NEWS & EVENTS AROUND THE REGION
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Montgomery County Executive Candidates Forum
Thursday, May 24 from 6:00-8:30pm at the Interfaith Works Clothing Center, 751 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville. County Executive candidates will share their vision for Montgomery County and address questions related to jobs and workforce development, affordable housing, opportunity disparities, health and mental health care, safety net services, early care and education, and other topics of concern to the nonprofit sector and the 500,000+ residents who receive services from nonprofit organizations.
Please contact Brigid Howe if you would like to join the planning committee.
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Leveling the Playing Field Offers Free Sporting Equipment to NonProfits
For nonprofits looking for free sports equipment to enhance programming and save money, Leveling the Playing Field, a local charity, provides free sports equipment to programs looking to provide affordable, accessible sports programming for their community.
Their warehouse has roughly a million dollars of sporting equipment for tennis, soccer, golf, baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse and more. LPF has donated over $2 Million to over 500 programs worldwide. To learn more and apply to receive equipment, visit the LPF donation site. Additional questions? Email Ian Cohen or call 301-844-5621.
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Interactive Website Launched to Understand Demographics of Self-Sufficiency
A new interactive website will help government agencies, nonprofit organizations, advocates and policy makers understand the demographics of county residents living below the self-sufficiency standard threshold. Learn more about Montgomery's Interactive Self-Sufficiency Standard here. To view the interactive website, click here.
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Restaurants & Nonprofits Can Now Join Community Food Rescue's Food Recovery Network
Community Food Rescue is Montgomery County's food recovery network. Learn how you as a food business can donate your surplus unsold food easily with a click of button through Community Food Rescue. Learn how you as a non-profit food assistance organization can obtain good food for your clients who are food insecure. Learn how you as a volunteer can become a volunteer food runner to transport food from donors to recipient organizations throughout Montgomery County. Click to visit website to learn more.
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Beacon Celebration of the Arts: Online Art Competition for area amateurs 50 and up:
If you paint or draw, make pottery, jewelry, sculpt or enjoy digital photography or poetry, you are invited to enter your best works in the Celebration of the Arts - a competition for amateur artists 50 and over who live in Maryland, D.C. or Virginia.
The online competition opens April 1 and runs through June 29. Read complete rules and details here, or call (301) 949-9766.
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Annual Nancy Dworkin Awards for Outstanding Service to Youth Seeks Nominations:
The Montgomery County Commission on Children and Youth is seeking nominations for the 31st annual Nancy Dworkin Awards for Outstanding Service to Youth. The awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made a difference in the lives of children and youth in Montgomery County. Awards will be presented at the 32nd annual awards ceremony to be held Thursday, May 24, at the Gilchrist Hall Auditorium on the Johns Hopkins University campus in Rockville.
Deadline to receive nominations is Tuesday, April 3. Click here for nomination guidelines.
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Montgomery County Councilmember Sidney Katz to Host Free Senior Forum and Resource Fair :
Friday, April 13 at Bauer Drive, Community Recreation Center, 14625 Bauer Drive, Rockville. The Forum "A Spotlight on Self Care" focuses on detecting elder abuse, avoiding senior scams, caring for one's mind and body and living a fulfilling life. The fair and forum are free and open to the public. The speakers will begin at 10:30 a.m. and finish at 11:45 a.m. The resource fair will open at 11:45 a.m. and end at 1 p.m.
For more information on the forum, contact Mary Gies in the Office of Councilmember Katz at 240-777-7817 or email.
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Choose Respect Conference on healthy relationships and dating violence prevention:
Sunday, April 15 from 12:00-4:00 p.m at Richard Montgomery High School. The Choose Respect initiative focuses on educating teens, parents, youth service providers, and educators on domestic violence prevention. Our goal is to get out in front of this issue and to stop abuse before it occurs.
Students can earn SSL hours by attending, and there will be raffle prizes and free pizza at the end of the event. Click here for more information, to register and to enter the PSA contest.
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IMPACT Now! 2018 Focuses on Worker Ownership:
Thursday, May 3rd, 6 pm-8:30 pm, Silver Spring Civic Building. Explore worker ownership as a promising economic model for addressing the growing wealth gap in Montgomery County. Click here to register.
