Thankful Giving Fall Appeal

In 2009, Asbury~Solomons Island resident Margaret Hayes brought an idea to the Asbury~Solomons Foundation office.  In an effort to support the Asbury Foundation AND create an activity to spread cheer to the residents and associates in our community, she developed the Thankful Giving Celebration.  In conjunction with the Foundation’s annual Fall Appeal, the Thankful Giving Celebration would be a way for residents to honor other residents and associates with a message of thanks.  It was a simple concept:  take a moment to write down a “thank you” message to someone and honor that message with a gift to the Foundation.

Would it work?  No one knew, but the community was willing to try, building a small tree and placing it in the lobby.  As honors came in, a leaf bearing the name of the person honored was placed on the tree.  In no time at all, the tree was no longer bare!  It filled quickly and a branch was actually added as the original tree ran out of space.  Tributes included thanks for delivering newspapers, thanks for supporting others in their times of need, thanks for helping repair furniture, thanks for being such a special friend, thanks for taking time to visit, and much more.  Each person who was honored was sent a letter which shared the entire tribute written by their “thankful friend.”

The celebration was a HUGE hit!  There were many smiles, thousands of dollars raised for the Asbury~Solomons Benevolent Care Fund, and created another wonderful annual event which makes Asbury~Solomons such a special place.