Council defers on School Resource Officer funding reallocation — “On Tuesday, Alexandria City Council deferred a decision on releasing funding for school resource officers for other positions at Alexandria City Public Schools. The decision is scheduled for a July 6 public hearing.” [Patch]
Levine agrees to pay for primary mailer on House letterhead — “Levine, who lost both his primary contests, said in an interview he saw the mailing as an “informational letter” explaining the unique circumstances of why he was appearing on the ballot twice. He said he still doesn’t think it clearly qualified as campaign advertising, but agreed to reimburse the clerk’s office to clear up the matter after others complained.” [Virginia Mercury]
Paving wrapping up on Commonwealth Avenue — “Commonwealth Ave should be finished by the end of the week (striping and speed cushions to follow) Paving continues on West Glebe Rd.” [Twitter]
Injured Titan soccer player makes $5,000 GoFundMe goal — “Mahmoud is a goalie and was playing a soccer game when he collided with someone, he got 2 fractures in the lower jaw, dislocated TM joint, and he lost 2 teeth with damaged gums. The surgical procedure required 6 screws and wiring to hold the jaw together, he won’t be able to eat or talk for 6 weeks to heal. The donation would help a lot with the medical bills.” [GoFundMe]
Alexandria Aces return — “The COVID-19 pandemic may have resulted in empty stands and untouched uniforms last year, but the Alexandria Aces are finally back for their 13th season in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League – with a few adjustments.” [Alex Times]
Today’s weather — “Intervals of clouds and sunshine (during the day). High 83F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph… Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.” [Weather.com]
New job: Multiple positions available at the Chart House — “$500 Sign-On Bonus – $100 once training is complete and $100 every 30 days for 4 months. This isn’t just your next job – it’s your opportunity to be part of an amazing team that delivers on our promise to meet and exceed our guest’s experience the moment they walk through our doors!” [Indeed]
The garden wall of the historic Lee-Fendall House (614 Oronoco Street) in Old Town took a beating earlier this week, but support from the local community has helped put the wall on the road to repair.
A few days after announcing that a significant portion of the home’s wall had collapsed, the home has raised $5,005 to help boost repair efforts.
“On Saturday, June 12, 2021, a 70-foot portion of the original brick wall surrounding Lee-Fendall’s historic garden collapsed,” the museum said on its fundraising page. “Originally built of hand-formed brick in a Flemish bond pattern over a fieldstone foundation and likely constructed by enslaved workers, the wall dates to around the year 1800 and has been an integral part of our historic fabric. It post-dates the construction of our house by only about 15 years and tells an important part of Lee-Fendall’s story and of Alexandria’s.”
The museum raised $1,000 in the first day of the fundraiser. The Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden has set a goal of $125,000 for the fundraiser, the estimated full-cost for the repair effort. The wall repair is particularly difficult due to the need to have an architectural engineer help plan the repair using the original bricks.
“Museum staff are working closely with Alexandria’s Board of Architectural Review and with local firms specializing in historic masonry preservation on a multi-phase plan to repair the wall,” the museum said. “This will be a major project for the museum, costing over $125,000 in full. Our first and immediate need is for $14,000 in funding to cover the cost of working with an architectural engineer on a plan for the repair which uses the original bricks.”
It’s been a tough week at Lee-Fendall, with the collapse of 70 feet of our c.1800 garden wall – but we are so encouraged by the wonderful support and generosity of the Alexandria community. https://t.co/b9mmqIUieZ pic.twitter.com/WBLmeB97Bx
— Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden (@leefendallhouse) June 23, 2021
A 54-year-old Alexandria woman died at the scene of a crash Friday, after veering her Dodge Ram off Interstate 95 in Hanover County and into a Volvo being repaired by its owner on the shoulder of the road. (Courtesy VSP)
“Candace S. Fields-Rogers, 54, of Alexandria, Va., was driving the Ram,” Virginia State Police reported. “She was wearing a seatbelt. She succumbed to her injuries onscene.”
The driver of the Volvo was underneath his tractor trailer making repairs when the crash occurred near the 93-mile marker. He was sent to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No one else was injured, and an investigation into the crash is ongoing, police said.
Fields-Rogers leaves behind a husband and two children. Last year, she launched a GoFundMe campaign to help her husband, a U.S. Army veteran with a traumatic brain injury. She raised $10,000 of her $50,000 goal for the still-open fundraiser.
