Turn Tysons Streets For Recreational Use? — “Select a few roads and open them to people by closing them to all but local traffic. By doing so, we’ll make space for people to get fresh air and exercise without risk of spreading the coronavirus or getting run over. The cost will only be a few traffic cones, temporary signs, and asking a handful of drivers to go a few minutes out of their way.” [Greater Greater Washington]
Mark Keam Hosting Virtual Town Hall Tonight — “As he returns to Richmond for the reconvene session on April 22, Mark will also answer questions about the Governor’s amendments to some of the bills that passed the legislature this year. Of particular interest to voters in the Town of Vienna, Mark will explain the Governor’s recommendation to move the Town Council elections from May to November.” [Facebook]
Locals Start T-Shirt Fundraiser — “Inspired by a friend’s philanthropic effort in Texas, two Falls Church residents have started their own fundraising campaign to help out during the pandemic, raising money by selling Little City-themed t-shirts. After barely a week in operation, more than 700 shirts have been sold and more than $12,000 has been raised.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Falls Church Cancels Memorial Day Festivities — “The City of Falls Church announced today the cancellation of its biggest event of the year, the annual Memorial Day Parade and Festival, set to take place next month, citing recent executive orders issued by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam urging localities to cancel large-scale events through June 10.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Dranesville School Rep to Host Virtual Town Hall — “Thursday, April 16, and next Monday, April 20, Dranesville School Board Representative Elaine Tholen will hold open town hall meetings with At-Large Representatives, Karen Keys-Gamarra and Rachna Sizemore Heizer, respectively. Leigh Burden, Assistant Superintendent for Financial Services at FCPS will participate in the April 16 town hall as well.” [John Foust newsletter, Blackboard, Blackboard]
New Virtual Exploration Center — The Fairfax County Park Authority created a new virtual exploration center for people who want to explore while staying home. [Fairfax County]
As local eateries pivot to take-out and delivery only options, several are fundraising to help make up for declining revenue and to keep their staff paid.
Tysons Reporter has been scouring GoFundMe weekly for local eateries that are looking to raise money to stay open or pay unemployed staff.
Now, we’ve started a list of eateries in Tysons, Merrifield, Falls Church, McLean and Vienna that are seeking donations that we’ll update weekly.
The fundraisers we spotted recently include Falls Church-based Spacebar & Galaxy Hut. People can support the business paying its ongoing expenses and the fundraiser specifically for staff.
Bottleneck Management, which operates City Works Eatery and Pour House in Tysons, has started an “Employee Relief Fund” to raise $100,000.
In Vienna, Pazzo Pomodoro in Vienna wants to raise $20,000 to support the servers, hostesses, kitchen staff and bartenders.
Don’t see a restaurant’s fundraiser on the list? Email the link to [email protected] so we can add it.
Photo courtesy David Endres
In response to everything happening with the COVID-19 pandemic, several local groups decided to raise money to feed medical workers at local facilities.
Though Hearts of Empowerment, the P.U.S.O. Foundation and Mighty Meals all typically serve different purposes in the community, they began a joint GoFundMe campaign to feed health care workers throughout the Tysons area, according to a press release.
Since the campaign’s kick-off on March 24, the organizers have raised $4,250 and counting. So far, more than 85 people have donated to the cause.
Hearts of Empowerment is a non-profit organization that wants to ensure that no charity is forced to close its doors due to a lack of funding, its website said, adding that it will donate $750 of the company’s own funds in addition to what is raised on the GoFundMe page.
The P.U.S.O. Foundation, which stands for Purposeful Unconditional Service to Others, works to empower people in underserved areas of the world, according to its website. The foundation will donate an extra $1,000, on top of what is crowdsourced, according to the GoFundMe campaign.
Mighty Meals — the group that will cater the food — was founded on a platform that everyone should have access to healthy and fulfilling meals, its website said. Mighty Meals will match the total donation amount by 25%, according to the GoFundMe.
“To date, we have delivered over 200 meals and our efforts will continue on a weekly basis as we have made it our goal to feed the staff of a new hospital every week,” a spokesperson for Hearts of Empowerment said.
On top of the funding for meals, Trophy Body Personal Training will be sponsoring free social distancing outdoor workouts for doctors and nurses, according to the GoFundMe.
