There’s been a few Stuff the Bus events around the area lately, but none more accessible to Tysonians than one planned this Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Walmart Supercenter.

Prepackaged supplies are available for purchase at the Walmart at 1500 Cornerside Blvd. Each paper bag of supplies costs $4.72.

The Stuff the Bus event in Tysons will benefit the Committee for Helping Others (CHO), an all-volunteer organization in Vienna that provides food aid, clothing, furniture and other emergency needs throughout the area.

Food pantries need us most right now, after holiday giving ends. Our #StuffTheBus campaign continues Saturday 2/2 at the Tysons Walmart & Village Center at Dulles Giant. Come and donate groceries to families in need. https://t.co/bbXhduipwV pic.twitter.com/3ot6SMF7Hs

— Fairfax Youth Thrive (@ffxyouththrive) January 30, 2019

A few Stuff the Bus events have already been held around Tysons, like one a few weeks ago at a Giant in McLean.

In addition to the Tysons event, one will be held in that Herndon Giant at 2425 Centreville Road from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m benefitting LINK.

If you can’t make it out to the Stuff the Bus event but still want to help, the CHO is in need of volunteers for the food, clothing, and emergency assistance programs, as well as drivers for the furniture program.

Donations to the group can be made by calling 703-281-7614 or emailing [email protected].

Photo via Facebook

There’s been no shortage of places to donate blood, but Caboose Commons in Mosaic is offering a unique spin on the usual blood drive.

From Jan. 20-26, if you donate blood at one of the Inova Donor Centers, you can receive a voucher for a free beverage at Caboose Commons. This beverage can be in the form of coffee, tea or beer.

Donors must complete a screening process at one of the centers to be eligible for the giveaway.

This weekend also marks the debut of Peter Pan, a play presented by the Vienna Theatre Company. The production will run through Feb. 3, with 8 p.m. showings this weekend tonight and tomorrow. Tickets are $14.

Tomorrow (Jan. 19)

• Mosaic District Polar Plunge Festival (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) — A plunge into a frigid pool set up in Merrifield will help raise money for the Special Olympics. For $100, participants will take a dive into the cold water. Divers are requested to get decked out in their wildest costumes to claim the title of “best-dressed plunger.”
• Foster-Adoption Event at Pet Valu Rescue (12-3 p.m.) — For anyone in the market for a German Shepherd, the Shenandoah Shepherd Rescue will be hosting an adoption event at 3069 Nutley St. The Rescue organization takes in dogs from high-kill shelters in Texas and other states and finds them homes elsewhere. Volunteers will also be collecting shoes for the fundraiser, so bringing slightly worn shores to donate is encouraged.
• Antonelli San Marco Tasting (1-4 p.m.) — The McLean Wine Outlet at 6727 Curran St will briefly be transformed Central Italy tomorrow for a wine tasting. The drink of choice is Sagrantino from the village of Montefalco, which is said to have rich flavors of cherry and blackberry. The second event will be on Monday, from 1-2 p.m.

Sunday (Jan. 20)

• Parkinson’s Moving Day Event (12-1 p.m.) — Cycle Chi in Vienna (221 Mill St) is hosting two fundraisers for The Parkinson’s Foundation. A minimum donation of $25 per bicycle, per hour is requested with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the charity. The event will also include free chair massages, raffles, cocktails and more.
• Liner Notes (2 p.m.) — The recently renovated Alden Theatre at 1234 Ingleside Ave in McLean will host a musical mix of jazz and hip hop in a celebration of the civil rights movement. Tickets are $15 for McLean residents, $25 for adults and children, and $20 for seniors.

Photo via Facebook

After the holiday rush of donations and food drives, supplies at food pantries can start to run dry. In an effort to combat the post-holiday slump, Fairfax County is hosting a Stuff the Bus event in McLean this weekend to support local nonprofit food pantries.

From 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., a bus will be located outside the Giant at 1454 Chain Bridge Road. The food and money collected will go to benefit Share, Inc.

On Feb. 2, another Stuff the Bus event will be held at the Walmart in Tysons at 1500 Cornerside Blvd.

The Stuff the Bus event has been an annual tradition in Fairfax for nine years. According to the website, last year’s event:

• Collected more than 250,000 lbs. of food

• Provided 170,000 meals to those in need

• Received nearly $50,000 in monetary contributions

• More than 5,000 community volunteers have contributed approximately 15,000 hours of service

• Aided more than 32 local food pantries in their winter food collections

Photo via Fairfax County

This Saturday, the McLean Police District Station is hosting a “Stuff the Cruiser” food drive.

