Marietta’s Free Community Day

By STACEY HAWKINS
Marietta House Museum

Please join us with family, friends, and neighbors on Saturday, May 3, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. for our free Community Day featuring Maryland’s horse culture. Marietta House Museum will commemorate the Black men responsible for horses in 19th century Maryland with a host of activities. Poet Marcia E. Cole will read her original poem about enslaved horseman Randolph Jackson at the on-site Tack House. At 1 p.m., be sure to attend curator Karen Holl’s presentation, “Black Horsemen: Stronger Horse, Stronger Nation.”

Enjoy tours, games, children’s crafts, the public opening of the original Tack House, a free photo booth, animal encounters brought to Marietta from Clearwater Nature Center, quilts from the Uhuru Quilters Guild, and hands-on archaeology table with interesting artifacts and horse related items. May 3 is also the official season opening of Marietta’s Saturday Farmer’s Market featuring food trucks, fresh produce, herbs, and more.

Free program. Ages 6 & up. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Walk-ins are welcome. Registration is not required, but for those who would like to register, please register at www.pgparks.com and use the ticket code: MHMSPEC-GA-20250517

Marietta House Museum is located at 5626 Bell Station Road, Glenn Dale, MD. 20769 and is a property of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

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MedStar Health Kicks Off PG Healthy Start Program at Second-Annual Community Baby Shower and Resource Fair
The new program offers life-saving maternal healthcare and resources to new moms and families living in Prince George’s County.

By PRESS OFFICER
MedStar Health

CLINTON, Md. (April 16, 2025)—A first-time program aiming to significantly reduce infant mortality and improve maternal health is now available to patients in Prince George’s County. MedStar Health launched PG Healthy Start at the second-annual Community Baby Shower and Resource Fair held Saturday, April 12 at Clinton Baptist Church.

In Prince George’s, the maternal mortality rate is 50% above the national average and 40% above the average in Maryland. Currently, only about 55% of women in the county receive prenatal healthcare.

PG Healthy Start expands access to comprehensive healthcare, education, and support services to new and expecting families that enroll in the program through MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center. Needs addressed during pregnancy and for up to two years postpartum include:

• Lactation consulting

• Postpartum care

• Safe sleep training

• Food & diaper insecurity

• Housing instability
 
• Utility assistance

• Transportation needs

• WIC and SNAP referral

• Family advocacy

• Support groups

• And much more

PG Healthy Start is not only for mothers, but also for fathers and caregivers who play important roles in raising a child.

“Statistics show that we need to do better for our new mothers and families in Prince George’s County,” said Stephen T. Michaels, MD, FACHE, president of MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center. “As a healthcare leader in the county, we are leading the charge by launching PG Healthy Start; a remarkable program that aligns perfectly with MedStar Health’s mission of caring for our patients, those who care for them, and our communities.”

MedStar Southern Maryland enrolled dozens of new PG Healthy Start members at this year’s Community Baby Shower and Resource Fair, held in partnership between the hospital and Clinton Baptist. Hundreds of people joined this year’s fun and festive celebration of motherhood and parenthood, a strong follow-up to last year’s very successful inaugural event.

“Coming into this year, following the success of last year’s event, we are striving to do bigger and bigger things, offering more support for new and expecting parents,” said Pastor Colin Pugh II of Clinton Baptist Church. “Now with the PG Healthy Start Program, families have even more opportunities to connect with local organizations, explore baby essentials, and participate in valuable workshops. I am thankful for our partnership and am excited to serve and love our community with the love of Jesus Christ. We grow, we serve, we love!”

“We are so thrilled with the success of the Community Baby Shower, which was grown from the ground up through the passion and commitment of our Community Health team,” said Chile Ahaghotu, MD, FACS, vice president of Medical Affairs at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center. “We can’t wait to see where this event, this partnership, and the PG Healthy Start program goes in the future.”

