Gardens Civic Association Seeks to Expand to Help Causes

By MADDY VITALE The Gardens Civic Association (GCA) in Ocean City gives scholarship money to students, hosts the Fourth of July Bike Parade, does an annual beach cleanup and sponsors many other events to benefit the community. Despite having 215 members and being in existence for over 50 years, not that much is known about the GCA, members said. Debbie Sniger wants to change all of that. She has been a member for about four years. A few days ago, she became president, when Duane Sonneborn, the GCA treasurer who handled both roles for several years, turned over the torch. Sniger is eager to get to work with her fellow GCA board members, to plan more activities for the members and give out more funds to worthy causes. “I would like to increase the scholarships to $1,000 or more or actually budget an allotment for money for the students in Ocean City,” Sniger said in an interview Sunday. “The school district selects the students who would receive the scholarships.” Families make the Gardens Civic Association Fourth of July Bike Parade a tradition. She said there needs to be more discussion about how the GCA would handle the monetary allotments, but that the focus is to give more to those students who need and deserve it. The GCA hosted a “Meet and Greet” at the Ocean City Yacht Club on Wednesday as a way to showcase what the association does and develop some new friendships as well as add some members. More than 50 attendees enjoyed an evening of conversation, and 18 of them signed up to be a part of the association, Sniger said. “I feel there are so many people who don’t know what the organization does. Some people don’t even know it really exists,” she explained. “I think the event helped to show people who we are, and it was such a great thing.” While there are 215 members, the goal will be to add many more residents to the association to enjoy the offerings and help give back to the community. Jocelyn Palaganas, the recording secretary for the GCA, has been active in the organization for a decade. She said more community involvement is key to growing as an organization. The meet-and-greet was a great way to start. “I was so happy with the turnout Wednesday. We have been trying to find an event to see how to generate more interest in the association and this was a good start,” Palaganas said. “People seemed to be excited and looking forward to our next social event.” From left, Mayor Jay Gillian, Schools Superintendent Dr. Matthew Friedman and Michele Gillian, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce with other guests. (Photo courtesy of Jocelyn Palaganas) Among the guests were Mayor Jay Gillian, his wife, Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Schools Superintendent Dr. Matthew Friedman. Sniger, who lives with her husband Leo in the Gardens section for one half of the year and in Naples, Fla., for the other half, wants to bring back old favorites and create new events. “From what Duane (Sonneborn) has told me, they used to have dinner dances and bus trips and Broadway shows,” she noted. "It was very, very active and I want to bring it all back.” Sniger, who has two grown daughters and five grandchildren, is creating a calendar of events for all ages that will be added to the many longtime annual events. Each year the GCA hosts a beach cleanup, the community-wide yard sale, the Easter Egg Hunt, the Fourth of July Bike Parade and the Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony.   “This whole association is about neighbors, neighbors being there for neighbors. I feel like if you don’t know any of your neighbors, you have no connections,” Sniger said. “This is a way of linking the whole community together." For more information and how to become a part of the Gardens Civic Association, call Debbie Sniger at 215-262-5471. GCA Recording Secretary Jocelyn Palaganas with newly minted President Debbie Sniger. (Photo courtesy of Jocelyn Palaganas)