After Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon lost income from visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a fundraiser is working to provide care for the animals.

The park, known around the community as a public, livestock-friendly facility, offers classes and camps for kids, has an on-site equestrian center and hosts field trips and similar events, according to Fairfax County.

But since the annual Farm Day, which was scheduled to take place (May 2), was canceled, people are rallying to make up for this significant source of income, according to the fundraiser page.

Roughly 100 animals live on the property, according to Yvonne Johnson, the manager of Frying Pan Farm Park.

Community members have donated $27,062 of the $30,000 that is required yearly to feed the animals living on the property, the page said, adding that the budget to feed the animals doesn’t come from Fairfax County. Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park is hosting the fundraiser.

“The Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park own the farm animals and contribute significantly to the cost of their feed and care,” the fundraising page said. “The Park Authority operates and staffs Frying Pan Farm Park.”

The $30,000 includes things like vet bills, equipment to grow food and other necessities, according to Johnson.

Despite the revenue loss, the animals are still well cared for and “having babies left and right,” Johnson said, but added that the animals and the staff are missing the typical interaction from guests.

Since Northern Virginia started the first reopening phase that is easing COVID-19 restrictions, Johnson said that the parking lots and trails are open for visitors who want to view the animals from the “peripheral fields.”

On the donation page, one contributor commented: “Visited there many times when my son was growing up. It is a part of our community. Love the 4-H Fair and the concerts.” A kids’ book has even been written about the center and its relation to the area’s history.

As of today, 322 people have contributed to the fundraiser. It will run for another 30 days in case anyone would still like to donate.

Please help our beautiful farm animals! The farm has lost income due to #COVID19. The Friends group that owns the animals is asking for $7.5K to help feed & care for the animals for one year. If you or your organization can help, please donate here today: https://t.co/PGdketjdr7 pic.twitter.com/8YYVDxuHcw

— FriendsofFryingPan (@FriendsOfFPFP) May 29, 2020

Photo via Friends of Frying Pan Park/Facebook

People can take a plunge into ice-cold water to fundraise at the upcoming 2020 Virginia Polar Dip.

The charity event is set to take place Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Lake Anne from 2-5 p.m. People will be able to take turns jumping into the lake.

Each participant is expected to help raise money that will send kids and their families to Camp Sunshine, which serves kids with life-threatening illnesses. The camp is located in Maine.

This year, event organizers hope to raise $100,000, which would sponsor 40 families in the D.C.-area, according to the event page.

Each participant that raises more than $100 will receive a t-shirt.

For people who don’t want to fully jump into cold water, the “Chicken Dip” will let people only dip their feet in, according to the event page.

Image via Manor Works Painting/Facebook

Rotary Club of Reston is soliciting donations ahead of its event to make thousands of meals for families in need.

The Reston Rotary Foundation, the fundraising and grants-making part of the Reston Rotary Club, students from South Lakes High Scool plan to pack 10,000 meals on Saturday (Jan. 11) that will get distributed in schools in poverty-stricken areas across the globe, according to a press release.

The service event through Anython will be done in partnership with Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization.

People can donate $1, $2, $5 or more to support the event.

“Initial donations made will support the efforts of the Reston Rotary Foundation’s kick-off event, and when the $10,000 goal has been met to fund the Rise Against Hunger program, additional funds will be used be support the Foundation’s ongoing community efforts,” the press release said.

The community efforts include:

• Aldrin Elementary’s Band of Brothers program
• scholarships for South Lakes High School students
• support for Reston Community Orchestra’s youth programming
• Operation Warm

Volunteers are also needed for the January event.

Photo via Rotary Club of Reston/Facebook

Fellowship Square, a nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing and services for seniors with limited incomes and resources, is hosting its second annual fundraising tonight (Wednesday).

The event, “Winter Wonderland Fundraiser for Affordable Housing,” takes place at Hunters Woods at Trails Edge (2222 Colts Neck Road) from 6-8 p.m.

Here’s more about the organization from its website:

Residents at our four Fellowship Houses are active, independent, and remain engaged with life in their communities. Some residents are area natives, with most of them coming from the East Coast and states east of the Mississippi River. However, many residents relocated from across the country, or from other nations, to be near family members.

Residents often worked in occupations with little or no retirement benefits such as teaching, cosmetology, unskilled labor, and farming. Some are even refugees from forced labor camps. All have limited means and many live on Social Security or Supplemental Security Income alone. Without Fellowship Houses, many of our residents would live in less than ideal conditions or be homeless

There is no entrance fee, but RSVPs are encouraged. The fundraiser will include win, beer raffle prizes, and desserts.

More information about the event is available online.

Shepherd’s Center of Oakton-Vienna, a nonprofit that supports aging in place, recently expanded its programs to help seniors in Herndon and Reston.

The group assists the seniors by providing free rides, social outreach and other resources. The group decided to expand around October, a spokesperson told Reston Now.

Susan Garvey, the executive director of the center, lives in the area and noticed a lack of free resources for the elderly community, the spokesperson said.

“The uptick in ride requests have been promising,” the spokesperson said, adding that people who answer the phones are kept busy. “It was a wise step to take.”

The group announced its expansion to Reston and Herndon in its quarterly newsletter, which was published this fall.

Shepherd’s Center receives its funding from donations, fundraisers and corporate sponsors. Anyone who wishes to donate to the center can do so online.

Seniors or others interested in free rides, programs for veterans and various resources can call the center at 703-281-0538.

Photo via Sheperd’s Center/Facebook

The annual Monster Drawing Rally returns to Reston next month, but with a new location at the Signature Apartments (11850 Freedom Drive).

Artists from around the region will converge at the apartments for a live drawing event and fundraiser. More than 50 artists will create artwork on-site, which will be hung on a wall and available for purchase at $75.

