What's Happening at Our Clubs

Extreme Makeover: 2011 Ginger Bread House edition

The Ritz Carlton Tyson’s Corner hosted a ginger bread house event for the Boys & Girls Club of Fairfax County last December 19, 2011.  This is the second year that the Ritz Carlton rolled out the red carpet for some 50 kids  from the Culmore, Herndon and Murraygate clubs.    Club members had a grand time interpreting their designs and bringing these to life by creating their own sweet sugary chalets made up of candies, chocolates and other sweets.  But nothing could be sweeter than the VIP treatment  the kids got from the Ritz Carlton staff.  The ginger bread making activity  was such a great experience for the kids who not only got to bring home their ginger bread houses and boxes of goodies, but also fond memories of the Ritz Carlton staff’s 5-star hospitality and attentiveness at ensuring another succesful Holiday event. 

An Enchanting Afternoon at the Ritz

 

Monday the 28th of November was truly a magical day for the kids!  Upon arriving at the beautifully decorated Ritz Carlton at Tysons Corner, the kids were welcomed into the ballroom by staff who were as just as excited as the kids.  The kids quickly bonded with the staff over hot chocolate, gourmet egg sandwiches, and tiny gingerbread men.  If this was not enough, the Ritz Carlton then provided the kids with their first Holiday Show.  Disney Princesses and an enthusiastic Chef enchanted the kids with classic songs and spectacular dance numbers. The highlight of the day was the staff and kids' joint performance of the popular song "Dynamite".   Many thanks to the Ritz Carlton for this unforgettable experience!

 

A Halloween Bass Lesson

The Day of Halloween was celebrated a little differently this year at the clubs.  Dressed as Sam I Am and Dracula, kids from Culmore and Murraygate took a lesson on playing the Bass with Kevin Johnson of notreble.com.  Along with learning the differences between an Electric Bass and an Upright Bass, the kids were taught to identify the different styles one could play on the Bass.  The popular style for the day was Rockabilly where the kids were taught how to "slap" the bass!

Youth on the Rise

Fifteen year-old Brenda Zelaya represented the Culmore Character Club at the 7th Annual Youth in Real Estate Lunch event held at the Capitol Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C. Brenda delivered the Invocation and presented an award to Freddie Mac Foundation's Mr. Ralph Boyd! Brenda is a 10 year old member of the club, recently won Youth of the Month for September, and is one of the trainers for Inova Health Systems’s 95210 program on healthy habits.

 

Race for a Cause

Close to a hundred participants representing the Boys & Girls Clubs in Fairfax County participated in Acumen Solution’s Race for a Cause last October 16, 2011 near the Ballston area in Annandale, Virginia. Board members, club members and staff, and friends of the BGC ran either the 1 mile or the 8K race. 

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Fairfax County and Alexandria were among 10 non-profit organizations who were beneficiaries of the race. Mercy Grace Francisco copped 2nd place honors in the 15 and under category for the 8K race for girls. Henry Lopez and Peter Guevarra clocked in second and third respectively in the 18 and under boys category for 8k. Last year, Henry was the first in the 15 year old category for boys.

Celebrando El Mes De Los Latinos

The Culmore Character Club culminated the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with a family get-together last October which featured a fashion show and a song number from the kids. A guest dance group also wowed the audience with their Bolivian dance. Families shared in the potluck of traditional Hispanic favorites.

Persistence Pays

If at first you don’t succeed, try and try . . . and try . . . and try again. And maybe, do it on your own and better still, perform two difficult acts simultaneously.

This seems to be the formula that worked for Emily Johnson with this year’s Icon competition. Representing the Culmore Character Club, 14 year old Emily bagged one of 5 spots to share the limelight among the finalists for Icon 2011. Performing Martin Luther Kings “I Have a Dream Speech” while playing Claude Debussy’s Arabesque on the piano. Emily competed against 9 other acts to get the judges nod.

In previous years, Emily tried being a part of a quintet and a duo and made it all the way to the finals only to fall short of being picked in the top 5. This time around was much sweeter, considering that she would have wanted to focus on her studies at the competitive Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax. Emily performed with the other winners at the Icon fundraising dinner in November.

True enough, Emily’s patience and perseverance were justly rewarded and kept the Culmore Character Club winning streak at Icon alive. Congratulations Emily!

Campers Go on a “Mystical” Tour

Ten year-old Harrold Amaya and his three siblings were less than two weeks into summer camp when they found out that they would be watching their first WNBA game. With the family currently living in a shelter, any Boys & Girls Club field trip was a welcome treat and new experience for them.

Last July 14, 2011, the Washington Mystics held a Camp Day at the Verizon Center and converted the whole block of F Street in front of the arena to a huge parking lot for buses to accommodate the throng of campers from all over the Greater Washington area.

Inova Health Systems sponsored 55 tickets for kids and staff from the Murraygate and Culmore Character Clubs to watch the Mystics take on the Atlanta Dream at VIP seats right behind the goal posts. “It’s so cool to be this close to watch the game,” beamed Harrold Amaya. On the next row were Ty-shawn Brooks, Emily Lazo, and Elena Man screaming at the top of their voices while waving the poster they made to cheer on the Mystics. 

For many of these kids, coming to the Verizon Center was already a first. And by getting the chance to soak in the whole atmosphere of the game, the campers got more than they expected.  Whenever the jumbo screen flashed the prompt to “Make Noise,” Nimo Rodriguez was first to jump out of his seat and start dancing at the aisles while waving the free clapper he got.

Despite all the cheering from the home crowd, the Mystics put up a spirited fight against the Dream for most part of the game but faltered in the closing minutes to lose 86-79.  But the loss was not enough to dampen the spirits of the kids who enjoyed the courtside experience.

Four days later on July 18, Mystics guard Matte Ajavon  and forward/center Nicky Anosike visited the Culmore Character Club in Falls Church, VA and

gamely chatted with the kids, gave pointers on eating right and staying fit, and answered questions ranging from fitness routines to favorite colors.   Matte and Nicky then posed with the kids from the Culmore and Murraygate Clubs for pictures and signed autographs and Mystics t-shirts.

These events were a part of Inova’s iPath (Inova Partnering Actively Toward Health) new community outreach program that takes a fun, action-filled approach to introducing youth from diverse backgrounds to fitness and healthy lifestyles.

Harold Amaya and the rest of the campers are still raving about their two energy-filled days with the Mystics and hope that the club can do it again soon and have so much fun.