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Youth Development and Mentoring Symposium:
May 22 and 23 from 8:00AM-3:30PM at The Universities at Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Dr, Rockville. Registration opens in April. The symposium will focus on helping leaders get young people ready for life. Keynote by Karen Pittman, President and CEO of The Forum for Youth Investment.
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Montgomery Parks Issues Request For Proposal (RFP) For Nolte Local Park
Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is seeking private use tenants to lease the activity building located in Nolte Local Park. A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued on March 15. The building will be available for a five-year lease. Additional information is available on the M-NPCC web site.
The Montgomery Parks staff cannot contact or discuss the RFP with interested individuals or potential bidders. All inquiries should be directed to: Jana Harris, M-NCPPC- Principal Procurement Specialist 301-454-1600
The RFP for the Park Activity Buildings will be posted on e-Maryland marketplace. Interested bidders should monitor website for the issuance of the RFP.
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Get Involved: Join a Board or Commission
County Executive Ike Leggett seeks applicants of diverse backgrounds, professions, gender, geography, disability, and ethnicity to serve on the county's boards and commissions. Members of County boards, committees and commissions may not serve on more than one such group at a time. Applications of individuals selected for appointment are made public as part of the confirmation process.
Access complete list of vacancy announcements for boards, committees, and commissions
here
.
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Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Award
Celebrating Montgomery's Change Agents
Each year since 2012, County Executive Ike Leggett has
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Roscoe R. Nix
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presented the Roscoe R. Nix Distinguished Community Leadership Award to three individuals who as community leaders, change agents, and role models have made extraordinary contributions to Montgomery County over the course of their lives. The Nix Award is the county's equivalent of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the local version of the nation's highest civilian award. Roscoe Nix was one of the major architects of the modern Montgomery County. For four decades, including service as president of the county's chapter of the NAACP in the 1980s, Roscoe Nix was a fearless and tireless advocate for educational excellence and social, economic, and political justice.
The Nix awards are presented as part of our annual Montgomery Serves Awards event at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. Again this year, the event is organized by our Volunteer Center and sponsored by the Fund for Montgomery and the Carl M. Freeman Foundation. This is one of the most inspiring nights of the year. The event is a great opportunity to network with many of the people who make Montgomery County special. I hope you will join us at 6:30 p.m. on Monday April 23. The event is free, but demand for tickets is high so you need to register in advance. Please register here.
This year's Nix honorees are:
Tufail Ahmad's commitment to engage his community and establish trust and understanding across lines of difference has helped us build a vibrant multicultural Montgomery County. By recruiting volunteers and raising funds through the Montgomery County Muslim Foundation (MCMF), Mr. Ahmad has served our neighbors in need regardless of faith, race, or gender.
Brian Frosh has been a model servant leader for more than three decades. As a member of the House of Delegates, State Senate, and now as Attorney General
, Brian Frosh has dedicated his public service to ensuring fairness, equality, and justice for all.
Linda
Plummer
has dedicated her life to removing the barriers that keep people from realizing their full
potential.
She has advocated for people of color. She has spoken up for the invisible and voiceless poor. As a leader of the NAACP, Linda Plummer has tirelessly battled racism, bigotry, and prejudice.
County Executive Leggett will be presenting a proclamation to Michelle Freeman in appreciation of the Carl M. Freeman Foundation's more than half a century of service to Montgomery County and for its generous support of the Montgomery Serves Awards since the inaugural event in 2012.
I look forward to celebrating these outstanding leaders and other volunteers with you on April 23 at Imagination Stage.
Bruce Adams
Director, Office of Community Partnerships
Please Note: Honoring another true servant leader: Please join County Executive Leggett on Saturday April 14 at 10 a.m. when he renames the recently refreshed library in Bethesda the Connie Morella Library. As our Delegate, Member of Congress, and Ambassador, Connie Morella has epitomized our ideal of a political leader, an independent-minded elected official willing to stand on principle against partisan pressures. Naming the library in Bethesda after Connie Morella appropriately recognizes her half century of service to our community and her love of literature. The library is located at 7400 Arlington Road just blocks from the Bethesda METRO.
