Birdland Community Heroes
The Orioles Birdland Community Heroes program celebrates and recognizes individuals from diverse backgrounds in the Baltimore region who have distinguished themselves by selflessly volunteering and serving their community to make a meaningful impact through charity, service, and leadership. (See Terms & Conditions for details.)
Honoree Benefits:
- Four game tickets & parking
- Award medal
- Recognition during an in-game ceremony on the video board
Nominees must meet the following criteria:
- Community Connection: Actively serve Baltimore or surrounding Birdland areas (3+ years preferred).
- Nominees must be individuals, not organizations (although they can be affiliated with one)
- Service & Leadership: Hands-on involvement in key areas, including youth sports (PLAY), education, maternal health, inner-city health equity, youth development, military, food security, and sustainability.
- Alignment with Orioles’ Values: Commitment to equity, inclusivity, and community-building initiatives.
Evaluation Factors:
- Impact: Measurable contributions to improving lives and strengthening communities.
- Leadership: Inspiring others to serve and advocate.
- Innovation: Creative solutions to community challenges.
- Sustainability: Long-term positive influence.
- Volunteerism: Volunteerism vs. Professional Role: Prioritize individuals whose work is primarily volunteer based unless their professional efforts go significantly above and beyond standard expectations.
Exclusions:
- Self-Nominations: Nominees cannot nominate themselves. All nominations must come from a third party to ensure objectivity.
- Recent Recognition: To allow for new honorees, individuals who have been recognized as Birdland Community Heroes in the past two years are ineligible.
- Conflict of Interest: Employees or direct affiliates of the Orioles are ineligible for nomination.
Our 2026 Birdland Heroes
Chantay “Channy” Ambrose
Chantay “Channy” Ambrose is a Baltimore-based licensed cosmetologist and community advocate who has used her professional skills to serve others since 2019. Through partnerships with community organizations, including Rob’s Barbershop Community Foundation’s Hair Pair Project, she has provided hair and grooming services in schools, women’s shelters, programs supporting teen mothers, and community outreach events (which has been featured on WBAL-TV 11) throughout Baltimore.
Chantay believes hair care is about more than appearance. For individuals experiencing homelessness, hardship, or major life transitions, professional grooming can help restore confidence, dignity, and a sense of self. Her service has included a year-long commitment providing grooming services to women experiencing homelessness in Southeast Baltimore.
A proud mother of two and a mobility bus driver serving Baltimore residents for more than 16 years, Chantay has made helping others a consistent part of both her personal and professional life. Being named a 2026 Birdland Community Hero is especially meaningful because Baltimore is not only her home - it is the community she is proud to serve.
Betty Bland-Thomas
As Community Association President and a longtime resident, Betty Bland-Thomas is deeply committed to preserving the history, health, and vitality of Historic Sharp Leadenhall, a South Baltimore neighborhood established by formerly enslaved people and German immigrants around 1790. Many predominantly Black neighborhoods have been erased by development and gentrification in Baltimore, and Historic Sharp Leadenhall’s proximity to the Inner Harbor and Downtown makes it particularly vulnerable to redevelopment. Betty works to ensure that residents have a voice in the neighborhood’s future, regularly convening community meetings, advocating for equitable development, and centering the community’s rich African American history in conversations about change.
Sgt. George Bandurchin
Sergeant Bandurchin is the founder of the Badges for Bass Program, a community-centered initiative that creates meaningful opportunities for youth through mentorship, outdoor experience, and positive engagement. What began as a simple idea has grown into a powerful program that has connected more than 100 children with new experiences, confidence-building activities, and supportive relationships.