Contrary to popular belief, Maryland isn’t just about crab cakes and football. We first caught wind of theCHIVE Maryland last June when they completely blew the roof off of Chive Nation’s charity donation record with a whopping $22,000 for the SPCA of Anne Arundel County. It was the largest donation the SPCA received in 2013 and while most groups would call it a day after that, ChiveMD was just getting started.
A few months later, Melissa Smith’s story went viral and captured the attention of the entire nation. Melissa is a Maryland native and lives a few miles from theCHIVE Maryland’s headquarters. The MD crew instantly came through for Melissa when they read the story and raised over $10,000 at a shotgun meet up. When they delivered the check to Melissa, the group hit it off and became extremely close.
“I’ve met an entirely new group of friends and family that I can always turn to,” Smith said about the MD Chapter. “In a way, they saved my life.”
Melissa and theCHIVE Maryland teamed up a month after her story was posted to help a little girl named Addyson who suffered from Spina Bifida.
The crew did what they do best and threw one of the largest unofficial meetups we’ve ever seen. Thousands packed into their venue and they ended up raising $15,000 for Addyson.
By November, ChiveMD established themselves as the thirstiest and most generous chapter on the east coast. After giant donations to the SPCA, Melissa Smith and Addyson, they earned themselves a nice vacation and more than a few beers.
Nope.
Right after their meetup for Addyson, the chapter threw an INSANE New Year’s Eve party and smashed Chive Charities donation record with $30,000.
I asked Brian Mercedes, head of Chive Charities, what the Maryland Chive Chapter’s work meant to him.
“The Maryland Chive Chapter has been unparalleled in their devotion to going above and beyond for Chive Charities and other charitable causes. When ever we need help with a story or project in the Maryland area, they’ve stepped up to the plate and knocked it out of the park. What else can you say about the chapter that holds the record for highest single donation to Chive Charities by almost double over second-place chapter?”
It’s always amazing to see Chivers come together and have a good time offline, but it’s a whole other matter when they change lives and their community for the better. After countless donations, amazing meetups, and as you’ll see below, some of the sexiest Chivettes on the east coast, it’s time to make theCHIVE Maryland Bona Fide.
To celebrate, ChiveMD wanted to show what makes their chapter and state one of the best in the country. Congrats, guys!
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