2022 Birdland Community Heroes

We honor children who are currently fighting life-long illnesses and conditions, including cancer, as this month’s Birdland Community Heroes in recognition of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.

The Baltimore Orioles are in awe of these children’s inspiring fight and their families who support them. Joining us at the game on Sunday, September 25 were children being treated at University of Maryland Children’s Hospital and The Herman & Walter Samuelson Children’s Hospital at Sinai, along with their families. We also welcomed children from The Brett Boyer Foundation who are being treated at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, along with their families. The Orioles Charitable Foundation will make a donation to these organizations in honor of their work to support children who are fighting life-long illnesses and conditions.

A member of the Baltimore City Police Department, Raul Rivera is an active member of the southeast community, primarily focusing on youth outreach and promoting violence prevention. Each year, Rivera mentors dozens of local youth as part of the Baltimore Police Explorer program. He has used his platform to start an initiative to bring young people of different ethnic backgrounds together to train at the Southeast Baltimore Police Department, giving them the opportunity to interact and create unique bonds with one another. Rivera is also an active volunteer within Patterson High School. He has used his bilingual ability to help the Hispanic Community in southeast Baltimore learn to see the Baltimore Police Department as a resource, in turn helping to prevent violence.

We celebrate and honor our Birdland Community Hero, Steff DiMartine, a volunteer with Special Olympics Delaware. DiMartine makes a difference wherever she goes. She is a bowling, bocce, and basketball Special Olympics coach. She has also helped fundraise more than $100,000 over ten years for Special Olympics. Her loud and fabulous voice speaks for her and the population of adults and children with disabilities whose voices are overlooked. She was the 2018 Volunteer of the Year for Special Olympics, the Game Changer Award from the Delaware Women in sport association in 2019, and received the Governors Volunteer Service Award in 2021. In honor of her recognition, the Orioles Charitable Foundation will make a $5,000 donation to Special Olympics Delaware.

Today, we celebrate and honor our Birdland Community Hero, Brian Holcomb-McMahon (he/him), A Rainbow Representative at Talbott Springs Elementary School in Columbia, Md. Holcomb-McMahon has provided more LGBTQIA+ events and communication for families, installed a Rainbow Library, and has been a visible ally for students. Holcomb-McMahon is currently working to help Talbott Springs Elementary become a Rainbow Ribbon School, a school that is an outstanding supporter of LGBTQIA+ students. A member of the HCPSS LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee, Holcomb-McMahon is also collaborating on an Affinity Group Toolkit that will be distributed to all Rainbow Representatives at the start of the 2022-23 school year. In honor of his recognition, the Orioles Charitable Foundation will make a $5,000 donation to The Trevor Project, an organization that focuses on suicide prevention in LGBTQ+ youth.

A Chambersburg, Pa., resident, Wagner, will be honored as the Birdland Community Hero. The 98-year-old has served her community extensively for the past 80 years as a foster mother, poll worker, hospital volunteer, and Sunday school teacher. Known as Chambersburg’s biggest O’s fan, Wagner has organized numerous bus trips from Pennsylvania to Oriole Park for local nursing homes. In honor of her recognition, the Orioles Charitable Foundation will make a $5,000 donation to the American Cancer Society.

Richard began volunteering as a delivery driver for Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland (MOWCM) in the Woodlawn area on November 30th, 1983, while he was working for social security. After retiring on December 31st, 1999, Richard wanted to continue delivering meals with MOWCM and requested to be moved to a site closer to his home in Perry Hall. He has now been a volunteer for over 38 years. Richard fondly remembers delivering to a diversity of clients over the years, and recalls getting to know World War II Veterans (one of which was near Bastogne in 1944, and another who was on Normandy on D-Day). Richard was honored to hear their stories and felt a special connection as he is also a Veteran. Richard has enjoyed volunteering every Wednesday, and it has become an ingrained part of his week.

Over 30 years ago, Pam was living in Reisterstown and attending a local church. She had always enjoyed serving the community, and a Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland volunteer ad in her church’s weekly bulletin stood out. She decided to sign up and called her sister, Kathi, right away. 32 years later, sisters Pam and Kathi, continue volunteering together, bringing their children- and now grandchildren into the work as well!

In 1987, Stephanie moved to Harford County, Maryland from Ohio. When she was living in Ohio, she was involved in a meals on wheels type program through her church. As Stephanie became more involved in her children’s school, she met another parent whose mom, Lee Cronin, was greatly involved in Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland’s Harford County routes. Stephanie was immediately interested due to her past volunteering and started delivering with her neighbor in 1988. Though the neighbor eventually had to stop, Stephanie kept going and is still delivering in Harford County 34 years later.