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County Executive Leggett Proposes FY19 Operating Budget
On March 15, County Executive Ike Leggett released his Recommended FY19 Operating Budget of $5.56 billion for the year that begins on July 1, 2018 - a budget that increases County spending on the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) by $75 million and holds property taxes at the Charter Limit by reducing the tax rate by 1.98 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
"Over the last 12 years, I have closed $3.7 billion in budget gaps while putting the County's fiscal house back in order and making the investments necessary to build a better future," said Leggett.
"I have focused available resources on priorities that meet the important needs of our growing community. I have increased funding for public education at all levels beyond what is required by State Maintenance of Effort laws, funded our public safety needs, expanded our Positive Youth Development programs, provided resources for programs critical to our growing senior population and immigrant communities, and continued to address the needs of our most vulnerable residents."
The full budget and highlights are available on the County's website.
The County Council will hold public hearings on the proposed operating budget on April 10, 11, and 12. Council Committee worksessions will begin April 16. The Council will approve the complete budget (capital and operating) by the end of May. To sign up to testify and to follow the Council's deliberation of the budget, click here.
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Montgomery County Citizenship & Legal Immigration Fair
Saturday, April 14 from 12:30-4pm at the Blair High School Cafeteria, 51 University Blvd E, Silver Spring. If you have questions on TPS/DACA, are interested in becoming a citizen or have other legal immigration questions visit the immigration fair.
Get help with mock citizenship interviews and Q&A with USCIS as well as:
- 1pm Discussion and Q&A : with Montgomery County Leaders moderated by Alonso Castillo from Telemundo 44.
- 2pm Breakout Sessions: Citizenship,TPS/DACA and know your rights.
For interpreters in other languages, including sign language, please call or email at least 72 hours ahead of time to make a request. All language requests will be accommodated. Send an email to diane.vu@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240.777.8320. For legal immigration services, refer to our providers directory.
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Panel Discussion on "American Promise: Immigration in Montgomery County"
The prominent members of Montgomery County will be talking about their experiences as immigrant Americans and the challenges to building successful lives and businesses and their challenges in realizing "The American Promise." This important conversation will be live streamed on Tuesday, April 10, at 7 p.m. on MCMLive.org and broadcast subsequently on Channels 19, 21, 995, 1055 and 1070 on Comcast, Verizon and RCN.
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Upcoming Meetings of County Executive's Ethnic & Faith Advisory Groups
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Caribbean American Advisory Group Community Meeting, Tuesday, April 3 from 7:00PM-8:00PM at The Silver Spring Civic Building - One Veterans Place Silver Spring. Contact Daniel Koroma at Daniel.Koroma@montgomerycountymd.gov for more information.
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The Middle Eastern American Advisory Group will meet Monday, April 9th, at the Rockville Library, 3d floor, Mediation Room, 7 - 9 pm. All are welcome -- including youth and adults interested in membership! Among other agenda items, we will discuss which country's culture to feature at the October, 2018 World of Montgomery festival.
Contact: Debbie Trent at
dtrent@civilstrategies.net
for more information.
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African Affairs Advisory Group Community Meeting on Thursday, April 12 from 7:00PM-8:30PM at The Silver Spring Civic Building - One Veterans Place Silver Spring. Contact Daniel Koroma at Daniel.Koroma@montgomerycountymd.gov for more information.
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Asian Pacific American Advisory Group will hold a conference call in lieu of meeting in person on April 17 at 6:30pm. Contact Diane Vu at diane.vu@montgomerycountymd.gov for additional information.
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Gala Honors Service to the Community
Celebrate the accomplishments and hear the inspiring stories of some of our county's most amazing volunteers and community leaders at the Montgomery Serves Awards ceremony, Monday, April 23, 6:30 pm, at Imagination Stage in Bethesda. The event is free, but reservations are required as seating is limited. Register here.