Photos courtesy Hearts of Empowerment
Editor’s note: Are you a restaurant in the Vienna, Falls Church, Tysons, Merrifield and McLean areas that has a fundraiser? Email us at [email protected].
Many eateries in the Tysons area are turning to fundraisers to help them stay afloat financially during the coronavirus panoramic or to help support laid off staff.
Tysons Reporter has been keeping track of GoFundMe pages for local restaurants and their staff. Here are the latest fundraisers we found:
Rocco’s (1357 Chain Bridge Road) is looking to raise $25,000.
“We have been serving our community since 1977, and we don’t want to lose Rocco’s because of this pandemic,” the GoFundMe page says.
The Italian restaurant in McLean is currently offering pick-up and delivery options, according to its website.
Over in Falls Church, Loving Hut (2842 Rodgers Drive) is looking to raise $10,000 to help with operating costs and paychecks for employees.
The vegan chain offers Asian-accented cuisine. The Falls Church location is regularly screening employees for illness, selling vegan hand sanitizer and offering carry out, according to the eatery’s Facebook page.
Agora Restaurants, which has a location in Tysons, is raising $5,000 for their staff.
“Both of our locations have switched to Delivery/Carryout thus leaving us to make the difficult decision to layoff over 100 of our dedicated and loving team members,” the GoFundMe said. “We have decided to setup a fundraiser to support our staff that can be beneficial for them during this period of uncertainty.”
The Tysons location (7911 Westpark Drive) is currently offering delivery and pickup from noon-9 p.m. daily, according to its website.
Photo via Rocco’s/Facebook
Editor’s note: Are you a restaurant in the Vienna, Falls Church, Tysons, Merrifield and McLean areas that has a fundraiser? Email us at [email protected].
As local eateries adjust to declining sales and people staying indoors, several have turned to fundraisers to help keep their doors open and employees paid.
Like last week, Tysons Reporter has rounded up GoFundMe pages for local restaurants. Here are the latest fundraisers:
Pulcinella, a McLean restaurant that serves up southern Italian cuisine, has started an employee relief fund. The restaurant is looking to raise $25,000.
“During these past few days, Pulcinella has had to face unthinkable challenges due to the global health crisis,” the GoFundMe page said. ‘Unfortunately, this has impacted our industry along with many others, very negatively.”
The manager at the Lost Dog Cafe in Tysons is looking to raise $2,500 to support the restaurant, which is known for its sandwiches, local history-themed murals and animal rescue.
“Our sister cause, Lost Dog and Cat rescue, gets a piece of the pie each time you stop by, which is why we’ve managed to find more than 30,000 animals a loving home,” the GoFundMe said.
Chris Lefbom and Adam Lubar of Vintage Restaurant Group are looking to raise $5,000 to assist employees at Dogwood Tavern in Falls Church.
The restaurant temporarily closed due to coronavirus concerns, along with Vienna-based Bear Branch Tavern, which is also a part of the Vintage Restaurant Group.
“All funds raised here will be distributed directly to our hourly employees — fairly and equally — based on full- and part-time employee status,” the GoFundMe said.
The manager of Ireland’s Four Provinces in Falls Church wants to raise $30,000 for the restaurant’s staff.
“Many of our employees depend entirely on tips earned from service; with that income gone, even the current gov’t relief measures won’t address some of their most immediate needs,” according to the GoFundMe page.
The restaurant’s owners have pledged to match donations up to $10,000, according to the GoFundMe.
A 9-year-old in Vienna wants to help local businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic after they previously supported his fundraising efforts for young cancer patients.
Matteo Lambert began his philanthropic journey after working with the founder of Hopecam, which allows severely ill cancer patients to connect digitally with friends and fight social isolation.
After starting a fundraiser, Matteo and his father Brandon Lambert said eight key businesses in Vienna donated around $250 each for the cause.
Bu now that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on small businesses, Matteo wants to support them during their time of need.
Matteo set up a GoFundMe on March 17 to pay back the businesses for their original donations. So far, the campaign has raised over $1,420 out of the $2,020 goal.
