Caring Connections, May 2025

Cheers to a Wonderful Evening at Raise Your Glass!

The 11th Annual Raise Your Glass welcomed a sold-out crowd at Windridge Vineyards to enjoy fine wine and food, exciting raffle prizes, stunning floral arrangements donated by EDGE Floral Event Designers, and live acoustic music by the Grasso Brothers—all set against the backdrop of a breathtaking and welcoming venue.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this festive night of connection, community, and celebration. Together, we raised vital funds to ensure that CaringMatters can continue providing free, compassionate support to Montgomery County residents facing serious illness, caregiving challenges, end-of-life, and grief.

Event Co-Chairs

Amy Schiffman, MD, and The Honorable Jeffrey Slavin

Host Committee

Steve and Jessica Lahn • Jessica Ledingham and Nate Wolbert • Shari Lehrer • Lynne Lewis • Cara and Rob Marks • Kathy McCallum • Craig and Tia Rice • Ernest "Chico" Rosemond • Tori and Matt Tomlinson

We would also like to thank both of our event photographers, Toni Robinson, Scene from the Heart Photography (top 4 photos below) and Nate Wolbert, Camley Images Photography (bottom 2 photos), for capturing the essence of the event.

View Raise Your Glass Sponsors, In-Kind Donors and our Photo Gallery

A Special Dedication

May 7th was an evening filled with joy, love, and heartfelt memories as we came together to dedicate our beautiful new patio in honor of our CEO, Allison Stearns, and in loving memory of her husband, Eric Stearns. This meaningful addition to our space was made possible through the generous support of a Maryland Bond Bill, sponsored by Senator Cheryl C. Kagan, and a matching grant from the Montgomery Village Rotary Foundation. We are deeply grateful to Allentuck Landscaping for bringing this vision to life with their exceptional craftsmanship.

We extend our sincere thanks to Ken and Julie Cook for generously underwriting the reception, to EDGE Floral Event Designers for donating stunning floral arrangements, and to Toni Robinson for capturing the evening with her professional photography.

A highlight of the evening was a special proclamation from Mayor Jud Ashman, officially naming May 7, 2025, as CaringMatters Day in the City of Gaithersburg—a powerful tribute to our mission and the community we serve.

Photo Gallery & Video Link to Hear Allison & Eric's Story

Camp Erin Montgomery County Recap

Earlier this month, 51 campers and nearly as many volunteers joined Camp Erin, a free weekend grief camp hosted by CaringMatters in partnership with Bar-T. These brave young people came together to share their stories, build coping skills, and discover they’re not alone in their experience and grief.

Eva Cowen, Director of Camp Erin, reflected on the weekend: “If only the world could operate the way Camp Erin operates for 48 hours - a place where all emotions are welcome, love is given unconditionally, people from all backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, genders, ages and personalities completely connect over shared experiences that no one wanted to have.”

The weekend ended on a sweet note with ice cream from Bruster’s, generously donated by Hillary and Gary Feldman. Camp Erin is made possible with the support of our amazing donors and sponsors, including Bar-T Mountainside, Matan Companies, Bethesda Rotary, and The George C. Marshall Foundation. Thank you for helping make this life-changing weekend happen.