fundraiser

Bluemont Park Race to Raise Money to Support Military Bomb Disposal Experts

By Chris Teale

Bluemont Park will be the starting-point for a race next month to raise money for military bomb experts and their families.

The 2017 Bluemont Arlington 5K and 10K race on Sunday, September 17 will raise funds for the EOD Warrior Foundation. EOD stands for Explosive Ordnance Disposal, the disarming and disposal of bombs, which is carried out by technicians in the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force.

Proceeds from the event help support the EOD Warrior Foundation in providing “financial assistance and support to active-duty and veteran wounded, injured or ill EOD warriors, families of our wounded and fallen EOD warriors.”

The race begins at Bluemont Park (329 N. Manchester Street), with both the 5K and 10K routes following the W&OD Trail on out-and-back routes. The 10K begins at 8:45 a.m., with the 5K following at 9 a.m. A virtual run option is also available for anyone who wishes to participate but can’t make the race date.

All participants receive a finisher’s medal and event technical shirts for those who register before September 6. Race day registration is also available for those who arrive 45 minutes before the start. Registration costs $25 for the 5K and $40 for the 10K.

Kennan Garvey Memorial Bike Ride To Be Held This Saturday

By Brooke Giles

The fourth annual Kennan Garvey Memorial Ride will take place this Saturday, August 5, starting from local nonprofit Phoenix Bikes in Barcroft Park )4200 S. Four Mile Run Drive).

Arlington County Board member Libby Garvey helps lead the event, alongside Phoenix Bikes. The ride is in honor of Garvey’s late husband, Kennan, who died of a heart attack in 2008.

He was a supporter of Phoenix Bikes, a nonprofit that aims to educate the community about biking and help make it more affordable. Libby Garvey has served on the organization’s board of directors since 2009.

The race will raise money for the Kennan Garvey Memorial Fund, which will help Phoenix Bikes move to a more permanent site. The organization is set to transition to a new facility on the first floor of the Arlington Mill Community Center later this year.

The ride is open to all ages and experience levels with five different trail routes:

  • 15-mile course: out and back along W&OD Trail from Phoenix Bikes to Bikenetic (Falls Church)
  • 40-mile course: out and back along W&OD Trail from Phoenix Bikes to Green Lizard Cycling (Herndon)
  • 60-mile course:  out and back along W&OD Trail from Phoenix Bikes to Spokes, etc. (Leesburg)
  • 90-mile course: out and back along W&OD Trail from Phoenix Bikes to Bicycles & Coffee (Purcellville)
  • 100-mile course: out and back along W&OD Trail from Phoenix Bikes to Bicycles & Coffee (Purcellville), plus portions of Arlington Loop (Custis, Mount Vernon and Four Mile Run Trails)

“You can ride for as little or as far as you like on a great bike path that Kennan and I loved and rode often. Despite the heat now, it has been fairly cool for the ride for the past three years,” Garvey wrote in an email to constituents.

The entry fee is $25, with a minimum fundraising amount of $100. Each rider is encouraged to set a $500 fundraising goal, while children that are registered with Phoenix Bikes get a complimentary entry.

Pre-registered riders will receive a boxed lunch, and all riders and volunteers will receive a free shirt. All those who meet or exceed the $500 fundraising goal will receive a prize.

Courtesy photo

Wakefield Students Win National Friendship Award

By Brooke Giles

(Updated 11 a.m.) Wakefield High School students Anna Tiernan and Kate Williams won the Alex and Ani Friendship of the Year Award at the 28th Annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference in Indiana earlier this month.

Tiernan and Williams were nominated by the program’s Capitol Region director and campaigned heavily for the competition. The duo earned votes from across the country for their efforts and were announced as winners live at the conference, which took place July 21-24 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization that aims to create opportunities that for “one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

The pair’s nomination explained why they were well-suited for the award:

Anna’s and Kate’s friendship is truly genuine and exemplary of the Best Buddies mission; they are true equals and friends. They support each other’s interests – from Anna’s love of music to Kate’s involvement in school plays. They were highlighted on the local news as they prepared for their Prom together. They are always the first to start a party and the last to leave; from sporting events, karaoke outings, dance parties, and more, it is clear these two friends love to have fun and love each other!

