Calvert County’s 27th Annual Cancer Gala will be held on Thursday, August 7, from 7:30 to 10:00 p.m. at the Rod ‘N’ Reel Restaurant within the breathtaking in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland.
The gala, first organized 27 years ago by Rod ‘N’ Reel owner and Chesapeake Beach Mayor Gerald Donovan, is a celebration of life with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society for research, education and patient services. Last year, the event raised over $426,000 and to date combined earnings have reached over $3.4 million and continue to grow! Sponsorships are available from $500 to $25,000.
Proceeds from this event contribute to research, education, patient services and the fight against cancer through the Calvert County Unit of the American Cancer Society.
All attendees enjoy extravagant waterside dining, with a scrumptious seafood buffet including Maine lobsters, shrimp, oysters, clams, mussels, crabs and fresh fish as well as roasted pig, filet mignon, barbecue ribs, grilled chicken, steamship round, desserts galore and more. This year’s Gala promises to be another fun filled evening with an open bar, live music and dancing inside and outside.
The Cancer Gala will also feature lavish fruit and vegetable sculptures by Chef James Parker, owner and founder of Veggy Art and winner of the Food Network Challenge: Fantasy Fruit Sculpture REMATCH, recently held in Hawaii. Chef Parker will be recreating his winning piece for the event, which stands over 8 feet tall and features a shipwreck made of Malanga roots and a waterfall, as well as other intricate displays featuring the ancient and beautiful art of fruit and vegetable carving.
This year’s Honorary Chairs of the 27th Annual Cancer Crusade Gala, Pat & Bob Carpenter, reflect on the passion for their work: “This horrible disease has affected important members of our family and many others that we are close to. But, your generosity in years past and again this year will allow us to continue the fight to find a cure. Only with your support can we all make cancer a thing of the past.”
With funds raised through community events like the Calvert Gala, the American Cancer Society offers free programs and services for patients and their families, including:
• I Can Cope: provides education for people facing cancer either personally, or as a friend or family caregiver.
• Look Good… Feel Better: offers woman undergoing cancer treatment the opportunity to learn skin, hair and nail techniques to help improve their self-image.
• Man to Man: helps men and their families cope with prostate cancer by providing patient education, support, and awareness of prostate cancer as a major health concern for all men.
• Reach to Recovery: trained volunteers support and comfort patients before, during and after breast cancer treatment.
• Road to Recovery: volunteers assist cancer patients by providing transportation to and from treatment facilities.
• Wigs, Scarves and Turbans: are made available free of charge for cancer survivors who request them.
• Dietician of Call: provides a registered dietician with free telephone nutrition counseling to anyone touched by cancer. Information is personalized, questions answered, written materials sent and follow up is provided.
• College Scholarships: are available to any survivor of childhood cancer diagnosed before the age of 19.
• Patient Advocate: is a program that provides licensed clinical social workers to assist patients and families with more complex cancer related issues such as loss of income, lack of health insurance, locating community resources and assisting with the emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis.
Advance tickets are $125.00 per person and $150.00 the day of the event. Tickets may be purchased at any Calvert County Branch of PNC Banks (formerly Mercantile Southern Maryland Bank), the Rod ‘N’ Reel Restaurant, Stoney’s Seafood Houses, Ticket Master and the American Cancer Society. Transportation is available from select locations.
For more information, please call 301.855.8351 or visit
Don’t miss our FREE Breakfast with Santa for children ages 10 and under every Sunday in December (December 2nd, 9th, 16th & 23rd) at the Rod ‘N’ Reel Restaurant from 8 am to 1 pm.
Chef William Bednar, a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and also a Certified Executive Chef with the American Culinary Federation has created a special Thanksgiving menu that features not only all the traditional season’s favorites but also local specialties such as fresh crab, fish, and other seafood. 
