Four Rivers: The Heritage Area of Annapolis, London Town & South County is pleased to announce this year's heritage awards winners.

Heritage awards recognize individuals, organizations, partnerships, and products that contribute significantly to the community by interpreting, preserving, researching or supporting our historical legacy. Four Rivers congratulates the following heritage award winners, whose achievements were celebrated at a November 7th ceremony at Historic London Town & Gardens in Edgewater.

Heritage Product Awards go to Capital City Colonials for their Annapolis Food & History Tour, which combines costumed guides, historical venues, and culinary delights. The second honoree in this category is the Highland Beach Historical Commission for a new photo exhibit, Scurlock-Beach Connections, developed in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Museum of American History , in the Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center in Highland Beach .

The Heritage Initiative Award recognizes Annapolis Maritime Museum and the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society for their innovative public tours of Thomas Point Shoal Light. Lighthouse Tour Manager Tom Stalder was also acknowledged with an award for his dedication to the development of the public lighthouse tours.

Heritage Partnership Awards go to the Shady Side Rural Heritage Society and the Shady Side Elementary School for Shady Side's Got History! a year-long collaborative program and exhibit on community history at the Captain Salem Avery House.

A Heritage Partnership Award also goes to the Annapolis Maritime Museum for their leadership in coordinating the broadly collaborative Captain John Smith 400 festival in Annapolis last July. Sultana Projects, Inc., was acknowledged for vision and leadership in the development and implementation of last summer's bay-wide Captain John Smith 400 shallop voyage.

Heritage Professional awards go to two outstanding individuals this year Donna Hole for her years of service to Annapolis as the first Chief of Historic Preservation, and to Carol Treiber for her dedication to our cultural heritage as the Executive Director of the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County.

The Legacy Award for preserving a traditional craft or livelihood goes to the Chesapeake 20 Association for preserving and educating the public about the historic Chesapeake 20 sailboat, originally designed in the 1930s by Galesville's Captain Dick Hartge.

Four Rivers most prestigious honor, the Heritage Award, for significant and long-lasting contributions to local history and heritage goes to two dedicated individuals who have devoted years of time and effort to their community's heritage Galesville's Jack Smith and Roberta Cassard.

For more information, please call the heritage area office at 410-222-1805.