The businesses that will benefit from the fundraiser include:
- Bazin’s On Church
- Grassroots Fitness
- Karin’s Florist
- Machine Swimming School
- The Vienna Inn
- Dr. Eva Pleta Dentistry
- Dr. Jack Weil Pediatric Dentistry
- Ghaffari Orthodontics
Brandon said his son had no fundraising experience before he began helping Hopecam and has learned a lot from the experience.
Now, Matteo communicates with donors almost exclusively on his own without too much extra help from adults.
Besides the GoFundMe campaign, Matteo and his father have their own non-profit called Off the Charts Club and have been featured on several other news outlets and podcasts.
Off the Charts Club empowers youth leadership and helps kids to lead their best lives despite any diagnosis or disability, according to its website.
Because of the pandemic, which has taken an economic toll on local businesses and families, Matteo’s dad said the organization has put its fundraising on pause for the time being because they didn’t feel it was right to ask for money in such a challenging time.
Even if someone cannot help their community by donating money, Matteo suggested that people help by donating extra items to local homeless shelters or plant gardens.
“There are no age or size requirements on helping your community,” Matteo said.
Photos via GoFundMe
Editor’s note: Starting March 24, Tysons Reporter will have “Morning Notes” every weekday instead of twice a week to accommodate more news.
Here are the latest stories about the Tysons area that the Tysons Reporter team has been reading:
Virginia ABC Reducing Store Hours Friday — “The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority announced Tuesday that all of its 388 stores will be open only from noon to 7 p.m. seven days a week. Stores in the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson and Williamsburg, and the counties of James City and York had already been operating on the reduced schedule.” [Inside NoVa]
Fundraiser for Supplies to Sew Masks — A group of local sewing volunteers is looking for monetary donations. “We are guided by hospital directions, and friends and family in the healthcare industry, and we have organized sewing volunteers in the Falls Church, Virginia area.” [GoFundMe]
Fairfax County Gets an “A” For Social Distancing — “On Tuesday, a company called Unacast that collects and analyzes phone GPS location data launched a “Social Distancing Scoreboard” that grades, county by county, which residents are changing behavior at the urging of health officials.” Fairfax County gets an “A,” according to the data. [Washington Post]
Lights Out? — “On the electricity generation side, power plants are still humming and Dominion says procedures are in place to ensure employee safety and continuity.” [ARLnow]
Falls Church Burglary Under Investigation — “Fairfax police are investigating a burglary reported early Monday at the Millennium Care Pharmacy in Falls Church. The incident follows 10 reported break-ins at pharmacies and medical offices between Fairfax and Prince William counties this month.” [Inside NoVa]
Polling Station Moves in Vienna — “The Board also approved a permanent relocation of the polling place for the Nottoway Precinct. This polling place will move from the Hunter House at Nottoway Park, 9601 Courthouse Road, Vienna, to the Marshall Road Elementary School, 730 Marshall Road Southwest, Vienna. The school provides a more accessible and convenient facility for the more than 3,800 registered voters in this precinct.” [Fairfax County]
Metro Closure Prompts Fairfax Connector Changes — “Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) announces that due to the temporary closure of the Mclean and Van Dorn Metrorail Stations beginning Thursday, March 26, 2020, Fairfax Connector bus routes that serve those stations will be re-routed to serve open Metrorail stations.” [Fairfax County]
Awesome partnership between two great small businesses! The great @bards_alley is teaming with @bikesvienna to deliver books locally (and I hear chocolate too) via their Bike Pedalers program. #StayHome #SmallBusinessStrong cc @AugensteinWTOP @TysonsReporter https://t.co/pD3ouq66M4
— rich pesce (@rpesce) March 25, 2020
MT @fairfaxcounty: Fairfax County Government Buildings Closed to the Public Starting at 5 p.m. on March 27 https://t.co/KMeDBMhVCt #FCPD pic.twitter.com/NlcUqXFcfG
— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) March 25, 2020
Editor’s note: Are you a restaurant in the Vienna, Falls Church, Tysons, Merrifield and McLean areas that has a fundraiser? Email us at [email protected] and we will update the list.
Fundraisers are popping up to help employees at the many restaurants around the Tysons area that are struggling with safety concerns around the COVID-19 outbreak.
Some local restaurants have pivoted to take-out or delivery only options to stay open, while others have shuttered their doors temporarily — or sometimes permanently.
Tysons Reporter browsed GoFundMe to find fundraisers connected to local restaurants. Here’s what we found.
