Long ago, when I lived in Amsterdam, I spent three years as the national coordinator for the Hunger Project. When I moved to Cleveland, I began volunteering at the Salvation Army's annual "Coats for Kids" event and at the Cleveland International Film Festival. Since I arrived in Maryland in 2006, I've been volunteering for "Success by 6," an organization aimed at promoting reading readiness in little kids. This year, volunteer coordinator Jennifer Moreland asked me to help out at the United Way's annual Mardi Gras fundraiser, which is held at the giant equestrian arena in Upper Marlboro. So on March 1, I put on a jacket and tie and strands of brightly colored beads and a top hat and spent four hours welcoming Calvert County's movers and shakers to the event. (The movers and shakers in the photo were part of the entertainment, not part of the guest list.)