Courtesy VSP
ACT for Alexandria raised $2.5 million for more than 156 local nonprofits during its 11th annual Spring2ACTion fundraiser — breaking the $2.45 million record set last year.
As of Thursday morning, 8,250 donors raised $2,509,133 for 156 nonprofits in Alexandria for the biggest one-day fundraiser in Alexandria. The final numbers are currently being tallied, and stragglers will be allowed to donate through the weekend.
“The Alexandria community has done it again,” ACT President and CEO Heather Peeler told ALXnow. “It’s remarkable and I can hardly even put words to just how much appreciation I have for the enormous generosity of this community.”
The top three recipients were RunningBrooke with $165,053.60, followed by Casa Chirilagua with $106,247.34 and Friends of Guest House with $100,715.
“What we achieve is only possible because there are 156 nonprofits who are reaching out to their board members and their constituents and getting their friends involved,” Peeler said. “We had over 70 local businesses participating who were engaging their customers and their employees. It was an all-hands-on-deck effort across the community.
Spring2ACTion has raised million for local nonprofits since its founding 11 years ago. All donations are tax deductible and irrevocable.
The Del Ray Business Association also raised $18,466.92 from 127 donors, soundly beating the Old Town Business Association in its fundraising challenge. OTBA raised $16,272 from seven donors.
Peeler is thankful of her staff of six, especially Brandi Yee, ACT for Alexandria’s chief program officer.
“Brandi has been with Spring2ACTion from the beginning, and this would not be possible if it weren’t for her,” Peeler said. “She has tremendous relationships with the nonprofit community and donors, and has so much insight in terms of what to do and how to make it happen.”
Spring2ACTion Top 10:
- RunningBrooke raised $165,053.60 from 198 donors
- Casa Chirilagua raised $106,247.34 from 369 donors
- Friends of Guest House raised $100,715 from 170 donors
- ALIVE! raised $98,649.24 from 471 donors
- Carpenter’s Shelter raised $73,050 from 300 donors
- Space of Her Own, Inc. (SOHO) raised $62,731.38 from 174 donors
- King Street Cats raised $62,465 from 495 donors
- Together We Bake raised $60,378 from 193 donors
- Center for Alexandria’s Children raised $51,040 from 134 donors
- Alexandria Tutoring Consortium raised $49,805 from 180 donors
Thank you Alexandria for an amazing #Spring2ACTion !
Our community has again shown incredible generosity in support of the Alexandria non-profits working to address critical needs in our City. pic.twitter.com/jbape63NCh
— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) April 29, 2021
Way to go #AlexandriaVa! Shout out to @ACTforAlex for another amazing #Spring2ACTion We live, work, play in an incredible community! pic.twitter.com/nUoeXY6O7w
— Alexandria Chamber (@TheChamberALX) April 29, 2021
And that's a wrap on Spring2Action 2021! Thank you for spending the day with us. We're tired but inspired and ready to work on expanding play opportunities in our community. pic.twitter.com/xV6BBxyKtf
— Alexandria Soccer (@AlexandriaSoc) April 29, 2021
The biggest one-day fundraiser in Alexandria is here. Spring2ACTion started this morning and donors have until midnight to contribute to more than 150 nonprofits in the city.
Last year’s event raised $2.45 million from 8,453 donors, and the goal has been raised to $2.5 million. This year, event organizer ACT for Alexandria is looking for 10,000 donors.
Last year’s top recipients were:
- ALIVE!, with $145,611 and 491 donors
- RunningBrooke with $115,250 and 163 donors
- Casa Chirilagua with $101,609 and 365 donors
Spring2ACTion has also gained the attention of 36 businesses in the the Del Ray Business Association and Old Town Business Association, which are competing to outraise each other.
What if we all gave on one day? Today we can during #Spring2ACTion, Alexandria’s giving day! @Spring2ACT is a 24-hour online event that connects donors with the charitable causes they care about most and encourages them to take action. Give now at https://t.co/kq39cinwrG.
— AlexandriaVAGov (@AlexandriaVAGov) April 28, 2021
TODAY is Spring2ACTion!
Help ALIVE! reach our goal of $80,000!
DONATE to ALIVE! at Spring2ACTion before midnight tonight https://t.co/dT4cB6gqhw pic.twitter.com/UFPlZzk5Ii
— ALIVE! (@ALIVE4AlexVA) April 28, 2021
It’s time to @Spring2ACT !
