Volunteers

More than 100 gloved volunteers, some in boots and others in waist-high waders, streamed along narrow paths and historic sea walls Saturday in a secluded nook of wetlands just south of Fort McHenry, their eyes scanning for trash or the perfect spot to plant a sapling. The volunteer cleanup and tree-planting event mostly centered on collecting garbage and removing large pieces of driftwood smothering growth areas for grasses. But from time to time, a more novel item turned up. "Here's a tennis ball," said Gail Hoffer, 48, a volunteer from Elkridge, who decided to join the cleanup after getting an email about it from the National Aquarium in Baltimore , where she's a member.

Annapolis Wine Expo The Annapolis Wine Expo will be held from noon to 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, and volunteers are needed for each session. Each volunteer will receive a free ticket, free on-site parking, a souvenir wine or beer glass, bottled water and a gift. Information: email Julie Scott at juscott10@gmail.com or go to annapoliswineexpo.com. Arundel Public Library The library seeks a volunteer, 16 or older, to assist with scanning a large archive of historical library photographs and clippings, uploading the images to Flickr and entering any data written on the photos.

Annual luncheon The Audrey Robbins Humanitarian Awards Luncheon, at which the Association of Community Services of Howard County honors volunteers and staff for their service to the community, will be held at noon Friday, May 3 at the Ten Oaks Ballroom, 5000 Signal Bell Lane in Clarksville. For tickets and information, go to acshoco.org. Gardening volunteers The Howard County Conservancy seeks Wednesday morning drop-in gardening volunteers, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, to help maintain its thematic and native plant gardens.

Teamwork is the special sauce of success in any organization. Without it, there would have been no Super Bowl parade for the Ravens on Pratt Street and no renewed buzz about the Orioles' building on last season's remarkable progress. At a broader level, teamwork improves lives and community conditions for all. At United Way of Central Maryland, our mantra is "Give. Advocate. Volunteer. " This week, we celebrate National Volunteer Week, and I ask everyone to join me in thanking the thousands of volunteers across our region who gave of their time last year to improve the lives of others.

In a pair of working gloves with the Ravens logo emblazoned on the front, San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee painted broad brush strokes at a West Baltimore police station Friday to make good on a bet. Had the Ravens lost to the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake would have traveled to the West Coast to complete a day of service, which was the wager she and Lee made on the February game. "I think San Francisco is a lovely city, but I am glad I did not have to go there in payment of a debt," said Rawlings-Blake, who traded in her signature high heels for a pair of wedge booties for the day of activities.

When officials in Washington evaluate the consequences of the sequester, Tiara Bland wants them to consider the sixth-grade girls at Mother Seton Academy. Bland, a 22-year-old AmeriCorps member at the Baltimore academy for low-income children, said the decision by government leaders to impose across-the-board spending cuts will shortchange the urban youths who turn to her for advice on math problems and life. Bland, who aspires to be a school psychologist, is one of 17 AmeriCorps members performing education and literacy work in Baltimore for the Notre Dame Mission Volunteers.

Thank you to all of Catonsville for helping make the 12th annual Catonsville Middle School fundraiser a success. It was a success, thanks to support from the community and a core group of dedicated volunteers, some who have children in the school but many who do not. Local businesses donating manpower and equipment is the backbone of this operation. The volunteers would not have moved 14 tractor-trailers worth of mulch without their support. We would like to thank the following businesses: John Giles of Knockorp, ABC Rentals, Wall to Wall construction/remodeling, 21st Century Solar and Electricity, Build Source, Woodland Landscaping, NDX and Enterprise Rentals.

Mavis S. "Sherry" Sheedy, a retired Baltimore public schools art teacher and longtime museum docent, died April 4 of congestive heart failure at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster. The Reisterstown resident was 74. The daughter of a civil engineer and a registered nurse, Mavis Sherron Grantham was born and raised in Whitney, Texas, where she graduated in 1956 from Whitney High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in 1960 in Spanish from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and later earned a master's degree in art education from Towson University.