 Congratulations to this year's honorees, who represent just a fraction of the many ways Montgomery County residents serve the community. In addition to the County Executive's Roscoe R. Nix Community Leadership Awardees described by Bruce above, the evening will also recognize:
- Chih-Hsiang Li, Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award (for lifetime service by residents age 60 and up), who has dedicated decades of service to the Chinese American community
- Sharyn R. Duffin, Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award (for lifetime service by residents age 60 and up), in recognition of her unique, invaluable role in elevating appreciation of the historical role of African Americans in Montgomery County
- Jane Callen, Volunteer of the Year, who devoted more than 1,300 hours during 2017 as a volunteer with the American Red Cross, Glen Echo Fire Department, and JSSA Hospice
- Esmirna Gutierrez, Youth Volunteer of the Year, a Kennedy High School sophomore who has been volunteering with Montgomery Housing Partnership's Homework Club since she was in sixth grade.
- Comfort Cases, Volunteer Group of the Year, whose volunteer teams put together backpacks filled with essential items for children entering the foster care system
- Apex Home Loans, Corporate Volunteer of the Year, whose employees actively support a variety of causes that contribute to the health and welfare of our community.
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Grand Opening of Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center in Wheaton
The Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center is pleased to announce the Grand Opening of its new Wheaton location!
We are now offering English, computer, citizenship and other classes, and providing information and referral services in the Westfield South Building, at 11002 Veirs Mill Road, Suite 506, Wheaton.
Please join County Executive Ike Leggett, County leaders, Gilchrist Center staff and volunteers in celebrating our grand opening on April 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. RSVPs required to Kaori.hirakawa@montgomerycountymd.gov.
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Spring classes at the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center
Registrations for English, basic computer, citizenship and other classes at the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center will begin the week of April 9. Classes are held in Wheaton, East County, Gaithersburg, and Germantown. Please check out website for details!
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Save The Date: Game Changer Conference for Young Males
The Game Changer Conference for Young Males will be held Saturday, April 14 at The Universities at Shady Grove. The conference, including a Parent Academy Roundtable, will start at 12:30 pm. To show our young males that they are valued and that we do care about them doing the work required to succeed, this one-day conference is geared towards African-American and Hispanic young males: elementary (4th & 5th), middle and high school students in Montgomery County and the nearby communities. Registration closes on Monday, April 9th. Click here for registration and read details here.
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Joint Budget Presented for Caribbean, African American and African Affairs Advisory Groups
On March 7th, members of the Caribbean, African American and African Affairs Advisory Groups presented their joint budget recommendations for fiscal year 2019 to County Executive Leggett. Among the recommendations were support for homeless youth, My Brother's Keeper-backed initiatives and nonprofit organizations assisting communities of color.
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Mayor of Gondar, Ethiopia Visited Gaithersburg, Takoma Park, and Rockville
On Sunday, March 25, Mayor Tekeba Tebabal of Gondar, Ethiopia arrived with his delegation on a study tour of cities within Montgomery County. The purpose of their visit was to learn some best practices used by Gaithersburg, Takoma Park, and Rockville in Parks development, waste management, urban planning and redevelopment, affordable housing, and environmental efficiencies.
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Senior Event: Improving Community Connections and Care for Seniors
A free event to connect Vietnamese seniors to the community. On Sunday May 6th from 3.30pm - 5.30pm at: 12800 New Hampshire Ave,Silver Spring.
Seniors will be provided free transportation. There will be performances by children, students and volunteers in the community as well as food and gifts.
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Launch of Interfaith Network of Montgomery County (INMC) on April 9th
The Executive Committee of the Faith Community Advisory Council (FCAC) met recently with County Executive Ike Leggett to report on the needs and concerns of faith communities, and plan for the launch of the Interfaith Network of Montgomery County (INMC). The INMC is a member-based, public-private
partnership between FCAC and Interfaith Works. Its purpose is to bring hundreds of faith communities together to build a healthy, resilient community in which all residents feel respected, valued and supported.
Please join INMC on Monday, April 9, from 6 pm to 9 pm at the Great Hall, Silver Spring Civic Building, 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring for the launch. It will feature County Executive Ike Leggett addressing its value and there will be other elected and appointed public officials together with subject experts from nonprofits and faith communities. It is designed to demonstrate how working collaboratively on such issues as public safety, healthcare, hunger, refugees and immigrants will make us stronger and happier. Read more on faith community website.