The event is set for Dec. 7 from 4-8 p.m.

If more than one person wants to purchase the same artwork, a drawing will determine the winner.

All proceeds benefit the exhibition program at the Greater Reston Arts Center.

More information about the event is available online.

Photo via GRACE

The YMCA Fairfax County Reston is hosting a fundraising gala in celebration of its 20th anniversary.

This year’s annual gala will be held at the YMCA (12196 Sunset Hills Road) from 6-11 p.m. next Saturday (Nov. 16) and feature a dinner party, silent auction and after-party, according to the event page.

“Our mission ensures that no one is turned away from access to ‘Y’ programs and membership,” the page said.

Last year, the gala raised $280,000 for the center, according to the  YMCA’s website.

Individual tickets start at $150 and sponsorships start at $1,000.

Image via YMCA Fairfax County Reston

An upcoming fundraiser in Reston will help save the Amazon Rainforest.

There will be family fun activities including a yard sale, a ranger station, live music and crafts for kids at the Pony Barn Picnic Area (Steeplechase Drive and Triplecrown Road) on Sunday (Oct. 27) from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., according to a press release.

Admission is free but all of the donation funds from the event will go towards the Amazon Conservation Team, an organization that preserves indigenous communities and natural ecosystems, the press release said.

“The Amazon Rainforest supplies 20 percent of the oxygen we need to live on Earth; however, the size of three football fields are being deforested every minute at the Amazon, according to latest government data,” the press release said.

The event is sponsored by several local businesses around the Reston community.

All are welcome to attend. Anyone wanting to sponsor a yardsale table can email the event organizer.

Photo via Reston Association

A 5k in Herndon this weekend aims to end people driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

From 9 a.m. until midnight this Saturday (Oct. 12), the Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash 5k will raise money to prevent underage drinking, help victims and support educational outreach. The race will start at the Herndon Police Department (397 Herndon Pkwy #300).

The organization was started in 1980 by a mother who lost her daughter to a drunk driving incident, according to the organization’s website. The organization boasts helping nearly 1 million drunk and drugged driving victims and survivors.

So far, the event has raised more than $1,800 with 22 participants, according to the event page.

People can register or donate online.

Image via Facebook

Breast cancer survivors will model top name brands to raise funds and awareness at Reston Town Center next week.

The Runway to the Cure Fashion Show will take place on Saturday (Oct. 19) from 6-9 p.m. at 11900 Market Street and will mark the event’s third year. Tickets are donation-based but event organizers recommend a $25 donation.

Attendees will have the chance to participate in a raffle and silent auction as well. Raffle tickets are $5 each or five for $20.

The money raised from the event will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Step Sisters organization, both of which help women battling breast cancer.

Event sponsors include Scout and Molly’s Boutique, Hyatt Reston, Reston Town Center, Reston Hospital Center and Washington Radiology.

People who have questions or want to donate items for the auctions can call Jane Abraham at 703-362-5860.

Photos via Runway to the Cure/Facebook

An upcoming walk aims to raise money to assist people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Take Steps, a national organization, plans to host charity walk on Saturday, Oct. 5, at Woodland Park Crossing (12960 Highland Crossing Drive) starting at 10 a.m.

All of the funds will go toward research for cures, patient advocacy and community education, according to the website.

There will be food and music at the event, a press release said, adding that the walk is also dog and family-friendly.

Participants can register as a team, an individual or as a “free agent” to join another team. During registration, participants can donate money and start a sponsorship campaign so their friends can donate as well.

“Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract,” according to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. Though similar, ulcerative colitis only affects the inner lining of the large intestine, according to the site.

Over three million men and women are affected by the illnesses around the United States, according to the foundation.

Photo via Take Steps

Scrawl Books is hosting a family-friendly party to benefit an organization that high-quality early learning for kids.

The Reston bookstore will have fun activities for kids and parents scattered throughout the store and each half-hour a staff member will read a book for the audience. The event will run from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. at 11911 Freedom Drive on Saturday (Sept. 7).

Donations will be accepted on-site and a portion of sales will benefit the Northern Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children.

The organization’s goal is to create a safe, healthy and happy learning environment for every kid under the age of eight.

Photo courtesy of Rachel Wood

More than 50 artists will converge at the Greater Reston Art Center’s gallery in Reston Town Center next month for the annual Monster Drawing Fundraiser.

The rally turns the gallery into a public performance space as artists create artworks on-site using the media of choice from 4-8 p.m.

Completed works are hung on the wall and are available for purchase at $75 each. If more than one person is interested in an artwork, the buyer will be determined through a drawing.

All proceeds from the event will benefit GRACE’s exhibition programs.

The event, which is sponsored by Collective Arts Brewing, is free and open for all.

Volunteers can sign up online to help with the event.

Photo via GRACE

The 12th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser will be held on Friday, April 26 from 5:30-9 p.m. at Floris United Methodist Church (13600 Frying Pan Road).

By providing a $25 donation, attendees can eat soups, breads and desserts donated by area restaurants and take home what organizers call a “unique artisanal bowl.” All proceeds from the event will help fund, Food for Others, the area’s largest food pantry.

The fundraiser is part of an international effort to fight higher and increase awareness about poverty-related issues. The idea was developed by a Michigan-based art teacher who wanted to find a way to raise funds for hunger relief organizations while giving donors tangible reminds about the problem of food insecurity.

It is hosted by the Giving Circle of Hope, which is part of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. Since the events inception, it has raised $300,000 in the past 11 years. In Fairfax County, six percent of residents live in poverty and 1 in 14 children are food insecure.

For more information and to buy tickets online, visit www.givingcircleofhope.org.

Photo via Giving Circle of HOPE