunteering through sweat equity rather than financial capital. Wertheimer Fellows each receive $10,000 to start a new fund, or add to an existing fund at the Community Foundation for a charitable cause or nonprofit of their choice.

Married for 53 years, George and Ruth Dredden have been mentors, leaders, and motivators for numerous individuals and organizations throughout Frederick County, both individually and as a couple. Their selfless service to the Frederick County community includes volunteering with St. John’s Roman Catholic Church, The Community Foundation of Frederick County, Frederick Community College, Frederick Memorial Hospital, Rotary Club of Frederick, Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, Record Street Home, Episcopal Ministries to the Aging, Frederick County Planning Commission, the Business Advisory Council of the Frederick County Office of Economic Development, the Negro Business and Professional Women’s Club, and Catholic Daughter’s Court of Elizabeth Ann Seton. The Dreddens will use their Wertheimer Award to create The George and Ruth Dredden Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation to support Frederick County residents pursuing a post-secondary education at the setting of their choice.

Raised in Middletown and now residing in Frederick, sisters Grace and Edna Smith have not only volunteered for many years with the Frederick Church of the Brethren, but have also volunteered to help the homeless at the Alan P. Linton, Jr. Emergency Cold Weather Shelter and the elderly and disabled at Partners in Care. They have served the community by volunteering with the Middletown Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary, the Arthritis Foundation, the Salvation Army Angel Tree, the Red Cross, and the Fort Detrick Armed Forces Days Carnival. Grace and Edna Smith will use their Wertheimer Fellow Award to establish The Partners in Care Fund at the Community Foundation to help older and disabled adults remain independent in their own homes.

With his enthusiasm for helping others, Brunswick resident Robert F. Ward is considered by many to be a volunteer’s volunteer. Mr. Ward has been a Scoutmaster and Assistant for Brunswick Boy Scouts Troop 277 for 30 years, a coach and organizer for Brunswick Junior Railroaders Football for 25 years, President of the Brunswick Area Recreation Council for 11 years, and softball coach and organizer for Potomac Valley Youth Association for four years. He has also found time to volunteer with many other organizations including Brunswick Main Street for downtown revitalization. With his Wertheimer Fellow Award, Robert Ward will create The Brunswick Boy Scouts Troop 277 Fund to send Boy Scouts to camp and to purchase materials for the Troop.

Walkersville resident, Jeannine Milyard, has dedicated her life to children with disabilities. An employee of Rock Creek School for nearly 30 years, her dedication to children with disabilities goes well beyond her career. She is an active volunteer with The Believer’s Club, a private travel club assisting families of those with disabilities in the demanding day-to-day physical logistics of going on a family vacation. Determining a destination, planning the trip, coordinating fundraisers and actually taking her own time to help out on trips has proven that she has a selfless commitment to children with disabilities and has resulted in an additional recognition by the Community Foundation in awarding an unprecedented fourth Wertheimer Award for Excellence in Volunteerism this year. Jeannine Milyard will use the $10,000 Wertheimer Award to establish The Believer’s Club Fund at the Community Foundation to assist children with special needs and their parents with support on special Club trips.

The 2007 Wertheimer Fellows, selected through a screening process among several nominations, follow in the footsteps of previous Wertheimer Fellows, including the late William O. Lee, Jr., Viola M. Noffsinger, and Gail A. Wood recognized in 2003; Elizabeth J. Brady, Charlotte and Charles Glick, and Richard Markey recognized in 2004; Lawrence A. "Tommy" Dorsey, Sandy Cox and Dennis Cannon recognized in 2005; and Cecilia Bach, Marlene England, and Jane and Charles Smith recognized in 2006.

Additional information about the 2007 Wertheimer Fellows is available in the September 2007 issue of Frederick Magazine.

George and Ruth Dredden, Grace and Edna Smith, Robert Ward, and Jeannine Milyard will be officially honored as the 2007 Wertheimer Fellows for Excellence in Volunteerism with a plaque presentation at the Community Foundation’s 21st Annual Report to the Community on November 13, 2007, beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Frederick Holiday Inn and Conference Center near the Francis Scott Key Mall. Video vignettes on the Wertheimer Fellows will also be unveiled at that time, courtesy of NBC 25. Those interested in attending the annual meeting and learning more about the Community Foundation or the Wertheimer Fellows for Excellence in Volunteerism may call 301.695.7660.

Contributions to any of the funds created or supported by the 2007 Wertheimer Fellows are accepted at any time in any amount. Checks may be made payable and mailed to The Community Foundation of Frederick County, 312 East Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701. Insert the specific fund’s name in the check’s memo line. Contributions may also be made online: The George and Ruth Dredden Scholarship Fund, The Partners in Care Fund, The Brunswick Boy Scouts Troop 277 Fund, and The Believer's Club Fund. Additional information is also available by calling the Community Foundation’s office at 301.695.7660. All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.