<i>Send announcements to The Herndon Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to herndon@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. Call Jean Card at 703-917-6437, with questions. This free listing is reserved for activities and events that are open to the public at no or minimal cost.</i>
A panel of experts will talk about the rewards and realities of a career in fund raising and development in a program being offered Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The program will take place at The University of Phoenix, 11730 Plaza America in Reston.
To be successful, nonprofit organizations require access to ongoing sources of funding and support. Event planning, communicating with corporate boards and creating innovative proposals are all part of the professional fund-raiser’s job. Amanda Andere, director of development at Reston Interfaith, Leslie Brady, manager of special fund-raising projects at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children, and Tracy Tajbi, assistant vice president of community counseling services, at Community Counseling Service, Co., a fund-raising consulting firm, will share their expertise.
For information about this, or other Women’s Center programs, contact the Women’s Center at 703-281-2657.
The Virginia Jaycees, the premier leadership training organization for young adults 21-40, will hold its quarterly convention and careers conference May 13-15, at the Dulles Days Inn and Conference Center in Herndon. An awards banquet, recognizing the achievements of outstanding young leaders throughout the commonwealth of Virginia, called Outstanding Young Virginians (OYV), will be held at 6 p.m., on Saturday, May 14. Registration is required.
William Evans of Careerbuilder.com and leading federal jobs expert, Sandy Harris, founder and publisher of Fedjobs.com are featured presenters. Open to members and the general public, the Careers In Bloom conference offers networking opportunities, a dinner banquet and leadership development to enhance and/or expand personal and professional growth. The event will include employers from various industries, including state, local and federal government, health care, retail, banking and many more. Virginia Business Magazine, published by Media General, is the media sponsor of the 2005 Outstanding Young Virginian Award program.
Preregistration is strongly recommended to ensure receipt of seminar materials. On site registration is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Contact Trish Tyler, management vice president, at 804-804-301-6010 or e-mail mgmtvp@va-jaycees.org.
The team from Herndon Fortnightly Library for the Relay for Life will have a yard sale with all the proceeds going to American Cancer Society on Saturday, May 14, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Town Square in front of the depot. They will also sell homemade baked goods. Rain date is Sunday, May 15.
The Fairfax County Park Authority will begin improvements to a portion of the Difficult Run Stream Valley Park in May. This project continues efforts to complete the Cross County Trail, which will eventually travel from the Occoquan River in the south to Great Falls in the north. The work will include improving a section of the Cross County Trail and stream, and bank stabilization. Site improvements will require closing an existing parking lot that is used for trail access within Difficult Run Stream. Valley Park. The parking lot is located on the south side of Georgetown Pike across from Great Falls Park. The parking lot will be closed during construction. Construction completion is anticipated in August. Funding for this project is provided through the park bond program. Contact Project Manager Jim Duncan at 703-324-8747.
The Herndon Parks and Recreation Department is soliciting vendors for the 2005 Herndon Festival K9/2K Doggie Expo, from 9:30 a.m.-noon, Saturday, June 4. Acceptance into the event is limited with priority given to local businesses and residents. The selection of vendors will be at the discretion of the Herndon Parks and Recreation Department. Call the Herndon Community Center at 703-435-6800, Ext. 2109 or e-mail Kimberly.Wood@herndon-va.gov for an application.
The 45 Safeway stores throughout Northern Virginia will be accepting donations for the tsunami relief effort. Customers can tell the cashier to add the donation amount to their grocery bill. The funds will be forwarded to the Red Cross and UNICEF. In addition to the in store find-raising, the Safeway Foundation will make a cash contribution to relief agencies and will match the contributions of Safeway employees.
The 2005 Miss Virginia American Coed Scholarship State Pageant is looking for contestants for the pageant taking place Aug. 11-14, in Richmond. This is an "All Natural" scholarship pageant for girls ages 3-22, which emphasizes academic and volunteerism and natural look. The pageant does not allow makeup on contestants under the age of 13. For an application e-mail contact@msvaamericancoed.com or call 804-305-4239. Visit our Web site www.msvaamericancoed.com.
