Larry Hogan featured in corn maze design

Gov. Larry Hogan will be enshrined for a time as part of a large corn maze that will raise money for the American Cancer Society.

The design — which sits on 35 acres and features more than 7 miles of trails — is part of Lawyer’s Farm  16th annual corn maze event, according to Taylor Huffman, manager of the family-owned farm.

This is the second year that the farm has coupled the event with a fundraiser for cancer organizations. Last year the farm donated nearly $12,000 to the American Brain Tumor Association in honor of Jan Lawyer, Taylor’s father who died of brain cancer in 2013.

The farm will hold another fundraiser day this year. Huffman said the family hopes to surpass last year’s donation.

Over those 16 years, the designs have gotten more intricate because of technology. Huffman said the farm hires a professional company that uses GPS on tractors to cut the designs.

“That really allows us to have more intricate and realistic designs,” Huffman said.

“It also features Governor Hogan and “‪#‎HoganStrong‬” as we are planning on donating this year’s fundraising proceeds to the American Cancer Society in honor of Governor Hogan, our father Jan, and those who are fighting and have fought cancer,” the farm posted on it’s Facebook page.

The idea to incorporate the governor came after Hogan announced his cancer diagnosis in June. Huffman said the wording on the maze was changed after the Hogan Strong slogan emerged.

“We really wanted to do something that would show Maryland pride and bring more attention to our effort to raise money for cancer awareness,” Huffman said.

Visitors are given a map and can travel through any or all of the five mazes. Huffman said it should take the average person about two hours to reach all 24 checkpoints within the five-maze group.

The new corn maze @LawyersFarm | Proceeds will go to the @AmericanCancer in honor of @LarryHogan & their father Jan pic.twitter.com/giEmylA6BY

— NFIB Maryland (@nfib_md) August 18, 2015

Hogan was diagnosed in June with an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and recently completed the third of six rounds of intense chemotherapy.

Some commenters on the page have complained that the maze is too political.

“We didn’t mean to make this a political design,” the operators responded. “We simply wanted a design that included things that represents Maryland. Hogan is our governor and the fact that he is now fighting cancer relates to us as our father recently passed from cancer. We plan to tie it in with our annual fundraiser for cancer research.”

The maze opens Sept. 19.

Hogan, in a post on his Facebook page, wrote: “I am so touched by the tribute and impressed by the artistry!”