F.C. Kid Throws 1st Pitch at Nats Game for ‘Star Wars Day’

Bryce Burstein, a local kindergartner at Haycock Elementary, was not expecting the VIP treatment at the “Star Wars Day” game on Saturday (May the fourth be with you), but his Darth Vader outfit had other plans.

Decked out in “Star Wars” outfits and waiting in a long line to take pictures with “Star Wars” characters on the concourse level, Burstein and his mother, Jenny Vandrovec, were approached by Stormtroopers — who asked Bryce to come with them.

“The next thing we knew, we were walking down the tunnel onto the field!” Vandrovec said. Flanked by a Stormtrooper on one side and Supreme Leader Snoke on the other, Burstein was approached by MLB pitcher Kyle Finnegan, who came out and asked him to throw the first pitch of the game.

With a slight drizzle, and peering through his Vader mask, the six-year-old Burstein — who also sports a senior blue belt in MMA — threw a solid strike to Finnegan as a packed stadium cheered.

Enjoy additional pictures and video at the end of this page.

Women’s History Walk This Saturday at Cherry Hill Park

The 2024 Falls Church Women’s History Walk is this Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. — 3:00 p.m. in Cherry Hill Park. The event is composed of 67 self-guided “Her Story” stations setup throughout the park representing the F.C. Women’s History “All-Stars,” showcasing the stellar contributions of women to our community from the 1600s through today. The Farmhouse will be open to the public for the occasion, with organizers hinting that Judge Riley may make a surprise appearance.

At noon, join a special ceremony on the front porch of the Cherry Hill Farmhouse to recognize this year’s Grand Marshals and Honorees: Betty Allan, Maureen Budetti, Cynthia Garner, Mary Gavin, Marian Selby, Merelyn Kaye, and Nancy Stock.

Other signs and stations featured in and around the park will be civic group displays including the Young Women of Action from our Middle and High Schools, and Falls Church Entrepreneurial Women.

The Women’s History Walk was founded by the Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation and is presented by The Falls Church Women’s History Group. For more information about walks past and present, visit sites.google.com/view/fc-womens-history-walk/home.

150 Food For Neighbors Volunteers Fight Local Hunger

Wrapping up National Volunteer Week with community service, 150 local volunteers rolled up their sleeves to tackle teen food insecurity in the Falls Church vicinity.

150 volunteers! That’s approximately how many local community members showed up at Luther Jackson Middle School on April 27 to collect and sort over 4,800 pounds of food and toiletries bound for Jackson MS, Falls Church HS, Justice HS, Annandale HS, Fairfax HS, and Cedar Lane School.

These are six of 47 Food For Neighbors schools that received nearly 26,000 pounds of donations collected. It was the perfect way to highlight the power of volunteerism as National Volunteer Week came to a close.

Food For Neighbors is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that helps schools establish in-house pantries, and mobilizes communities surrounding the schools to fill them with food and toiletries, donated through the nonprofit’s popular Red Bag Program.

The program makes food readily accessible for students to get a boost of energy during the school day and to take home to enjoy over weekends and holidays. For the most vulnerable students, Food For Neighbors also provides grocery store gift cards, so students and their families may shop for food that they most need, like fresh fruits and vegetables.

In the Falls Church operational area, 33 volunteer drivers and their helpers collected over 4,800 pounds of food and toiletries from 345 generous households. The drivers then delivered the donations to Luther Jackson Middle School, where approximately 90 volunteers sorted and transported them to nearby schools. Among the many volunteers were representatives from the Kiwanis Club of Tysons, Social4Good, the Junior Volunteer League, and the Hunter Mill Chapter of the Young Men’s Service League.

“The experience was amazing — so well organized, and the amount of donations was truly impressive,” shared Kelly DeSenti, who helped to coordinate participation by her Social4Good colleagues. “The impact of teen food insecurity is far reaching and to contribute in this way was greatly appreciated.”

School staff, who connect Food For Neighbors resources with teens in need, have shared heartfelt stories about the gratitude and relief that students and their families feel when they receive the supplemental food support. Staff surveys also reflect that the majority of students experience multiple, positive impacts, including more regular school attendance and better focus. This helps students reach their full potential, which lifts them and the community up as a whole.

Karen Joseph, Food For Neighbors founder and executive director, greatly appreciates the community members that make their work possible. She shared, “As National Volunteer Week comes to a close, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you who has dedicated your time and energy to our mission… your commitment lights the way toward a brighter future, free from childhood hunger. Your actions inspire hope and warmth within our community. We are deeply grateful for your efforts and truly could not do this without you. Thank you for being such an integral part of our journey and for your continued support.”

To learn more, please visit foodforneighbors.org/get-involved.