I just contributed to an amazing group of Alexandria non-profits. Will you join me? https://t.co/PdhEN2PBWX
— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) April 28, 2021
It’s #Spring2ACTion – the day when Alexandrians come together and support the organizations that serve our community in the best of times and during challenging times. Join me in supporting nonprofits like the Alexandria Library Foundation. https://t.co/eohVeEUmEn pic.twitter.com/Jg4P86PYD2
— Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (@EBPforVA) April 28, 2021
The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria has done it again. On Saturday, the nonprofit raised more than $450,000 for college-bound Alexandria students at its annual gala, which was held virtually for the second year in a row.
The gala was held this year at Jack Taylor’s Alexandria Toyota, which also raffled off a $25,000 Toyota RAV-4 to T.C. Williams High School biology teacher Jennifer Darque. More than 400 dinners and deals were also auctioned off in the event, which was attended in-person by Mayor Justin Wilson and his wife, Alex Crawford-Batt, who received a SFA scholarship when she was a student.
“The need for scholarships in this community is great,” said SFA Director Beth Lovain. “Each year we have to turn kids away because we simply do not have the funds to help all of our students in need, especially this year with the economic fallout from COVID wreaking havoc on families that already struggle financially. But what I want to convey most is my overwhelming pride in our 2021 scholarship recipients. They are truly Generation Resilient. Through all of the adversity and through all of the challenges of COVID and 2020, they have remained poised and focused, their college dreams will not be pushed aside”
The Scholarship Fund awarded $525,000 in scholarships to 180 students from the class of 2021. Last year, SFA awarded $507,000Â to 181 students, and the nonprofit has given $17 million to more than 5,000 students since its founding in 1986.
“I couldn’t be more grateful,” said T.C. senior Mikias Elias after receiving the $40,000 SFA Collis Warner Scholarship. “This scholarship brings great relief to my family knowing that college won’t be a financial struggle for us.”
Elias was recently accepted into the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech.
“This scholarship will make my education at Virginia Tech possible,” he said. “On behalf of the Class of 2021 Scholarship awardees, I’d also like to say we are all relieved to know that we have financial support, and we are so proud that you believe in us.”
https://twitter.com/AlexScholarship/status/1386769366210031619
T.C. Williams completes comeback to win school’s first volleyball state championship — “For a moment, T.C. Williams sophomore Milan Rex was scared. The Titans were trailing Kellam two sets to one in the Virginia Class 6 championship Friday in Alexandria, and the chance at a perfect season seemed to be fading. Coach A.J. DeSain reminded the Titans they belonged in this moment, enabling Rex to lock in. She then powered T.C. Williams to a 23-25, 25-19, 18-25, 25-19, 17-15 victory — the program’s first state title. [Washington Post]
Mayor Wilson defends donation from Planning Commission Chair — “Planning Commission Chair Nathan Macek gave Wilson a donation the day after Wilson voted with the majority of council to reappoint Macek to his post. Macek’s employer, the engineering firm WSP, has played a leading role in numerous large projects in Alexandria, including the under-construction Potomac Yard Metro.” [Alex Times]
ACPS shifting to three-foot distancing in classrooms — “With our work to reconfigure our classrooms to three feet of physical distance between students, we will have all classrooms reconfigured and our strategy to accommodate lunch by April 26 which will allow us to transition more students after April 27. Read more about the planning and implementation process below.” [ACPS]
Alexandria Police hang out with ARHA residents — “We had a great time spending time with the Princess Square community this morning. Our officers had fun on the playground with the kids. Thank you ARHA for inviting us to stop by.” [Twitter]
Inova Landmark named ‘Deal of 2020’ by Washington Business Journal — “I constantly hear ‘I’ll believe it when I see it.’ … But the hard part is done. It was about assembling the right players and having the will to get it done.” [Washington Business Journal]
Wilson, Chapman, Aguirre, McPike and Gaskins gets rush of endorsements — “The decisions to be made are tough and require bold, consensus-building leadership. We are encouraged by the number of candidates stepping forward to run for City Council and Mayor this year. We think there are some in particular that stand out as ready to lead us through the recovery.” [Alexandria Forward]
Handgun and animal bones found in Potomac River cleanup — “There was an interesting discovery during an Earth Day river clean-up along the Alexandria waterfront today. A handgun and what were determined to be animal bones were found. The weapon was determined to be many years old. Thank you for calling APD!” [Facebook]
Today’s weather — “Sunny skies (during the day). High 67F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph… Clear to partly cloudy (in the evening). Low 47F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.” [Weather.com]