Thompson Italian (124 N. Washington Street), a restaurant in Falls Church, decided to close temporarily on March 16 due to the pandemic. Now, a Staff Relief Fund is looking to raise $50,000 for the staff, who have been laid off.
“We are seeking ways to support our staff who are now suddenly out of work,” according to the fundraiser. “100% of proceeds from this fund, and from current gift card sales, will go directly to our staff to help with necessities.”
The fundraiser notes that it is focusing on staffers who “are more vulnerable during this crisis” — it won’t go to the owners or to business-related costs — and “will use donations to meet critical necessities (e.g. food, medication, paper products, and toiletries).”
A fundraiser for another Falls Church eatery — Clare and Don’s Beach Shack (130 N. Washington Street) — is looking to raise $30,000 to help the staff, who have been laid off.
“[The owners’] decision to close last Sunday was an effort to protect staff and customers from COVID-19, realizing that the most impacted would be staff,” according to the fundraiser.
Stefanie Fornaris, the lead bartender at Great American Restaurants, started a GoFundMe three days ago for the laid-off bartenders who used to work at Patsy’s American — one of three eateries from GAR in Tysons.
“We never in a million years would have ever imagined a day when we would have to say that any of us were laid off in the industry that has proven time and again to be so reliable to us for so many years,” according to the GoFundMe.
Patsy’s (8051 Leesburg Pike) is currently open for curbside pick-up and delivery, according to its website.
Nearby, The Palm (1750 Tysons Blvd) has a virtual tip jar set up for its employees. The restaurant, which is known for its caricatures of famous people covering its walls, is offering take-out.
Tysons Reporter previously reported on the owners of Bear Branch Tavern’s GoFundMe for its employees while the newly opened Vienna restaurant is temporarily closed.
First photo via Clare and Don’s Beach Shack/Facebook; second photo via GoFundMe
People who stop by Ledo Pizza in Tysons Station next week can help raise money for Freedom Hill Elementary School.
The upcoming fundraiser is a part of the parent-teacher association’s plans to raise at least $10,000 in donations this year.
A member of the school’s PTA told Tysons Reporter that the “family dinner out” at Ledo Pizza will be next Tuesday-Wednesday (March 10-11) at 7510 Leesburg Pike. The restaurant will donate part of the money from the two nights to the PTA.
The school’s PTA is also hosting a read-a-thon through tomorrow (March 6) to encourage students to read. The PTA is seeking donations.
More from the event page:
This year, Read-a-thon’s proceeds will go towards classroom libraries, school reading materials, and to help replace aging projectors.
This year we hope to beat last year’s reading totals (202,000 minutes read), and exceed our fundraising goal of $10,000. If we reach our fundraising goal, Asst. Principal Kopacz will get a pie in the face and Principal Zapadka will be duct-taped to the wall!!
Image via Google Maps
Here are the latest stories about the Tysons area that the Tysons Reporter team has been reading:
Fundraiser For Timber Lane PTA — “The Community Charity Champions philanthropic arm of HBC Group of Keller Williams Realty will host a fund-raiser for the Timber Lane Elementary School PTA on Tuesday, March 10.” [Inside NoVa]
No July Fourth Falls Church Fireworks — “The City of Falls Church announced [Monday] that its 40-year tradition of an Independence Day fireworks show will be suspended this year due to the construction on the new George Mason High School currently taking place. The City says it plans for the fireworks to return in 2021.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Fire Guts McLean Home, Closes Route 123 — Last night shortly before 7 p.m., a three-alarm fire in a McLean home prompted Route 123 to close. [Tysons Reporter]
Students Getting Glass Recycled — “Two enterprising George Mason High School students, junior Jonathan Oppenheimer and freshman Danny Oppenheimer, have started a glass recycling service for City of Falls Church residents in response to the City’s announcement that it would no longer collect glass in its weekly recycling pick-up service.” [Falls Church News-Press]
Today, voting is underway for the Democratic primary today:
It’s been slow but steady so far this morning as voters come out for the #SuperTuesday Democratic presidential primary today. Polls are open until 7 p.m. #election2020 #2020election #VAprimary #Virginia pic.twitter.com/vqA8NJXMAi
— Fairfax County Votes (@fairfaxvotes) March 3, 2020
