Lifetime Service Award

I am deeply honored to be receiving the Marian Van Landingham Lifetime Service Award from Volunteer Alexandria on Thursday, November 10 in recognition, in part, for my work in creating Living Legends of Alexandria.  Brooke Curran, Founder of the RunningBrooke Fund will receive the Joan White Grassroots Volunteer Award.  Please see the press release for details.

Hope to see at the Carlyle Club on November 10.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:

Donna Walker James

cell: 703-928-0619, Office: 703-836-2176

djames@volunteeralexandria.org    

Volunteer Alexandria Announces 2011 Awardees for the 17th Annual Evening in the Heart of Alexandria

 A Gala Dinner event honoring Nina Tisara of Living Legends and Brooke Curran of the RunningBrooke Fund 

Event will be held Thursday, November 10, 2011 from 6:30-9pm at Alexandria's Carlyle Club.

 

Alexandria, VA-  Volunteer Alexandria's annual Evening in the Heart of Alexandria is a tribute to all who give from the heart to volunteer time and talent.  Each year Volunteer Alexandria recognizes members of the community who carry out extraordinary service, impacting the city as a whole. 

2011 event chair is Vola Lawson, Alexandria's former City Manager and a Living Legend, initiator of Alexandria's Walk to Fight Breast Cancer and namesake of Alexandria's animal shelter who, along with a committee of volunteer champions, is dedicated to honoring fellow Alexandrians and making this an evening to remember.

Vola Lawson and Volunteer Alexandria are excited to announce this year's awardees:

Nina Tisara, Director of Living Legends will receive the Marian Van Landingham Lifetime Service Award. Nina's love of photography and Alexandria led her to develop a photo history of local visionaries who became legends in their own time. The Living Legends project both chronicles and celebrates the personal contributions of the nominees to improve lives in Alexandria. A member of Alexandria's Chamber of Commerce Board for 6 years and a founding member of KSMET (now OTBPA), Nina has been awarded for her art, business and service achievements, but not yet for her much-lauded photographic archival work with Living Legends. Vola Lawson and Volunteer Alexandria are proud to bring Nina from behind the camera and into the spotlight to receive this honor she so richly deserves!

Brooke Curran, Founder of the RunningBrooke Fund will receive the Joan White Grassroots Volunteer Award. Brooke's love of running provided her with her own unique way of giving back by donating the proceeds from marathons she runs worldwide to Alexandria nonprofits supporting personally inspiring causes. Brooke has raised and donated over $80,000 since establishing the RunningBrooke Fund in May of 2009, contributing to nonprofits benefiting at-risk youth & their families. For this one evening, we invite Brooke to stop running and enjoy a dinner with friends, in her honor!

Join Volunteer Alexandria at Evening in the Heart of Alexandria as 200 attendees honor two remarkable women who serve voluntarily in unique, original ways inspiring us all.

Evening in the Heart of Alexandria serves as Volunteer Alexandria's end of year fundraising event with attendees and contributors showing their support not only for the celebration and honorees, but also for the continued volunteer matching services provided by Volunteer Alexandria to the community. Sponsors are signing up now with BB&T Bank and Chris Marston in the lead.

Sponsorships allow Volunteer Alexandria to continue a 31-year legacy of fostering volunteer connections within the community. More information about sponsorships can be found on Volunteer Alexandria's Razoo profile page: www.razoo.com/story/Evening-In-The-Heart-Of-Alexandria. Tickets are $100 per seat and can be purchased on the same webpage.

For information about the event, available sponsorships, contact Donna Walker James, 703-836-2176 or djames@volunteeralexandria.org.

Nominate A Living Legend for 2012

Nominate A Living Legend for 2012

Deadline: November 15

Who do you know whose vision and energy has improved life in Alexandria? Living Legends of Alexandria is seeking nominations in order to recognize Alexandria's Living Legends through 2012.

There are two nomination categories:

(1) Those who have contributed at least one tangible improvement to the quality of the city's life that would likely be missing without this person's vision and energy; or
(2) Those demonstrating exemplary service to the city over ten years or more, especially service on Boards, Commissions, Committees or Service Organizations that improve the quality of life in Alexandria.

Nominees must live or work in Alexandria. Those currently running for or holding political office are not eligible for consideration. The contributions of City employees must be beyond the responsibilities of their jobs.

You may submit your nomination on-line from www.AlexandriaLegends.com. or mail to Living Legends, P.O. Box 10485, Alexandria, VA 22310.  Email is preferred.

Family Legends Workshop at Ramsay Rec Center

Sushmita Mazundar leads the first Family Legends workshop at the William Ramsay Recreation Center.  In this class the students have chosen to write about a family member's Civil Rights experience, a legend about a possible relationship to the Queen of England, family in Sierra Leone and Holi, the Indian festival of color celebrating Spring.  They will make their stories into one-of-a-kind books with photos and drawings.  

For information about future classes contact Center Director Harold Little, Harold.Little@AlexandriaVa.gov or Sush, sushmaz@comcast.net.   

This workshop is made possible by a generous contribution from John McEnearney.  

Photos by Nina Tisara/Living Legends of Alexandria