10/24/2007

Giving Back to the Community
By Carol Ann Ellis

Marie Gilmore

On October 11 of this year, the Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award was presented to Marie Gilmore by the Ocean Pines Area Chamber of Commerce.

Marie is best known for her work as secretary of the Ocean City Parrothead Club, one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the area.  Parrothead International is a philanthropy founded by fans of musician Jimmy Buffett, who once looked out into an audience dressed in Hawaiian shirts and remarked that they resembled parrots. Marie explains that once a month the members "party with a purpose."  Over the last 10 years the local club has raised over a million dollars for charity.

The club's two main fundraisers are Phunfest in September and Mardi Gras in March.  Last year Phunfest raised $15,000 which was distributed to local charities such as the American Cancer Society, ALS, MS Walk and Atlantic General Hospital.  Mardi Gras, which attracts 400 to 500 people, benefits two charities each year. Usually these funds are distributed locally, but two years ago in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, the Parrotheads donated $130,000 to rebuild an elementary school library in Long Beach, MS. Marie and India Bandorick, president of the club, co- chair Mardi Gras and devote countless hours to making it a success.  Other club projects include Thanksgiving baskets for families in need and Christmas gifts for area children.  Marie comments that club members have been "generous beyond belief."

Other organizations who benefit from Marie's support include the Women's Club of Ocean Pines, the Red Hats Society, the Atlantic General Hospital Auxiliary, Play It Safe and the Worcester County Veterans Memorial, which she was involved with from the beginning.
Marie says that she gets much more out of these activities than she puts into them. 

Considering the enormous amount of time and effort she invests, that is quite a statement.
While her many charitable deeds have been legendary in the community, this multi-talented woman plays yet another role: being a grandmother. Marie calls caring for her 14-month-old twin granddaughters, Addison Mae and Delaney Marie, "the most important thing I do now."  Marie's daughter, Kathleen, the twin's mother,  is a full-time math teacher in the Pocomoke Middle School and lives in Ocean City with her husband Ryan.  While they are at work, Marie and Grandpa Bob take care of the twins, which, she admits, is a job in itself but one she loves.

Marie explains that when she was growing up in New York City, her mother always emphasized the importance of being a good wife and mother.  She also says that her dad was the best role model for fatherhood that one could have.  He was always there for his family.
Marie and Bob have tried to instill in their children the same love of family and, by extension, community that they have exemplified.  Marie comments that both her daughters are active in volunteering and that her son Michael, who is a paramedic in Rotterdam, NY, gives time to his local ambulance squad on weekends.

Through many years of child-rearing and volunteering, Marie also maintained a professional life.  She was employed as a merchandising manager and buyer for J. C. Penney in New Jersey, New York and most recently in Salisbury for over 20 years.

 It is safe to say that Marie is a remarkable woman on many levels. Talking to her is rather like reading a well-written novel, the further you get into it, the more interesting it becomes. Knowing Marie, it is likely that readers will be turning those pages for a long time to come.