(Nov. 3, 2016) After a lifetime of service, Ocean Pines community stalwart Anna Foultz was honored by the Order Sons of Italy in America with its 2016 Ameritan Award during a gala in Hunt Valley on Oct. 22.
“Every year they honor people, and you have to do something special to get it,” she said. “I didn’t know about it, I was in shock.”
Foultz, 90, has been a charitable force in Ocean Pines since relocating to the area three decades ago with her late husband, Carl Foultz. After moving to the Eastern Shore, Foultz joined the local chapter of the Sons of Italy, a tradition her father instilled at an early age. Also in 2007 the couple formed the all-volunteer fundraising group, Star Charities.
“When I was a little girl, my father was an immigrant and he joined Sons of Italy,” she said. “He used to take me to the meetings because he was an entertainer. He’d bring his guitar and used to make me get up and sing old traditional Italian songs and I used to be so embarrassed.”
In 2014, the Sons of Italy Ocean City Lodge #2747 honored Foultz with its first ever Distinguished Citizen award for her ongoing community efforts and long list of accomplishments.
“When I joined the Sons of Italy here, I became president after a couple of years,” she said.
During her tenure, the Sons of Italy donated beach-friendly wheelchairs to Ocean City and raised funds to buy a pair of park benches for Ocean Park in Ocean Pines.
“Then I started the first scholarship that Sons of Italy ever had while I was president,” she said.
Since stepping down from her presidential post in 1999, Foultz remained an active member with the Sons of Italy Ocean City lodge and currently serves as chairperson of programs and publicity. Much to her amazement, the Distinguished Citizen award wasn’t the last accolade headed her way, as her cohorts secretly nominated her for the recent state honor.
“I figured that’s the end of that and the next thing I got a letter saying I won this award,” she said.
At the award ceremony, Foultz celebrated with family members from as far away as Texas, Kentucky and Florida, and was flabbergasted to see her close friend, Joan Gentile.
“All my family came, which was really thrilling,” she said. “Then my girlfriend from Florida, they called her but kept it a secret and didn’t tell me she was going to be there. I was so shocked when I saw her and everybody laughed because I never expected her to come all the way from Florida to come to this event.”
Looking back on a lifetime of volunteerism, Foultz said it started when she was in grade school at St. Aloysius in Pottstown, Pennsylvania and a priest asked a classroom of students to help raise money for a catholic charity.
“Nobody raised their hand, so I raised my hand,” she said. “The nun was happy because nobody else raised their hand.”
Even as a youngster, Foultz felt the call to action when volunteers were sought.
“I wanted to help the charity and I said somebody’s got to do something because it’s a worthwhile cause,” she said. “That started my fundraising.”
Foultz’s selfless spirit has been evidenced on countless occasions, with some instances more in the public light than others.
“I always wanted to do stuff for people,” she said. “I had a neighbor I used to help her clean her house because she was old. Whenever I could help anybody I was right there trying to help them.”
Admitting that gaining attention for her good deeds is not a priority, Foultz said the spotlight tends to increase her bashfulness.
“I was so honored to get that award,” she said. “I don’t think I deserve it but that’s what they said. I just have a soft spot to do good for the community.”
“Every year they honor people, and you have to do something special to get it,” she said. “I didn’t know about it, I was in shock.”
Foultz, 90, has been a charitable force in Ocean Pines since relocating to the area three decades ago with her late husband, Carl Foultz. After moving to the Eastern Shore, Foultz joined the local chapter of the Sons of Italy, a tradition her father instilled at an early age. Also in 2007 the couple formed the all-volunteer fundraising group, Star Charities.
“When I was a little girl, my father was an immigrant and he joined Sons of Italy,” she said. “He used to take me to the meetings because he was an entertainer. He’d bring his guitar and used to make me get up and sing old traditional Italian songs and I used to be so embarrassed.”
In 2014, the Sons of Italy Ocean City Lodge #2747 honored Foultz with its first ever Distinguished Citizen award for her ongoing community efforts and long list of accomplishments.
“When I joined the Sons of Italy here, I became president after a couple of years,” she said.
During her tenure, the Sons of Italy donated beach-friendly wheelchairs to Ocean City and raised funds to buy a pair of park benches for Ocean Park in Ocean Pines.
“Then I started the first scholarship that Sons of Italy ever had while I was president,” she said.
Since stepping down from her presidential post in 1999, Foultz remained an active member with the Sons of Italy Ocean City lodge and currently serves as chairperson of programs and publicity. Much to her amazement, the Distinguished Citizen award wasn’t the last accolade headed her way, as her cohorts secretly nominated her for the recent state honor.
“I figured that’s the end of that and the next thing I got a letter saying I won this award,” she said.
At the award ceremony, Foultz celebrated with family members from as far away as Texas, Kentucky and Florida, and was flabbergasted to see her close friend, Joan Gentile.
“All my family came, which was really thrilling,” she said. “Then my girlfriend from Florida, they called her but kept it a secret and didn’t tell me she was going to be there. I was so shocked when I saw her and everybody laughed because I never expected her to come all the way from Florida to come to this event.”
Looking back on a lifetime of volunteerism, Foultz said it started when she was in grade school at St. Aloysius in Pottstown, Pennsylvania and a priest asked a classroom of students to help raise money for a catholic charity.
“Nobody raised their hand, so I raised my hand,” she said. “The nun was happy because nobody else raised their hand.”
Even as a youngster, Foultz felt the call to action when volunteers were sought.
“I wanted to help the charity and I said somebody’s got to do something because it’s a worthwhile cause,” she said. “That started my fundraising.”
Foultz’s selfless spirit has been evidenced on countless occasions, with some instances more in the public light than others.
“I always wanted to do stuff for people,” she said. “I had a neighbor I used to help her clean her house because she was old. Whenever I could help anybody I was right there trying to help them.”
Admitting that gaining attention for her good deeds is not a priority, Foultz said the spotlight tends to increase her bashfulness.
“I was so honored to get that award,” she said. “I don’t think I deserve it but that’s what they said. I just have a soft spot to do good for the community.”