17th Annual Health Share Holiday Home Tour

Looking for an excellent way to get into the holiday spirit and do a bit of good for our community at the same time? Mark your calendar for December 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., to attend the Holiday Home Tour for the benefit of Health Share of St. Mary’s. This year’s tour will feature seven elegant homes in the Medley’s Neck area of Leonardtown decked out for the holiday season. Homeowners welcome guests into their homes to enjoy interesting architecture, light refreshments and, of course, holiday décor!

Each year, Health Share selects an area of St. Mary’s County for the tour. “The houses are all different and we encourage everyone to really decorate,” says Ann Bell, co-chair of the event and member of the Health Share board. Lucy Barbour, also a co-chair and board member, adds, “Sometimes people decorate in the theme of the house. They might do nautical things on the water; or a farm might do country types of decorations.”

Tour brochures listing the location of each house, along with a description, are now available. The homes are all located within five miles of each other and will be clearly marked with signs along the roadway. As in the past, Kevin Thompson of Thompson’s Corner Kafe will provide boxed lunches for purchase at one of the homes on the tour. Previous offerings have included crab cakes, stuffed ham and turkey.

Last year, the event raised $16,000. That money goes towards Health Share’s mission of providing health care to low-income individuals in St. Mary’s County. According to Bell, Health Share has over 2,200 clients. “It’s available for people who are underinsured, who are working but maybe don’t have insurance. They fall through the cracks and don’t qualify for other programs,” she says. Participants apply through the Department of Social Services and are screened for eligibility. Several doctors in the area give discounted rates, and Health Share pays for prescriptions and some co-pays. The St. Mary’s County Department of Health and St. Mary’s Hospital also play a big role. ✦

The cost of the tour is $10 per home or $50 for all seven homes. Advance tickets are available at Community Bank of Tri-County and PNC Bank (both locations) in Leonardtown, Cedar Point Federal Credit Union at various locations, Traditions of Loveville in Loveville, and The Apple Basket in Mechanicsville. In addition to the advance sales, tickets are also available at the door of each home on the tour. All purchases are tax deductible. For more information, call Lucy Barbour at 301-904-9914. You can also find Health Share of St. Mary’s on Facebook.