Fall Cocktail Reception & Silent Auction
A reception showcasing Art in the Pages, a first-time public art sculpture initiative taking place throughout Fairfax County and in City of Fairfax will be held on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 4 – 7 p.m. at the Gannett Headquarters (7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean).
Attendees will have an opportunity to bid on statuettes at silent auction, see the unveiling of the large four-foot high book sculpture to travel throughout Fairfax County. Meet local artists, community leaders, Art in the Pages sponsors and representatives of Fairfax County Public Library and Fairfax Library Foundation. Silent auction proceeds benefit the programs and services of Fairfax County Public Library funded by the Fairfax Library Foundation.
D.C. Benefit for the Levine School of Music
The Levine School of Music invites locals to take in the crafts, as it hosts a private evening of art and music at the Washington Craft Show on Friday, Nov. 7 from 7 – 9:30 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (801 Mt. Vernon Place NW, Washington, D.C.). The show will offer guests the opportunity to view and purchase a variety of works, from fine jewelry to hand-crafted furniture, from more than 200 of America’s finest artisans – all while enjoying food, wine and music provided by Levine’s world-class faculty.
Proceeds will support Levine’s scholarship and outreach programs which provide more than 900 children with free music instruction at a cost to Levine of over $800,000 this past year.
The benefit is sponsored by the Harry and Lea Gudelsky Foundation in memory of Paul Gudelsky.
National Tour of Solar Homes in Falls Church
The 18th Annual Tour of Solar Homes and Buildings will take place from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4 and 5. The tour will include over 50 homes encompassing an area from Frederick and Baltimore counties in Maryland, the D.C. Metro area to Northern Virginia.
Visitors will be able to tour the homes and discuss the energy conserving systems with the homeowners. Tickets can be downloaded for free from the website at www.solartour.org. For more information, call 202-502-7347.
New ‘Jill’s House’ Center Holds Opening Ceremony
A new center to provide respite, therapeutic programs and related services to children with disabilities broke ground Saturday, Sept. 13, at McLean Bible Church’s Tysons Campus (8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna). The event begins “Phase One” of the Jill’s House construction effort, which will provide space for short-term respite for up to 30 children, along with areas for therapeutic programming, recreation and other services. Construction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2010.
Jill’s House, Inc. is a Christian non-profit organization established in 2003 for the puropose of providing non-discriminatory care and support to children with special needs and their families.
McLean AAUW Recycles Books for Scholarships
The McLean Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is holding its 39th annual used-book sale on Sept. 19, 20 and 21 at the McLean Community Center (1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean). The will be three rooms of sorted used books: the Treasures Room for books of particular interest and value, the Main room, and the Children’s Room. The proceeds of the sale will go to funding of the AAUW Educational Foundation, the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund and for local scholarships awarded to re-entry women students as George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, and the School of Professional Studies at Trinity University in Washington, D.C.
Arlington Animal Welfare League Gets Four Stars
The Animal Welfare League of Arlington received its second consecutive four-star rating for sound fiscal management from Charity Navigator, for its ability to efficiently manage and grow its finances. Only 17 percent of the charities rated have received at least two consecutive four-star evaluations, indicating that Animal Welfare League of Arlington consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way, and outperforms most other charities in America.
Mental Illness Awareness Week Conference in F.C.
The Ninth Annual Mental Illness Awareness Week Conference will be held Friday, Sept. 26, at the Fairview Park Marriott (3111 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church) from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. The conference theme is, “Mental Illness – Dispelling the Stigma.” Conference activities will include a morning panel discussion and a luncheon featuring speaker Charles Barber, who was educated at Harvard University and Columbia University and worked for 10 years in New York City shelters for homeless persons with mental illness.
The cost of the conference and luncheon is $35 and consumer scholarships are available. Registration information is available by visiting, www.fairfaxcounty.gov. Information is also available by calling 703-324-7000, or for those with hearing disabilities call 703-802-3015.
Volunteers Needed for October ESOL Program
New volunteer tutors are needed to help area adults learn to speak, understand, read and write English. With many adult students currently on a waiting list to be matched with tutors, the program is eager to train volunteers. English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) tutor training workshops will be held at the James Lee Community Center (2855 Annandale Rd., Falls Church) on Oct. 11, 18 and 25 from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. For more information, call 703-237-0866 ext. 111.
The Center Dance Company Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
The Center Dance Company introduced their new dance training facility to the community in a grand opening celebration this Tuesday at 3443 Carlin Springs Road in Falls Church. Speakers at the event included Penny Gross from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Kathyrn Fredgren, founder of the Center Dance Company and Arlington Center for Dance and Nacie Woods, Artistic Director of the Center Dance Company. For more information, call Jennifer Gradle at 703-533-8488.
Mini Fun Day at Monkey Business
Enjoy a Mini-Fun Day with crafts, face painting, the Children’s Hospital Bear mascot, live entertainment including Mr. Skip, cookies, free play, great raffle items to win from Monkey Business, Argia’s, The Four Provinces, Dr. Hackney’s Parenting Playgroups, and more. Get a chance to learn more about the Care for Kids Card. The event will be held on Sept. 24 from 2:30 – 6 p.m. at Monkey Business (442 S. Washington St., Falls Church). Optional $50 donation to the Children’s National Medical Center will buy donators a Care for Kids Card. Go to careforkidscard@gmail.com to send a required R.S.V.P.
McLean Rotary Program Supports Literacy
The Rotary Club of McLean, with the financial support of Provident Bank, has renewed a cooperative partnership to help students from Timber Lane Elementary School learn to read. A check in the amount of $8,000 was presented to Timber Lane Vice Principal Jim Quinn on Sept. 9 at the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of McLean.
The program involved volunteer rotarians providing age-appropriate books to more than 150 children in kindergarten and first grade four times during the school year. Also, rotarians will visit the classrooms and read the books to
the students. The children get to keep the books and take them home to read over and over again.
Blessing of the Animals in Arlington
Mount Olivet United Methodist Church (1500 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington) in Arlington is hosting a Blessing of the Animals service on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m. Bring your pets, or photos of them, and have them blessed by the Church’s pastors. The church will celebrate the role of animals in our lives as part of God’s beautiful creation. The service will be held outside on the grass between the church and the parking lot at 16th Street. For more information, call 703-527-3934 or visit www.mtolivet-umc.org.
‘Scandalous’ Book Signing in DC
A lecture and book signing by author Eleanor Herman on her book “Scandalous Diplomatic Relations: Cardinal Mazarin and the Pope’s Mistress” will take place Friday Sept. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at Alliance Française (2142 Wyoming Ave., NW Washington, D.C.) For more information, call 202-234-7911 ext 16.