Tiernan and Williams live a few houses away from each other, and have been able to develop a friendship with movie nights while also helping build the Best Buddies organization in their community. The pair were featured on Fox 5 last month when they were promoting the annual Best Buddies Prom.

Williams, who is the president of the Wakefield chapter, said she can see the impact of the Best Buddies program in the school.

“I think there are a lot more kids that recognize the students in the special needs classes,” said Williams.

Tiernan, who graduated from Wakefield this past June, says she enjoys her unique friendship with Williams. She said she is also looking forward to the organization’s Friendship Walk on October 21, hosted by local radio host Tommy McFly.

“I just want to be in a video with him,” said Tiernan, who said the walk is one of her favorite Best Buddies events.

Best Buddies partnered with jewelry company Alex and Ani, the sponsor of the awards, in 2015. Last year, Best Buddies was one of two charities that benefited from the sales of the Liberty Copper Carry Light line, and currently benefits a portion of the proceeds from the Arrows of Friendship Charm Bangle.

Podcast: Giovanni Quintana

By ARLnow.com

Giovanni Quintana was formerly the general manager of Mad Rose Tavern, but he’s now on a mission bigger than his work to turn around what was once a struggling Clarendon bar.

For the past couple of years years, Quintana and girlfriend Ivana Danschin have spent their spare time outside of work doing whatever they could to give their daughter Arianna the ability to hear.

Due to birth complications, Arianna — now two-and-a-half years old — was born deaf. But Quintana and Danschin successfully applied for her to be part of a clinical trial for an experimental Auditory Brainstem Implant, a technology that allows those like Arianna, who could not benefit from a cochlear implant, to hear.

Arianna was the fourth child in the United States to undergo this next-generation Auditory Brainstem Implant surgery, Quintana says.

While insurance is covering most of the cost, Quintana and Danschin have still encountered tens of thousands of dollars worth of expenses, prompting them to move out of Arlington and launch a GoFundMe page. And this coming Friday, two weeks before Arianna is set to undergo another surgery, they will be hosting a fundraiser at Bar Bao — the successor to Mad Rose — in Clarendon.

The fundraiser will run from 5 p.m. to close. On this week’s 26 Square Miles podcast, we asked Quintana about the fundraiser, about the first time he realized Arianna could hear after her initial surgery, and about why Arianna needs a second surgery.

Listen below or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher or TuneIn.

Photo via YouTube

Clarendon Businesses To Partner Tomorrow For Alzheimer’s Fundraiser

By Kalina Newman

The Alzheimer’s Association of the National Capital Area will partner with several Clarendon businesses tomorrow (Wednesday) to raise money for those suffering with Alzheimer’s.

Known as Clarendon Cares, participating businesses will offer special deals for the occasion and a portion of their proceeds will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association. The fundraiser coincides with the association’s “Longest Day” event, which encourages people to give on the summer solstice.

Anyone who can’t make it to any of the participating businesses Wednesday can donate online to help the Alzheimer’s Association reach its goal of raising $5,000.

And those posting on social media that day are encouraged to use the hashtag #ClarendonCares.

Local businesses participating are:

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Local Girl Featured on Today Show — Ellie McGinn, the 8-year-old Fairlington resident who’s battling a rare, degenerative disease, was featured on the Today Show on Tuesday. Ellie and her parents have been raising awareness and funds to search for a cure. [Today Show]

Tree Down on Glebe Road — A tree fell across N. Glebe Road this morning, blocking traffic between Chain Bridge and Military Road. Crews were able to clear the fallen tree and reopen the road by 7 a.m. [Twitter, Twitter]

Safety Changes for School Buses — Some Arlington school buses will be retrofitted over the summer with a brake interlock device, which prevents the parking brake from being disengaged before the brake pedal is pressed. The safety measure is being mandated statewide by the Virginia Department of Education. [InsideNova]

