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The ninth annual Autism Speaks 5K run/1 mile walk is this Saturday, July 4. Online registration closes at midnight tonight, so log onto potomac5k.org if you haven't registered yet.

The event that has become a July 4 tradition in Potomac and is slated to kick off at 8 a.m. Saturday in front of the Potomac Library, located at 10101 Glenolden Drive in Potomac Village. Last year, the event raised nearly $250,000 for Autism Speaks, an autism awareness and research group. Over the years, the event has raised about $1.25 million. This year, it's sponsored by Stretchalicious, a Potomac women's active wear boutique.

The cost for registration is $30. Runners and walkers can also sign up in person for $35 at the Potomac United Methodist Church, 10300 Falls Road, on Friday. Participants can also sign up the morning of the race for $40 at the Potomac Library. The fee for children ages 14 and under is $15 at all times.

A pre-race warm-up with professional trainer Fred Foster will begin at 7:30 a.m. The race will kick off at 8 a.m. and the walk will follow at 8:05. Visit the race's Web site for more information, to fundraise online, or to check out the "Run Anywhere" option for those who are getting out of town for the holiday weekend.

Fireworks for the Fourth

County Independence Day fireworks displays are slated for both Kensington and Germantown this Saturday, July 4. "Germantown Glory" is planned for the SoccerPlex in the South Germantown Recreational Park, located at 18041 Central Park Circle. A concert by Bobby and the Believers will begin at 7 p.m., followed by fireworks around 9:30 p.m. Blankets, chairs and picnics are welcome, though no alcohol is permitted. The rain date is July 6. For more information, call the Recreation Department at 240-777-6820. In Kensington, "Mid-County Sparkles" is planned for Albert Einstein High School, located at 11135 Newport Road. Children's activities and a concert with Superfly Disco are planned for 7:30 p.m., with fireworks starting around 9:15. Viewing areas are located at the front of the school, on the ball field and at Newport Mill Middle School, located at 11311 Newport Mill Road. No onsite parking, except for handicapped parking, will be available at either site. Shuttle bus service will pick up passengers beginning at 6:15 p.m. at the Westfield Wheaton mall and the Wheaton metro station. Spectators may bring low lawn chairs and coolers, but alcohol is not permitted. A rain date is scheduled for July 5, though no shuttle bus service will be available then. Fore more information, call the Mid-County Regional Services Center events line at 240-777-8115.

Green fields, green game

The fields won't be the only thing green at the Capitol Polo Club grounds this month.

The third annual Green Cup of Polo, the first event in the Washington area to be certified carbon-neutral by the nonprofit Leonardo Academy, is July 18 at the Poolesville polo grounds, 14660 Hughes Road.

Gates open at noon, the event starts at 1 p.m. Attractions will include two polo games, equestrian demonstrations, live music and an opening speech by Philippe Cousteau Jr., president and CEO of nonprofit EarthEcho International and grandson of Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

Environmentally-friendly features include sustainable food and beverages, carbon credits to offset the event's carbon footprint, composting and recycling and supplies such as T-shirts, cups, plates and utensils made from biodegradable or organic materials. Between 1,200-1,500 people are expected to attend.

Ticket prices begin at $35 and will benefit the American Council On Renewable Energy, Equestrian Partners in Conservation and EarthEcho International.

For more information, visit www.greencuppolo.com.

Kentlands/Lakelands

race registration opens

Registration opens today for the 16th Annual Kentlands/Lakelands 5K Run, Walk and Kids Fun Runs, set for Sept. 5 in the Kentlands neighborhood of Gaithersburg. 

For the second year, the Maryland Senior Olympics will use the race to decide finalists for a national Senior Olympics competition. The USA Track and Field certified 5K course winds through the Kentlands and Lakelands, New Urbanist neighborhoods which respectively celebrate their 20th and 10th anniversaries this year. The nonprofit Kentlands Community Foundation and the City of Gaithersburg are partnering to host the event.

The annual race is the area's largest 5K race, according to a city statement. All proceeds benefit charities. Since 1994, the Kentlands Community Foundation has given nearly $100,000 to benefit the Gaithersburg community.

To register, visit www.kentlands.org.

Senior Olympics participants (age 50 and older as of Dec. 31, 2009) will be entered to compete as a Maryland Senior Olympic entrant in this year's race.

For more information, contact Bridget Ryder, Kentlands Community Foundation director at 301-926-6636 or e-mail Kentlands@kentlands.org.

Kids: Read off your library fines this summer

Montgomery County Public Libraries are hoping to encourage kids to read in the library this summer. Young county residents who take part in the Summer Reading Program can win prizes, and now they will be able to earn "library bucks" to go towards fines racked up from overdue books.

The Great Fines Read Off program, first introduced by MCPL in 2007, is being offered again this summer in connection with the Summer Reading Program through Aug. 31. The program is geared toward children and teens age 17 and under. For every half hour spent reading in the library, kids can earn a "Library Buck" to be subtracted from overdue fines on their account. Reading materials include books, magazines or Web sites in any language. Older children may also choose to spend time reading to a younger child, and both will receive library bucks for the time. During last year's Great Fines Read Off, 2,644 children read a total of 3,120 hours in their local libraries. For more information about the Great Fines Read Off, log on to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library. To find out how much is owed on a library account, visit the same Web site and click on "Your Account."

Education awards announced

The Marian Greenblatt Education Fund has announced its award winners for 2009 honoring junior social studies students, foreign language students at Watkins Mill High School, and teachers. In social studies, awards are given to a junior at each public high school in the county who has made significant achievements in the subject.

In the Potomac area, Winston Churchill High School junior James Blum, Thomas S. Wootton High School junior Heather Allentuck, Quince Orchard High School junior Timothy "Ted" Dressel and Walt Whitman High School junior Caroline Kahlenberg were all honored with the awards. Fatima Falama and David Cabrera, both juniors at Watkins Mill High School, were honored by Walter and Perlita Jones, the Plasma Fellows and The Marian Greenblatt Education Fund with $500 scholarships for excellence in foreign language. The Marian Greenblatt Education Fund also honored Jennifer Goodstein of Thomas Pyle Middle School and Autumn Moore-Myers of Ridgeview Middle School with teacher's awards. Jaclyn Klueger of Sequoyah Elementary School received the First-Year Award, and Bryan Goehring of Takoma Park Middle School was honored as Teacher of the Year.

To learn more about the Marian Greenblatt Education Fund, which was named in honor of Marian Greenblatt, a former member and president of the Montgomery County Board of Education, visit www.greenblatteducationfund.org.

This column is for you. Send press releases, news tips and other information to Erin Donaghue by phone to 301-280-3007, by e-mail edonaghue@ gazette.net, by fax to 301-670-7183 or by mail to 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.