The Epilepsy Foundation of the Chesapeake Region is sponsoring the following Support Groups for Adults diagnosed with Seizure Disorders and Caregivers. Free. Call 703-425-6660.
Reston Epilepsy Group meets the second and fourth Friday of each month, from 7-8:30 p.m., at Herndon High School, Entrance 5, Room 123, 700 Bennett St., Herndon. Northern Virginia Epilepsy Group (Support Group for Adults diagnosed with Seizure Disorders and Caregivers)
Every Wednesday, from 7-8 p.m., at Falls Church High School, Room 100, 7521 Jaguar Trail, Falls Church.
The Women’s Center of Vienna will be offering a number of classes and workshops designed to help navigate the different aspects of separation and divorce, starting in April and continuing through August at various locations in Vienna, Fairfax and McLean.
Some of the assorted programs topics include Divorce Through Mediation, Divorce Without Litigation, Dollars and Sense of Divorce, Financial Planning for Separation and Divorce, Helping Your Child Cope With Separation and Divorce, Legal Aspects of Child Support and Understanding Your Right To Marital Assets and others. Visit the Women’s Center Web site at www.thewomenscenter.org, or call 703-281-2657.
The International Center for Language Studies (ICLS), which has been selected to run an ESL (English as Second Language) program for 25 high-school students from France this summer, needs families to house them during each of its two three-week sessions: July 10-30 and July 31-Aug. 20.
In the sixth year of this program, ICLS will provide an all-encompassing cultural experience to complement the classroom curriculum. The weekday morning classes — designed to help the students acquire speaking and listening skills in American English — will be followed by afternoon field trips that present examples of history and culture in the Washington, D.C., area. Possible destinations include the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Air & Space Museum and many other historical and cultural sites in and around the city.
ICLS is now beginning to recruit families interested in hosting a student. Families will be expected to provide room and board, to help facilitate the student’s use of public transportation to travel to and from ICLS and to include them in weekend activities that will enhance their American experience. The students will have paid for the various incidental costs; a stipend will be paid to each host family.
Contact ICLS at 202-639-8800.
The League of Women Voters of Fairfax will be holding meetings throughout the county during the week of May 9-13. Education in Fairfax County will be the subject. All who are interested in Fairfax County and the education of its children are invited to attend.
For information about times and locations, call 703-658-9150, or visit the LWVFA Web site at www.lwv-fairfax.
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization and is open to men and women interested in promoting active and informed participation in local, state and national government.
The Town of Herndon’s Cultivating Community Initiative is seeking nominations for the Yard of the Month competition. Residents can nominate their own yard or a neighbor’s yard, but the yard must be within the Town of Herndon. Only front yards will be judged. Winners will be selected for June, July and October. They will receive a $100 gift certificate to Meadows Farms and recognition in the media and by Town Council. Each month, both a single-family house and a townhouse will be awarded Yard of the Month. To obtain nomination forms, go to the town’s Web site at www.herndon-va.gov and click on “What’s New” then “Yard of the Month Awards.” Contact Robin Runser at 703-435-6800 Ext. 2010 or by e-mail at robin.runser@herndon-va.gov.
Football Officials Needed. No experience necessary. The Northern Virginia Football Officials Association (NVFOA) is seeking new members for its 2005 training class who can become on-field game officials and electronic clock operators for games at the youth, middle-school and high-school levels throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. They are the sole supplier of football officials to all high schools in the Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Loudoun, and Fauquier. They also supply officials to numerous private schools in Northern Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland. Men and women who have reached the age of 18 and who have a desire to be a part of the scholastic game are eligible. Information and application forms are available at the Web site www.nvfoa.com or contact the commissioner, Dennis Hall, by phone at 703-532-0000 or e-mail commissioner@nvfoa.com.