Car Break-in Spree Over Weekend — Yet another series of car break-ins was reported over the weekend. Police say more than 20 mostly unlocked vehicles were broken into. Police are reminding residents to lock their cars and to remove valuables from plain sight. [Twitter]

Advon Real Estate Hosts 7th Annual Heart + Pints Bazaar for Arlington Food Assistance Center

Heart + Pints Bazaar

Advon Real Estate and Green Drinks Arlington of Falls Church, VA, for the seventh year in a row has organized a benefit to inspire the community to think about local and free-trade artists while bringing awareness to a wonderful cause, the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). Gathering together local and free-trade artisans as well as makers and crafters for an evening to benefit the wonderful non-profit, AFAC, Advon Real Estate is hosting the 7th Annual Heart+Pints Bazaar on Thursday, March 23rd from 5pm-9pm.

This fantastic opportunity for our local artists to showcase their talents and contributions to sustainable efforts while being able to give back to the community — hence the donation to AFAC and an otherwise free event for the community is what the 7th Annual Heart+Pints Bazaar is all about. With such a successful event in the years past, we have added more local artisans and hope to arouse the senses with food, fun and creativity while bringing awareness to the AFAC’s ever present mission of feeding the hungry in our community — which happens to be a good portion of Arlington County residents who need extra help with food not just seasonally, but throughout the year.

The event will be held in the artist inspired Pallette 22 at 4053 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA 22206 on Thursday, March 23rd from 5pm to 9pm. A non-perishable food item is recommended to gain entrance to the event and will directly benefit AFAC. Pallette 22 is generously donating a portion of the bar to AFAC and holding Happy Hour specials for the duration of this public event. Various local artisans will be proudly displaying their creations which include items ranging from fine art, fused glass, pottery, photography, jewelry to paintings. A silent auction to benefit AFAC will also be held during the event. Please bring cash or checks; as only a few vendors will accept credit cards. Entry can be gained with the suggested donation of a non-perishable food item and all proceeds from the silent auction sales, as well as the non-perishable food items will be donated to AFAC. Last year over 500 lbs of food were donated and $2,500 was raised for the program. Over the last seven years, over $17,000 has been raised across all charities highlighted at this event.

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Fundraiser Planned for Nauck History Preservation Project

By Tim Regan

Image courtesy of Nauck Green Valley(Updated at 11:38 a.m.) Arlington residents will be able to raise a glass while raising money to help preserve the history of the Nauck neighborhood during an event later this month.

The Community Association of Resources, Education, Enrichment and Economics (CARE) is scheduled to host a fundraiser at the New District Brewing Company (2709 South Oakland St.) on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.

The fundraiser is set to include live entertainment, a silent auction and an exhibit of historic papers, photographs and memorabilia from notable Nauck people and businesses.

Proceeds from the event will go toward digitizing paper records, creating a “physical museum infrastructure at Nauck Town Square” and hosting “inter-community meetups and events to foster conversations with other Arlington civic associations and encourage community learning and partnerships in development,” organizers said.

More from the fundraiser’s Eventbrite page:

Green Valley Remembered and Preserved is a kick-off fundraiser to support the historic preservation of Nauck’s History and Heritage. On display will be a collection of papers, photographs and memorabilia that is being preserved and shared as a historic preservation project. The collections feature John Robinson, Churches that migrated from Freedman’s Village in 1866, the work of the Nauck Civic Association, Bridge Builders of Nauck and the overall history on development and happenings in the African American Community of Nauck, established in 1844.

This proposal therefore seeks investment to develop a “preservation” infrastructure.

Funds will be used to:

  • Digitize, organize and preserve more than 150 years of past paper records in an effort to capture its remarkable narrative. Partner with Arlington County to develop a physical ‘museum’ infrastructure at Nauck Town Square to celebrate community history and highlight its most notable residents and businesses. Preserve the past but nurture the future.
  • Funds will be used to organize inter-community meetups and events to foster conversations with other Arlington civic associations and encourage community learning and partnerships in development.

