Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Ingrao told the crowd gathered for the announcement of this year’s Best of Reston award recipients last Wednesday, Feb. 24 that he and the chamber thought any community, like a stool, was held up by three legs — the government, business and nonprofit sectors. "We believe the whole community needs to be strong," he said, noting that nonprofits even contribute directly to commerce by making up 18 percent of local job opportunities.

The annual Best of Reston reception, as well as the awards ceremony that will follow in April, are carried out through a partnership between the Reston chamber and the community’s most prominent nonprofit organization, Reston Interfaith. All proceeds from the events go to Reston Interfaith, and Lynn Gilmore of Northrop Grumman directed the crowd gathered at Vinifera Wine Bar and Bistro in the Westin Reston Heights Hotel that evening to a model house representing the nonprofit’s 42nd home, which she said last year’s Best of Reston event paid for. The house was dedicated to the chamber in May.

"It’s wonderful what we’re about — supporting people who have great needs," Gilmore said, adding that those needs were now greater than ever.

This year’s fund-raising goal was $300,000, and it was announced that $218,000 had already been raised. "Now is the time not to meet $300,000 but to exceed it," said Georgia Graves of Bridgeman Communications Inc.

THE AWARDS recognize individuals, civic organizations, corporations and small businesses that have shown a commitment to community service and improving the lives of others, as well as police officers and fire fighters of the year.

This year’s individual awards will go to Imam Mohammed Magid of the All Dulles-Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) and Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk of the Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation for their longtime work in promoting an ongoing dialogue between their members; Holly Norris, director of environmental services at Reston Hospital Center, for bringing English as a Second Language courses to the hospital, spearheading a variety of local charitable events, and supporting active troops and wounded veterans; and Emily Ward for her volunteer work at Reston Interfaith’s affordable child care center, the Laurel Learning Center.

Reston Historic Trust will take the civic organization award for its work to preserve and interpret Reston’s history, maintaining the Reston Museum, which underwent major renovations last year, and providing educational programs and hosting events like Founders Day and the Reston Homes Tour.

The Sheraton and Westin hotels at Reston Heights will share the corporate business award in recognition of the care they show their employees, their donations to the community, their sponsorship of various charitable events and the many hours of volunteer work performed by their employees.

One small business award will go to the Virginia Spine Institute for its donations of time and money to various local and national philanthropic organizations, its environmental stewardship and its progressive, successful track record of patient care. Wetland Studies and Solutions Inc., which is in the middle of a major stream restoration project throughout Reston, will receive the other small business award in recognition of its environmental leadership, its various conservation-oriented education efforts and the thousands of weekend and evening hours its staff has dedicated to engaging the community in its work.

OFFICER Eric Glueckert is to be named Police Officer of the Year for his work on several high-profile cases, including his attempted resuscitation of a suicide fatality, a grand larceny case that also led to the resolution of an auto theft and the recovery of a stolen rifle left in a car parked in a residential neighborhood, and others. And the firefighters of the year are Ronald McNew and Craig Furneisen Jr. of the Wiehle Avenue Fire Station, who rescued an unconscious resident from a house fire and helped save the house from sustaining total fire damage.

Residents are invited to learn more about the awardees at the 19th annual Best of Reston Gala on April 15 at the Hyatt Regency Reston.