The event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, and will include a buffet, a cash bar, live local bands, a silent auction, raffles and games. The cost of the event is $15 per person. Tickets are available by calling Harry’s on the Green at 410-479-1919 or Ryan Freeman’s mother, Marie Freeman, at 410-562-0283.
Marie Freeman said her son came up with the idea to raise money for hospice after his last surviving grandparent, his grandfather, Lawrence Kutlik Sr., was cared for by Compass Regional Hospice at the recently closed Caroline Hospice Home, which was run by the Caroline Hospice Foundation. Kutlik passed away in June 2018.
The first fundraiser Ryan Freeman organized was a “Dough-Raiser” through Domino’s Pizza at the Denton and Easton locations. The event took place in July 2018, shortly after Kutlik’s passing, and raised several hundred dollars for hospice services in Caroline County. Marie Freeman said her son had rallied the help of a friend in pulling the fundraiser off.
“For a 17-year-old to be aware that this is a needed service … that these young kids realize dying is a part of living, is huge for us,” Marie Freeman said of the teenagers’ involvement.
Marie Freeman said her son was overwhelmed by the care his grandfather received through Compass Regional Hospice’s nurses and certified nursing assistants, around the clock.
“The first-time hospice experience doesn’t catch many prepared. The downward spiral of an aging parent can be overwhelming but is softened by the compassionate care offered. My 17-year-old son saw and appreciated how his grandfather was cared for 24/7,” Marie Freeman said. “It’s in (all of the nurses’) hearts, but there was one, (certified nursing assistant) Virginia Whittington, who was really exceptional in our eyes. She knew my son by name and he was so impressed by that.”
The September fundraiser at Harry’s is more involved, with Ryan Freeman helping to secure sponsors, an event location, raffle items, games and live bands. Marie Freeman said the hard work is nothing new to her son.
“He’s just really compassionate,” Marie Freeman said. “He’s real in tune to the needs of the elderly and he’s had a lot of friends who were sick, so he knows how that type of care can really drain a family.”
Ryan Freeman’s other extracurricular activities include working with Special Olympics Maryland.
Marie Freeman said she is proud of her son for realizing the need for hospice services in Caroline County.
“I remember thinking, and probably saying out loud, that most baby boomers haven’t needed hospice yet. That population is on the horizon and Caroline County deserves the local hospice services to meet our needs,” Marie Freeman said.
~ Compass Regional Hospice – Care on your terms
Compass Regional Hospice is a fully licensed, independent, community-based nonprofit organization certified by Medicare and the state of Maryland and accredited by the Joint Commission. Since 1985, Compass Regional Hospice has been dedicated to supporting people of all ages through the challenge of living with a life-limiting illness and learning to live following the death of a loved one. Today, the organization is a regional provider of hospice care and grief support in Queen Anne’s, Kent and Caroline counties. “Care on your terms” is the promise that guides staff and volunteers as they care for patients in private residences, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and the residential hospice centers in Centreville and Chestertown. Grief support services are offered to children, adults and families of patients who died under hospice care, as well as members of the community who are grieving the loss of a loved one, through The Hope and Healing Center. For more information about Compass Regional Hospice, visit compassregionalhospice.org.