Send us your family stories and information and artifacts that should be in our community archives for future generations. Call 703-486-0058 or email [email protected].

Image courtesy of Nauck Green Valley Remembered

Money Being Raised for Family That Lost ‘Nearly Everything’ in Fire

By ARLnow.com
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An online fundraiser has been launched for a family that lost “nearly everything they owned” in a New Year’s Day house fire.

The fire, on the 2400 block of S. Nelson Street in Nauck, just about gutted the home the family was renting. It also killed their beloved puppy, Jessie, who was found under the bed of one of the family’s three daughters, according to an online fundraising page.

“Help is needed for them to find a new home and start over,” says the fundraising page. “Unfortunately they did not have renter’s insurance and are solely relying on help from others. Please donate to help this family get back on their feet.”

So far nearly $1,500 has been raised in the past 12 hours, which includes one anonymous $1,200 donation.

Road Closures Planned for Jingle Bell Run 5K in Pentagon City

By ARLnow.com

Jingle Bell Run logoA number of road closures are planned Saturday morning for the 2016 Jingle Bell Run/Walk 5K.

The race, which benefits the Arthritis Foundation, kicks off at 9 a.m. tomorrow in front of the Pentagon Row shopping center (1101 S. Joyce Street).

Via ACPD:

The Arlington County Police Department will close South Joyce Street and sections of Army Navy Drive for the 2016 Jingle Bell Run/Walk 5k on Saturday, December 3, 2016.

The affected streets are listed below:

  • South Joyce Street between South 15th Street and Army Navy Drive will be closed from 5:30 AM until 11:00 AM.
  • Army Navy Drive between South Joyce Street and South 25th Street will be closed from 7:00 AM until 11:00 AM.

Race attendees are encouraged to use Metro, however; if driving as a participant or spectator please utilize the parking garage at the Pentagon City Mall.

Street parking in the area will be restricted. Motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No Parking” signs. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed or towed. If your vehicle is towed from a public street, call 703-558-2222.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Food trucks near Ballston Mall

County Manager on Buck Property — County staff have “made no recommendations for any specific function” at the to-be-acquired Buck property near Washington-Lee High School, the county said in a press release this morning. Nearby residents have launched a petition against a proposal to use the property for school bus operations. Said Arlington County Manager Mark Schwarz: “Our ability to provide essential services is only as good as the facilities we have to support them. As our population continues to grow, our services will either deteriorate or cost the taxpayer more without adequate support facilities.” [Arlington County]

Fundraiser for Employee Struck By SUV — A fundraiser for a Mad Rose Tavern employee run over by an SUV raised more than $5,000 last night, the restaurant’s manager said on Facebook. Victoria Gonzalez, 34, is still in the hospital, preparing to begin rehabilitation. The next court appearance for the DUI suspect in the case is scheduled for Nov. 17. [WJLA]

Bowl’d to Introduce Breakfast — Healthy fast casual eatery Bowl’d (1028 N. Garfield Street) in Clarendon is introducing weekend breakfast service from 9 a.m. to noon, starting this Saturday. Bowl’d founder Allen Reed says the restaurant will be “giving away breakfast tacos, greek yogurt bowls and hot breakfast bowls to the first 150 people who come through our doors this weekend.”

Talento to Bring New Perspective to School Board — Democrat Tannia Talento, who’s running unopposed for Arlington School Board, says she wants to bring “the perspective of the working parent” to the Board. Another unique perspective: Talento said economic and family issues prevented her from getting a college degree. Talento says her priorities on the Board will be dealing with the growing student population, improving access to mental health services and narrowing the achievement gap. [InsideNova]

Arlington Lauded for LGBTQ Protections — “Arlington has been named one of 37 American ‘All-Star Cities‘ acclaimed for their high standard of inclusiveness toward their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer communities.” [Arlington County]

Innovative Companies in Crystal City — Business publication Bisnow says the following are “five disruptive companies establishing Crystal City as [a] nexus of innovation:” Lyft, TMSOFT, OrcaVue, Polynox Solutions and FourStay. [Bisnow]

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