We are a group of senior level college students' enrolled in a year long research class as part of our management degree requirements. The project, started in 2008, was to create an actual business entity which could be self sustaining by the end of the year.

The 2008-2009 seniors decided to establish a charity within the UMES 501(c)(3) known as the "Maryland Hawk Corporation".
They were able to start the "Hawk Children's Fund" by writing a grant and soliciting matching funds from the local community.

Each school year we try to create a new fund raising project on the UMES campus as our "signature" event. During the fall 2009 semester we sponsored four dinners to raise money to fund our 2010 goals.

Fall 2008 we launched the "Buy A Brick" program to try to broaden the campus student participation beyond our own department. The response from the UMES student body has been incredible. We were able to raise over $5000 thousand dollars in five months. The money was donated to help build a new primary school for the children of Kyamulinga, Uganda.

Spring 2009 we launched the "Buy A Book" program with a $3000 goal to help teach the children of Kyamulinga to read. As of February 24, 2010 we have raised $2800 towards our goal. This literacy project will include six days of teacher training per year for three years, annual external evaluation of reading outcomes, and reading exercise books as well as other educational materials.

Our current goal in 2010 is the "Rural Solar Demonstration Projects". We will raise $15,000 to help fund the renovation and construction of two solar powered libraries in rural Uganda. We will be partnering with the UgCLA for creation of the URLCODA Lokotoro "Chicken-House" solar powered library building and renovation/solar powering of the Mpolyabigere library building

Currently we are organized into four teams: strategic planning, marketing, operations, and grant writing. It is the marketing team which is responsible for this website.

Please go to the "Make a Donate" section of this website if you would like to support our efforts.

Mr. Richard Gormley is the director of the Hawk Children’s Fund and a tenured faculty member in the School of Business and Technology at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He has served UMES in a number of different capacities over the past twenty five years including Director of Hospitality Training Institute (2000-2003) and Chairman Hotel and Restaurant Management department (1984-1992).

Mr. Gormley joined UMES from private industry having held positions in both TGI Friday’s as Vice President of Operations Development and at the Marriott Corporation as Director of Training and Quality Assurance for the FSM division.

He resides in rural Bivalve, Maryland with the one true love of his life, Christine, his wife of thirty seven years.