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There are numerous coat and toy drives throughout the Hyattsville and Port Towns communities, giving residents a chance to help those in need as winter approaches.

The town of Bladensburg is asking residents and community organizations to send them names of children to receive toys as part of the town's Toys for Tots toy drive. About 100 children will be selected to receive toys. Call Town Hall at 301-927-7048.

The Bladensburg Pastoral Lay Council is holding a warm clothes drive until Dec. 17. Donate new or slightly worn coats, gloves, hats and scarves at Town Hall, located at 4229 Edmonston Road. The clothing will be distributed on Dec. 18 to schools and other locations throughout Bladensburg.

Shoppers at the Mall at Prince George's in Hyattsville can donate pajamas and books for children during a national campaign, Operation PJ Pile Up. The campaign ends on Dec. 31, but on Nov. 28, also known as Black Friday, the mall will give out incentives to shoppers who donate pajamas.

The seventh annual Sonny Frazier Toy Drive has begun in the city of Hyattsville and will run until Dec. 9.

The drive benefits needy children living in Hyattsville. Residents can donate toys by placing them in boxes located at four locations: Safeway at 3511 Hamilton St.; CVS Pharmacy at the intersection of Belcrest Road and East West Highway; Hyattsville Elementary School at 5311 43rd Ave.; and the Hyattsville Municipal Center at 4310 Gallatin St.

Elementary schools within the city will select the children who will receive toys from this year's drive. The children will also be invited to a Christmas party, where they will meet Santa Claus.

One Hyattsville couple is also asking residents to donate items for their upcoming Christmas trip to Walter Reed Medical Center, when they will distribute gift boxes full of goods to veterans in the hospital's amputee ward. Call Milton McGehee at 301-559-0864.

Area resident competes

for Miss Maryland

Bladensburg native Tia Goodson competed for the title of Miss Maryland USA 2009 on the weekend of Nov. 7.

The statewide pageant was held at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. Goodson, 25, was the only Port Towns resident who competed.

Riverdale Thanksgiving Market

Riverdale Park Farmers Market is holding its first ever Thanksgiving Market today from 3 to 7 p.m. at 4650 Queensbury Road.

The market will give shoppers a chance to stock up on Thanksgiving goods a week before the holiday arrives, including organic turkeys, eggs, duck, lamb, caramels, chocolate bark, special holiday coffee blends, sausages and flower wreaths. There will also be fall decorations, a football toss and live music.

Looking for singers to spread holiday cheer

The Mall at Prince George's is currently booking singing groups to perform holiday songs on Saturdays as shoppers browse in stores.

The holiday concerts will take place between noon and 2 p.m., starting Nov. 29, until Christmas. Call Victoria Clark at 301-559-8845 or e-mail clarkv@preit.com.

Son of county residents graduates basic training

The son of a Hyattsville resident and a Bladensburg resident has just graduated basic combat Army training.

Michael C. Menendez graduated from training in Fort Knox, Ky. During the nine-week session, Menendez received training in field and tactical exercises, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, chemical warfare, physical fitness and first aid.

Menendez is the son of Hyattsville resident Angelica Escalante and Bladensburg resident Carlos Rodriguez.

DeMatha students place in photo contest

Two students at Hyattsville's DeMatha Catholic School placed in the Washington Post/

FOTOWEEK D.C. Photo content.

Senior Marcus Flores and junior Patrick Prada were among the 12 high school finalists in the competition. More than 2,000 people entered the competition from schools in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Santa comes to the Mall at Prince George's

A naturally-bearded African-American Santa Claus took his seat in the Mall at Prince George's Winter Wonderland on Saturday.

The event included a parade through the mall and children who donated pajamas or books for a charity drive received a free stuffed panda bear.

The Santa is one of the few African-American Santa Clauses in the Washington, D.C. metro area working in a mall. Children can get their pictures taken with him until Christmas at the mall, located at 3500 East-West Highway in Hyattsville.

Brentwood recycling expands

Residents in the town of Brentwood can now recycle more goods than before, due to recycling plant changes.

The list of items that Brentwood residents can now recycle has expanded to include: aerosol can; food and beverage containers made from aluminum, bimetal ferrous and steel; aluminum foil; coat hangers; all paper products; aseptic/gable-top milk and juice cartons; wide-mouth containers like peanut butter jars, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and whipped topping tubs; margarine and butter tubs; and prescription bottles.

Dance center holding auditions for ‘Pinocchio'

The New Hope Academy Ballet and Cultural Dance Center is holding auditions for its production of "Pinocchio" 4 p.m. Dec. 12 and 10 a.m. Dec. 13 at 7009 Varnum Street in Landover Hills. Children 5 and older are welcome to try out; those 8 years and older can come with a song and short monologue. The performance is March 27 through March 29, 2009 at Cheverly's Publick Playhouse. Call 301-459-7311 Ext. 3042 or e-mail dance@newhopeacademy.org.

Every year, The Gazette recognizes people who make a difference in their communities through volunteerism or similar acts of kindness. We'd like to know who you think deserves recognition for the work they do. One person from each community will be selected and featured. E-mail the name of your nominee and a brief description of what he or she does to mhooker@gazette.net by Dec. 3. Please also include your name, both of your addresses and daytime phone numbers.