Friday, September 12 – Carders’ Spirit Recognized By Chamber

OCEAN CITY – The Ocean
City Chamber of Commerce will present the 2008 Spirit of Ocean City Award to
Billy and Madlyn Carder of BJ’s on the Water at its Annual Installation Banquet
on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at the Clarion.

The Spirit Award was
created in 1997 to honor and recognize those individuals who have owned or
operated a successful business in Ocean
City, while unselfishly and tirelessly
promoting and enhancing Ocean
City.

The Carders join a
distinguished group of past winners including last year’s recipient, Steve
Pappas of the Original Greene Turtle, and previous winners, Carolyn & Bruce
Kennington of Senor Cigars, Terry Hough of Home Seal Services, Inc., Bill Ochse of The Kite
Loft, Dr. Leonard Berger of The Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel, Lauren
Taylor of The Santa Maria Motel, Macky Stansell of Macky’s Bayside Bar &
Grill, Buck Mann of Mann Properties, Hal Glick of Coldwell Banker, Jay Knerr of
The Kite Loft and Anne Marie Dickerson of the Francis Scott Key Family Resort.

Madlyn
and Billy Carder have owned and operated BJ’s on the Water Restaurant for
almost 30 years. They are actually celebrating their 30-year anniversary in
2009.

The
Carders annually host a major fundraiser for the American Cancer Society’s
Relay for Life, which is always in the top two fund raising events of the
year.  They are active in the Humane
Society of Worcester County and host many of its fund raising events.

They
have assisted numerous local organizations in their fund raising events by
providing food, beverages and music at no cost to the organizations. They have
taken volunteer leadership roles on many local boards working towards
continuous improvement for Ocean
City. They are the
founding members of the Teen Age Rust Band, which provides music for many local
fund raising events.

Madlyn
Carder has served on the Ocean City Board of Port Wardens and the Board for the
Convention Hall Expansion and she was an original member of the OCDC and on the
design committee and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce Board.

Billy
Carder is a charter member of OC Elks Lodge # 2645, was the Elks Citizen of the
Year for 1999 and is the secretary of the OC Pleasure Club.

The
Carders were among the many businessmen and women nominated this year. Mark
Leiner, owner of the Bonfire and past president of the chamber, nominated the
Carders.