Blog

As we wrap up 2022, we can’t help but be in awe of all the incredible moments and memories made. One thing is for sure: #WeAreColumbia and #IamCA were fitting hashtags! It was a year of togetherness here in Columbia. 💚

Together, we served

• CA team members came together to plant hundreds of trees in Columbia’s open space multiple times this year.🌳
• CA’s Community Operations team collected 233 lbs. of food to help support the Howard County Food Bank.
• Thanks to a record-breaking donation from the CA community, volunteers were able to pack over 200 backpacks with supplies for the Prepare for Success school supply drive.📚✂️
• CA’s Weed Warriors put in a whopping 936 hours​ (!) working to protect Columbia’s open space from invasive plants.
• CA camps served hundreds of Columbia kids this summer.☀️
• CA team members rallied to donate baby products to support Columbia Community Cares.

Together, we commemorated

• As a small symbolic gesture, CA lit the fountain and the People Tree by the Downtown Columbia Lakefront in blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine.💙💛
• For the first time, CA recognized Juneteenth as an official paid holiday for team members and celebrated Jubilee Day at the lakefront.
• Wilde Lake CARES received the first ever CA Chewy – an award given to the most active village CARES or watershed group – during volunteer appreciation night.

Together, we danced

• We danced all summer long at Lakefront Live. 💃
• We can still feel the drums from our Dance Around the World: African Dance event at Supreme Sports Club.🥁
• We had a blast carrying on one of Columbia’s most beloved traditions: Dancin’ Under the People Tree!
• CA fitness instructors brought the dancing fun to multiple back to school events in Columbia.
• Columbia Athletic Club’s Bollywood event was one to remember. 😍

Together, we created

• The Columbia Art Center decorated 38 umbrellas inspired by the theme “Healing Hearts Through Music, Dance, Words” for the 2022 Lakefest Umbrella Theme Exhibition.☂️
• CA joined forces with Shané Gooding of Imiivo Photo Studios to refresh our photo library and better reflect the diverse and incredible community we live in.📷
• This colorful crew created a lasting bond after meeting in group fitness at Columbia Gym years ago. Connections like these are what it’s all about.💜
• CA’s Community Programs & Services team created new opportunities for wellness! The launch of Columbia Moves was a hit.
• We had a great time creating new traditions with you all, like our 2nd annual Costume Crawl and Trunk-or-Treat!
• CA’s very own Maureen Cogan spotlighted the hard work of our Community Operations team with her Columbia Art Center exhibit “Quiet Pride: A View of CA’s Community Operations Champions.”

Together, we healed

• Wilde Lake CARES and CA planted a riparian buffer near the Wilde Lake dam this spring! These delightful wildflowers and native plants support healthy stream ecosystems.🌼🌸🌾
• There was so much art and talent on display at the Columbia Art Center this year! We especially loved seeing the work of 41 artists for the 2022 “Visionary Women: Healing and Hope” exhibit.🎨
• Membership Appreciation Day was full of togetherness and healing gratitude.🧡

Together, we celebrated

• Love on the ice warmed our hearts. The Columbia Ice Rink had the pleasure of having Nehemiah PKA DJ Prince, who is battling a pretty serious form of cancer, and his family for a surprise Valentine’s Day brunch.🤍
• We had so much fun celebrating Columbia’s 55th birthday at Lakefront Live!
• This community stayed busy celebrating 55 nights of free entertainment at Lakefront Live this summer and fall.
• CA was honored to co-host 4th of July festivities with Howard County Rec & Parks and Columbia Festival of the Arts to bring free festivities and fireworks to the Lakefront.🎆
• Being part of Howard County Pride 2022 was an absolute joy.
• The Columbia Athletic Club Basic Training crew surprised longtime CA member George Alston with a celebration for his 80th birthday.🥳

Together, we supported

• CA President/CEO Lakey Boyd rappelled down a 12-story building to support the Special Olympics Howard County Over the Edge fundraiser!💪
• CA’s Teen Advisory Committee launched the “Finish the School Year Strong” program to support their middle school peers. We ❤️ to see our awesome Columbia teens giving their time to building community!
• CA was so happy to host a Special Olympics Swim Meet at Stevens Forest Pool! About 100 swimmers from Special Olympics Howard County competed.🏊
• CA’s team participated in Howard Community College’s 5K Special Challenge Race to support student scholarships this fall.
• We were beyond proud to receive recognition from the Howard County Commission on Disabilities for being the top large non-profit workplace for individuals with disabilities in 2022.
• Columbia kids showed their support for veterans at CA’s card-making station at the Eighth Annual Veterans Day Parade & Celebration.❤️💙

Together, we innovated

•  We welcomed two fully electric commercial vehicles to the CA Facility Services fleet! This is just the beginning of our work to continue to electrify our fleet.
• This summer, CA’s Community Operations team installed a 50 kW solar system on the roof of the Swim Center. This system generates enough electricity to power five average homes!⚡
• The Columbia Art Center welcomed new kilns, which helped to provide exciting new glazes and programming opportunities!
• Clean energy is electrifying! We are so excited about having new EV charging stations at Fairway Hills Golf Club.
• This year’s annual Gingerbread House Contest was filled with some sweet innovation!
• CA was thrilled to partner with Columbia Community Care to bring new innovative programming to CA’s Youth & Teen Center.

Together, we engaged

• CA hosted a special gathering, Rising Leaders, with our partners at Howard County Library System and Howard Community College to connect some of the changemakers in our community.
• So many heartwarming moments at CA camps this year 🥰. We loved seeing the next generation of stewards take an interest in learning about our environment!
• The CA team had so much fun at Books in Bloom! We adored this community’s “title the book” ideas.
• In partnership with Ayers Saint Gross, we appreciated everyone’s input on how to enhance the community’s experience in CA spaces and places, including what kind of inclusive design elements and signage you’d like to see.
• It was wonderful to host a table at GreenFest and meet so many environmentally conscious residents!♻️
• CA President/CEO Lakey Boyd and CA Engagement Manager Robin Stimson were thrilled to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new United Way Family Center in Columbia.🎀

Together, we partnered

• CA coordinated multiple successful donation drives with the Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, including welcome kits made by our senior leadership team.
• CA was excited to be a partner in the rollout of the first e-scooter sharing system in Howard County!
• We expanded the CA Points Program to 20 schools this year! It was awesome to spend time with students from across the community and help them access all the opportunities CA offers.
• We had a blast celebrating WALKtober with our friends at the Howard County Local Health Improvement Coalition and other partners. CA hosted various free walking events all month long.

• CA’s International Exchange & Multicultural Programs partnered with Howard County Library System to expand the World Languages Cafe.

• Festive Fridays were a definite highlight! It was a joy to partner with the Downtown Columbia Partnership and bring holiday cheer to the Lakefront.

Together, we represented

• This photo of CA member Edie Manney representing Columbia Athletic Club’s Basic Training class at the Grand Canyon took our breath away!
• Even in 2022, it’s super rare to see women on the operational side of the ice. Columbia Ice Rink is home to not just one, but FIVE proud female zamboni drivers!
• CA’s International Exchange & Multicultural Programs (IEMP) launched a series of free international grocery stores to show the community how to embrace global ingredients found right here in Columbia.

Thanks for a wonderful year

We hope you enjoyed looking back at some of our favorite moments of 2022. The common thread is this community’s constant willingness to show up, connect and engage with CA. We are so grateful for you all, and can’t wait to keep making memories together in 2023!