At the shower, more than 30 non-profits and community organizations shared resources covering lactation support, health care, education, finances, relationship support, and more. Nurses from MedStar Southern Maryland conducted blood pressure screenings, blood sugar checks, and answered questions. In exchange for engaging with the available resources, guests received donated diapers, wipes, and other essentials at no cost. Larger items like pack and play cribs, strollers, and car sears were raffled off.

New this year, speakers representing PG Healthy Start partner organizations held Q&A sessions to share helpful advice about car seat safety, nutrition, and fatherhood support.

If you are a resident of Prince George’s or Waldorf and are interested in enrolling in PG Healthy Start, please contact PGHealthyStart@medstar.net or call 301-235-3410.

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Free Cinco De Mayo Lyft Rides Offered Throughout Greater Washington to Prevent Drunk Driving
Over a third of U.S. traffic deaths on Cinco De Mayo involve drunk drivers

By PRESS OFFICER
WRAP

TYSONS, Va. (April 21, 2025)—Preparing to combat that time of year when, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over a third (34%) of U.S. traffic deaths involve drunk drivers,* a local nonprofit organization announced today that free safe rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout the Washington-metropolitan area during next month’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

Offered by the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP), the 2025 Cinco de Mayo SoberRide® program will be in operation beginning at 4 p.m. Monday, May 5 (Cinco de Mayo) and operate until 4 a.m. on Tuesday, May 6 as a way to keep local roads safe from impaired drivers during this traditional high-risk period.

During this twelve-hour period, area residents ages 21 and older celebrating with alcohol may download the Lyft app to their phones then enter the SoberRide® code in the app’s ‘Payment’ tab (under the ‘Add Lyft Pass’ option) to receive their no-cost (up to $15) safe transportation home. WRAP’s 2025 Cinco de Mayo
 
SoberRide® promo code will be posted at 3 p.m. on Monday, May 5 on www.SoberRide.com.

“Over a third of U.S. traffic fatalities during Cinco de Mayo involve drunk drivers according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,” said Kurt Erickson, WRAP’s President.

WRAP also offers its SoberRide® program on the Super Bowl, St. Patrick’s Day, Independence Day, Halloween and the winter holidays through and including New Year’s.

“Lyft is dedicated to providing access to reliable and responsible rides, and we’re proud to partner with programs like WRAP to offer Lyft as an alternative to impaired driving,” said Kamillah Wood, Director of Public Policy for Community Safety at Lyft. “Through our Roadway Safety Program and our partnerships with the public, we hope to empower our community with the tools to protect themselves and those around them this holiday season.”

SoberRide® is offered throughout Lyft’s Washington D.C. coverage area which includes all or parts of: the District of Columbia; the Maryland counties of Montgomery and Prince George’s and towns therein plus the cities of Bowie, College Park, District Heights, Gaithersburg, Glenarden, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Laurel, Mount Ranier, New Carrollton, Rockville, Seat Pleasant and Takoma Park; and the Northern Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William and towns therein plus the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.

Sponsors of WRAP’s 2025 Cinco de Mayo SoberRide® campaign include the 395 Express Lanes, Anheuser-Busch, Beer Institute, Brown-Forman, Chesapeake Region Safety Council, Constellation Brands, Diageo, District of Columbia Association of Beverage Alcohol Wholesalers, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Foundation of Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, Giant Food, Glory Days Grill, Lyft, Molson Coors Beverage Company, New Belgium Brewing, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington and the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association. WRAP’s 2025 Public Partner SoberRide® sponsors include the District of Columbia Highway Safety Office, Maryland Highway Safety Office/Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration and Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

Since 1991, WRAP’s SoberRide® program has provided 94,669 free safe rides home to would-be drunk drivers in the Greater Washington area.

Founded in 1982, the nonprofit [501(c)(3)] Washington Regional Program (WRAP)is an award-winning public-private partnership working to prevent drunk driving and underage drinking in the Washington-metropolitan area. Through public education, innovative health education programs and advocacy, WRAP is
 
credited with helping to keep the annual percentage of metro-Washington traffic deaths involving alcohol-impaired driving historically lower than the national average. WRAP, however, may best be known to area residents via the organization’s popular free safe ride service to prevent drunk driving, SoberRide®.

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