Picnic and Bazaar to offer fried chicken, fresh produce and fun for 98th year –

by Terri Hogan
Senior Staff Writer
The Women’s Board Annual Picnic and Bazaar, a community tradition nearly a century in the making and one that represents small-town America at its finest, will return on July 24.
The highly anticipated summer event will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the thrift shop grounds, Olney-Sandy Spring Road in Olney.
Women’s Board members Dee Hawkins and Christine Hill-Wilson will again chair the event.
Hawkins says the board is continuing its partnerships with other local organizations to help, including Project Change, Lions Clubs, the Sandy Spring Museum Garden Club and Good Earth.
“That is the way it should be — we are all working for the same cause, our community hospital,” she said.
All of the favorite parts of the Picnic and Bazaar will return, as it seems to do just fine the way it is, Hawkins said.
“It has become an Olney summertime tradition,” she said. “We have found something that works, that people enjoy coming to.”
The 98th annual Picnic and Bazaar features something for everyone, headlined by the mouthwatering fried chicken made from the same secret recipe used for decades.
Hawkins said more than 4,000 pounds of chicken have been ordered, along with nearly 3,000 ears of corn.
Kiddie Land will offer games and activities for children. The Used Book sale will offer thousands of titles at bargain prices.
Other booths will offer fresh produce, baked goods, collectibles, plants, stuffed animals, jewelry and framed art.
The opening ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Throughout the day there will be performances by musicians, dance and martial arts programs, and a dramatization of FDR’s “Declaration of War” performed by Delmas Wood and Susan Philips, concluding with a performance by the Olney Concert Band.
This year’s raffle prizes include two tickets to see “Hamilton” at the Kennedy Center, four tickets to Waredaca Brewing Company’s True Brew trail ride, a $200 Visa gift card and a $100 Visa gift card. Tickets are $5 each or seven for $25 and can be purchased at the event or in advance at the hospital gift shop. The drawing will be held at 6:45 p.m.
The Women’s Board has been in operation since 1919. It is a volunteer service organization of more than 100 members that raises funds to benefit the hospital and a scholarship fund through operating the gift shop, the thrift shop, and annual events including the Picnic and Bazaar and Gifts of Light.
The Women’s Board is raising funds towards its $1.5 million pledge for the renovation of the hospital lobby. Hawkins said the board has fulfilled more than 50 percent of the pledge.
The organization recently awarded 61 scholarships totaling $80,000 for students pursuing a career in health care. (See story on page 12.)
“We are proud to continue the tradition of hosting the 98th annual Women’s Board Picnic and Bazaar,” said T.J. Senker, president of MedStar Montgomery Medical Center.
The board had reported that a record number of people attended the 97th annual Picnic and Bazaar last year.