The cruiser will be located at the Giant Food at 1454 Chain Bridge Road. The idea is to bring enough food and other goods to fill one of the Fairfax County Police Department’s cruisers. The supplies will be donated to the Share of McLean Food Pantry.

Share of McLean is a nonprofit organization established in 1969 to meet the needs of those less fortunate in McLean and surrounding Northern Virginia localities. The organization is all-volunteer and relies on donations. In addition to the food pantry, the organization also collects clothes and furniture to give to those in need.

According to their website, the organization distributes 700 bags of groceries and 200 bags of clothing each month.

If you are unable to attend the food drive on Saturday, the organization also accepts food donations at the McLean Baptist Church on 1367 Chain Bridge Rd, Wednesdays through Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Police say the food drive currently needs:

• Breakfast cereal
• Applesauce
• Canned vegetables
• Canned foods
• Canned pasts sauce
• White sugar
• White rice
• Dried beans
• Vegetable oil
• Crackers and snacks
• Macaroni and cheese
• Granola bars
• Dried pasta
• Single toothbrushes
• Shampoo
• Feminine hygiene products
• Toilet paper
• Baby wipes
• Diapers
• Laundry soap

Photo via Twitter

Fairfax Co. Sales Tax Receipts Rise — “The Virginia state government distributed $15.6 million in sales-tax receipts to the Fairfax County government in October, an increase of 4.3 percent from a year before, according to new figures from the Fairfax County Department of Management and Budget.” [InsideNova]

Local Nonprofit Seeks Holiday Volunteers — “Fairfax-based non-profit Britepaths (formerly Our Daily Bread) is seeking individuals, families, companies and community groups to assist 800 individuals and families in need who reside throughout the Fairfax County area for the December holidays.” [Britepaths]

Taxpayer Groups, County Employees Split on Pension Proposal — “Before deciding on proposed changes to Fairfax County’s pension plans early next month, the Board of Supervisors will have to weigh the potential impact on employee happiness and recruitment versus the public’s ability to pay.” [InsideNova]

Driving through fancy neighborhoods and marveling at Christmas decorations is a time-honored American suburban tradition, but the Woman’s Club of McLean is offering visitors a chance to go inside those homes for a tour.

On Thursday, Dec. 6, the club will host their 52nd annual Holiday Homes Tour. The tour, which will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will stop at four homes throughout the area. Homes on the tour range from older colonial style brick homes to a sprawling seven-bedroom home in Odricks Corner, just north of Tysons.

This year’s honorary tour host will be state Sen. Barbara Favola (D).

Tickets for the tour are $30 in advance or $35 at the door, with all proceeds going to local charities. Tickets can be purchased at:

• Mesmeralda’s in McLean (1339 Chain Bridge Rd)
• Karen’s Florist in Vienna (527 Maple Ave E)
• Great Dogs of Great Falls (9859 Old Georgetown Pike)

In addition to the tours, one home in River Oaks will be selling jewelry, handmade wreaths and gift baskets. There will also be a raffle for gift certificates to several local businesses.

Realtors Holding Clothing Drive — “McEnearney Associates is holding its fourth annual winter-clothing drive through Jan. 4. Held in partnership with United Community Ministries, donations of new or gently used winter clothing can be dropped off at either the Arlington office (4720 Lee Highway) or McLean office (1320 Old Chain Bridge Road, Suite 320) weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.” [InsideNova]

Snow on the Way — Fairfax County is expected to get its first snowfall of the season Thursday, with up to an inch of snow and sleet falling Thursday morning before changing to rain. Forecasters, meanwhile, are calling for a snowier than usual winter, with up to two feet of snow falling inside the Beltway over the course of the season. [Capital Weather Gang, Twitter, Capital Weather Gang]

Changes in County’s Recycling Program — “What happens to your recycled items these days? That’s a good question as the worldwide recycling market has changed dramatically in recent months, especially due to ‘Operation National Sword‘ in China.” [Fairfax County]

Interview With Tysons Corner Center Santa — “Santa Claus is making a list and checking it twice as he begins to set up shop at malls and shopping centers throughout the D.C. region as we countdown to Christmas. That includes the Santa Claus at Tysons Corner Center, who has been there for three decades. Many throughout the area have sat on [Santa’s] lap and are now having their children take their turn visiting him.” [Fox 5]