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Securing Places of Worship: Spring Information Session
Tuesday, April 24 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Fire Station 34, 20633 Boland Farm Raod, Germantown. The Faith Community Working Group with its partners is hosting a workshop for faith leaders, office staff, greeters, ushers and building and grounds and worship committees. There is also an optional fire station tour at 6:30 PM. The session will be presided over by Sgt. Brian Tupa, Secial Operations MCPD, Capt. Don "DJ" Mandeville, Bomb Squad Commander MCFRS, Brian Johnson , Director of Security, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and James McClelland , Emergency Management Specialist, OEMHS.
Please
register here
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20th Annual Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards in April
On Thursday, April 26, the 20th annual Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards Gala will be held by the Arab American Institute Foundation. In keeping with Gibran's legacy, this multi-ethnic, multi-faith, citizen-engagement and leadership development foundation will honor three individuals and two organizations for their humanitarian efforts. Contact Haley Arata at harata@aaiusa.org or 202-652-4983. Click here for ticketing and other information.
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American Muslim Senior Society: Healthy Aging, Community Services & Support Inaugural Event
Sunday, May 6, 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM, Silver Spring Civic Building, One Veteran Plaza, Silver Spring. Join AMSS in celebrating the graduation of their health and long-term care ambassadors. Learn from the experts how to access health and long-term Care resources and services. Get to know AMSS and the many benefits AMSS could offer the community. RSVP mandatory. Questions? please contact Mona Mahrous or call 301-327- 8626
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4th Annual Middle Eastern Heritage Celebrations in March
On March 4th, County Executive Isiah Leggett and Councilmember Nancy Navarro proclaimed the fourth annual Middle Eastern American Heritage Month, with citations presented by U.S. senatorial and congressional staff on behalf of Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, and Rep. John Delaney. MEAAG and friends presented a record 12 exhibits of regional culture, including: Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Tunisia, and Turkey. Other displays included a Nowruz table, an Egyptian coffee corner, a henna display, and contemporary Iraqi fashion.
The Persian Arts and Cultural Communities Music Group provided live entertainment, and Ms. Nadia Hassan, executive director of the Young Leaders Institute, gave a stirring keynote on social entrepreneurship and interfaith peace coalition-building. Savory regional fare was served, and voter registration and other community resources were provided.
The Middle Eastern Advisory Group also presented County Executive Leggett with an honorary plaque on behalf of the group to thank him for the great work he has done in Montgomery County.
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Abraham`s Tent "Faith and Freedom: The Role of Women"- A Women's Day Celebration
On March 7th, the American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) and Rumi Forum of Maryland organized Abraham`s Tent: "Faith and Freedom: The Role of Women" - An Interfaith Discussion to mark International Women`s Day with a focus on peacebuilding and social harmony. Panelists explored and underlined the role of women in the Abrahamic traditions. With the motto "Open Doors, Open Minds and Open Hearts," this initiative aims to provide space for people of different religious and cultural traditions to get-to-know one another and seeks to build community through casual conversations. Dr. Heather Rubens Miller of the Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies, Rabbi Daria Jacobs-Velde from Congregation Oseh Shalom, and Nadia Hassan, from the Young Leaders Institute, presented perspectives from their faith traditions.
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Annual Meeting of Montgomery Sister Cities
Montgomery Sister Cities (MSC) held its Annual Meeting Thursday March 29 at the Silver Spring Civic Building featuring a panel discussion on " The Importance of Global Citizenship." Volunteers from the Morazán, El Salvador; Gondar, Ethiopia; Hyderabad, India; Xi'an, China; and Daejeon, South Korea committees provided delicious food and decor from their countries while sharing information about these unique places. Tekeba Tebabal, Mayor of Gondar, Ethiopia was our special guest. He is shown with Dr. Mark-Roger De Souza, President of Sister Cities International; County Executive Ike Leggett; Dr. Ruth Krandis; Director of the Global Institute at Montgomery College; Dr. Sanjay Rai of Montgomery College; and Dr. Nicholas Arrindell, retired Director of International Student Programs at Johns Hopkins University and member of MSC board.
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Have News to Share?
To submit your news and events of interest to those in and serving Montgomery County's emerging communities and neighbors in need, email complete details and/or a press release to the OCP Newsletter.
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