New job: Worship producer — “The Worship Producer supports the communications ministry at Aldersgate United Methodist Church (AUMC). As part of the staff team, the Producer will design and create video and media content for in-person and online worship (which may also be used for marketing and promotional purposes) and will be responsible for online streaming of Sunday morning worship. The Producer, assisted by other church leaders, will build a video ministry volunteer team to assist them in designing, creating, and sharing content video content for the church.” [Indeed]
Spring2ACTion starts early giving — “Alexandria’s official Day of Giving is April 28, but early giving is open and residents are generously donating to more than 100 local nonprofit organizations.” [Alexandria Living]
Citizen group advicates to return to ward representation — “For most of its history since the early 1800s, the City of Alexandria had neighborhood-based  representation on its city council. Now, a bipartisan coalition of residents is calling for a return to that type of government, arguing that ward representation would foster better service and accountability to residents.” [Alexandria Living]
Mister Kleen donates hand sanitizer dispensers to Neighborhood Health –“Mister Kleen Maintenance Company, Inc. is giving back to the community with a donation of more than 100 automatic hand sanitizer dispensers with stands to Neighborhood Health, a local nonprofit community health center that serves more than 42,000 patients in clinics across Alexandria, Arlington, and Fairfax County.” [Zebra]
Today’s weather — “Thunderstorms in the morning will give way to partly cloudy skies and gusty winds late. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Morning high of 67F with temps falling to near 55. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 80%… Clear (in the evening). Gusty winds diminishing after midnight. Low 37F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph.” [Weather.com]
New job: Bartenders — “Doyles Outpost is the newest FUN in town a uniquely designed entertainment concept featuring a mouthwatering menu, full bar, novel two level laser tag arena, the latest arcade games and the HologateTM virtual reality attraction. We are the perfect venue for your next corporate event, social gathering or birthday party.” [Indeed]
Spring2ACTion, the biggest annual fundraiser for Alexandria nonprofits, is around the corner and organizers want to raise $2.5 million from 10,000 donors.
On April 28, donors will get a 24 hour chance to contribute to more than 150 nonprofits in the city.
Last year’s event raised $2.45 million from 8,453 donors, and the money was a lifeline during the beginning days of the pandemic.
Spring2ACTion is hosted by the foundation ACT for Alexandria, and has raised more than $12.5 million for local nonprofits since its founding 11 years ago. Last year alone, ACT for Alexandria distributed $5.7 million to support 131 Alexandria nonprofits.
“Last year was like a lifeline for our organizations,” Brandi Yee, ACT for Alexandria’s chief program officer, told ALXnow. “This is people’s livelihoods, and Spring2ACTion allowed organizations to pay salaries and help people through the pandemic. And it was used to help all these nonprofits pivot to meet the needs of their clients who are experiencing the effects of the pandemic.”
Last year’s top recipients were:
- ALIVE!, with $145,611 and 491 donors
- RunningBrooke with $115,250 and 163 donors
- Casa Chirilagua with $101,609 and 365 donors
This year’s Spring2ACTion has also gained the attention of 36 businesses in the the Del Ray Business Association and Old Town Business Association, which are competing to outraise each other.
Photo via DASH/Facebook
Alexandria woman wins $1 million in lottery — “Clarice Chandler told lottery officials “it was just by chance” she bought a ticket at Royal Farms at 5301 Jefferson Davis Highway in Fredericksburg. She claimed her prize three months later, becoming one of four $1 million winners in the New Year’s Day drawing.” [Patch]
Florence King joining City Council race as independent — “An Alexandria resident and business owner for thirty years, Florence M. King filed the organizational paperwork as an Independent candidate to get on the ballot, and is running for one of the six open seats on Alexandria’s City Council.” [Zebra]
ALIVE! announces $80K fundraising goal — “FUNDRAISE for ALIVE! at Spring2ACTion Multiply your support by becoming a FUNDRAISER for ALIVE! at Spring2ACTion., expanding our outreach, and helping us meet our goal of $80,000.” [Twitter]
Today’s weather — “Overcast (during the day). A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 66F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph… Cloudy (in the evening). A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 56F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.” [Weather.com]
New job: Bartender at the Chart House — “This isn’t just your next job – it’s your opportunity to be part of an amazing team that delivers on our promise to meet and exceed our guest’s experience the moment they walk through our doors! We offer structured programs for growth and career advancement and consider our employees to be our greatest asset.” [Indeed]
