Oompa Loompas set up shop in the hallways of Building 430. Building 362 shimmered with holiday lights and glitzy casino décor. Someone pitched a tent in the Scientific Library. For the sixth straight year, the Recreation and Welfare Club’s Holiday Decorating Contest transformed parts of NCI at Frederick and the Frederick National Laboratory into whimsical scenes of festive cheer.
You probably receive a plethora of ads in your inbox that you delete before giving them a second thought. But if you take a closer look at some of them, you’ll discover that you’re passing up cookies, donuts, yoga, and fun Christmas and other events, among many other opportunities. That’s right—the Recreation and Welfare (R&W) Club, a group dedicated to the health and well-being of NCI at Frederick staff as well as the local community, hosts a variety of entertaining events.
Standing outside of Building 362, there was little to indicate anything out of the ordinary, but inside, a holiday mascot had run over Grandma with a golf cart. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, even though the wrecked cart and the crime-scene outline of Grandma’s body on the floor suggested otherwise. Nearby NCI at Frederick employees offered assurances that it was all in good fun. The unusual scene—a golf-themed nod to the Christmas song “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer”—was just one of the many creative decorations in the R&W Club Frederick’s Fifth Annual Holiday Decorating Contest.
Thirty-five costumed participants showed up at the Halloween 5k to burn off some calories from the Recreation and Welfare Club’s Krispy Kreme fundraiser. Characters including Alvin and the Chipmunks, a member of the Incredibles, Rich Uncle Pennybags, Spiderman, Black Panther, a spartan warrior, and a group of runaway brides walked and jogged around the course as the sun set behind the Appalachian Mountains.
More than three dozen participants showed up to walk, run, or hop along the Bunny Hop 4k course organized by the Recreation and Welfare (R&W) Club Frederick to benefit the Children’s Inn at NIH.
The 2017 holiday season brought cold temperatures and heated competition to NCI at Frederick as 14 groups faced off in the R&W Club of Frederick’s Fourth Annual Holiday Decorating Contest. Keeping with tradition, many of the competitors sought to outdo not just each other’s themed entries, but also their own decorations from previous years. Accordingly, this year’s themes ranged from childhood memories to local landscapes to the downright outlandish.
The trolls from “Frozen,” a North Pole tunnel, and a Christmas tree–shaped periodic table of elements were just a few of the decorations on display during the second annual Holiday Decorating Contest in December.
The contest, sponsored by the R&W Club Frederick, awarded prizes to three groups and two individuals whose decorations were judged based on visual impact, creativity, and craftsmanship.
Forty-four government and contractor employees, along with their friends and family members, took to the Maryland National Golf Club course this fall for a cause.
The R&W Club Frederick held its third annual golf tournament at the Middletown, Md., golf course on Sept. 14 to raise funds for The Children’s Inn at NIH, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. The Inn provides support and a home away from home for seriously ill children and their families receiving treatment at the NIH Clinical Center.
Through the tournament, the club raised approximately $1,500 for The Children’s Inn, according to Tanya Ransom, biologist, NCI Center for Cancer Research, and secretary of the R&W Club Frederick. She also coordinated the golf tournament. After the tournament, a silent auction of sports memorabilia and collectibles, sponsored by Great Moments, Frederick, was held, and a portion of the proceeds also went to the Inn.
A 1994 Ford Thunderbird, a 2006 Porsche 911-S, and a 1996 Chevy Camaro Z28 were just a few of the rides on display this summer at R&W Club Frederick’s second annual Car and Motorcycle Show.
“It’s a chance to raise money for a good cause,” said Geoff Seidel, one of the organizers of the event and program director for the Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, NCI Office of the Director. “You put money in the bucket [for] the car you like, and...
By Carolynne Keenan, Contributing Writer
Sewing enthusiasts of all skill levels are invited to attend a sewing party hosted by the R&W Club Frederick on Feb. 18. Stop by the Building 549 Café Room between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to sew for a cause: help the club make pillowcases for ConKerr Cancer, a nonprofit organization that supports children in hospitals across the country.
