Va. Transit Ridership Continues Downward Trend — Usage of the Metro’s Silver Line stations at Reston and Tysons is increasing, but that’s one of the few bright spots for public transportation ridership in the region. [WTOP]

Board to Determine Fate of Wedell’s Seat — Following Ray Wedell’s resignation from the Reston Association Board of Directors last week, remaining board members have a decision to make about whether to fill the seat and, if so, how. The term on the now-vacant seat runs through April. [Reston Association]

Reston Sisters Make Jewelry for Good Cause — A pair of local girls founded their own charity project, Rays of Hope, in 2012. They make jewelry out of shells they find on the beach in North Carolina’s Outer Banks and sell it to benefit CancerFree KIDS, a cause they became passionate about when their cousin was diagnosed with leukemia. [Connection Newspapers]

County Expands On-Scene Mental Health Work — The Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board recently added a second fully operational Mobile Crisis Unit, part of the county’s “Diversion First” initiative to offer alternatives to incarceration for people with mental illness and other disabilities who come into contact with the criminal justice system for low-level offenses. [Fairfax County]

Free Concert Tonight at Lake Anne — The “Take A Break” concert series at Lake Anne Plaza will continue tonight with the Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet, providing an unofficial kickoff for this weekend’s Lake Anne Jazz & Blues Festival. [Lake Anne Plaza]

Restonians Take Part in Cycling Event for Cancer Research — Reston residents Peter Stevenson and Ed Shanahan both participated in the recent Pan-Mass Challenge bike-a-thon, a Boston-area fundraiser that raised for $40 million for cancer research. [Connection Newspapers]

Yoga at Reston Station Tonight — Beloved Yoga will host Yoga on the Plaza tonight from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Reston Station, outside the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station. Parking validation for the free event will be provided through ParkX. [Reston Station]

Police Captain Visits School — Earlier this week, Capt. Ron Manzo of the Fairfax County Police Department’s Reston District Station stopped by McNair Elementary School in Herndon to wish everyone a good first week of school. [Fairfax County Police Department/Twitter]

Cybersecurity Firm Raises $26M, Building International Sales — LookingGlass Cyber Solutions Inc. is a Reston-based firm that specializes in threat-detection monitoring. Its clients include private companies and government agencies. It moved into a 20,000-square-foot office at 10740 Parkridge Blvd. in March. [Washington Business Journal]

The community is invited to Café Montmarte (1625 Washington Plaza, at Lake Anne) tonight from 5:30-7 p.m. for a fundraiser to benefit aid to Hurricane Harvey victims.

According to Mark Griffin, program chair for the Rotary Club of Reston, the event will raise money for Disaster Aid USA.

“[Disaster Aid USA] has a very good track record of giving money directly to the beneficiaries,” Griffin said in a Facebook video.

The Rotary Club will be asking for a $20 donation from each attendee, Griffin said. That will include one free drink and appetizers, he said.

Disaster Aid USA is a Rotarian-operated project, and it is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity. According to its executive director, Kenneth “Larry” Agee, the organization has crews currently in Texas and Louisiana helping the cause.

“Money for supplies and equipment are needed ASAP to purchase and rent more equipment; water pumps, pressure washers, demolition equipment, cleaning supplies including spray to prohibit mold, tools for removal of wet wall board, insulation and other water-damaged building materials,” Agee said Monday.

The Rotary Club of Reston hosts its monthly networking event on the final Wednesday of each month at Café Montmartre.

FCPS Social Emotional Wellness Systems Honored — FCPS was recognized for its work to establish a multi-tiered system of support for mental wellness, designed to complement its existing framework for academics and behavior. It includes services for the prevention, early intervention, and treatment of mental health and promotion of wellness. South Lakes High School is one of five in Fairfax County working toward the goal. [Fairfax County Public Schools]

September Event Will Benefit Brain Aneurysm Foundation — Tom and Nancy Susco lost their 25-year-old son to a brain aneurysm 10 years ago. They hold their annual “Running With Tim” fundraiser, scheduled for Sept. 16 this year, to honor his memory and raise money for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation and the Washington Regional Transplant Community. [Connection Newspapers/Susco8K.com]

Crab Wagon Coming to North Point Giant — Hooper’s Crab House, from Ocean City, Maryland, is visiting Giant stores in the area each weekend through October. It will be at the Giant at North Point Village Center this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and it return Sept. 23. [Hooper’s Crab House]

Ballot Out for Best Reston Business Awards — Email list subscribers received their ballots for the 2017 Best Reston Business Awards at 10 a.m. Tuesday. If you signed up after that and missed it, don’t worry: It will be sent out again before the Aug. 15 deadline. [Reston Now]

The 10th annual Empty Bowls fundraiser will be held Friday, April 28, from 5:30-8 p.m. at Floris United Methodist Church (13600 Frying Pan Road, Herndon).

Advance tickets for the event are $25 for adults. They will be $30 at the door. Tickets for children under 12 are $15.

For a small donation, guests receive a supper of soup, bread, beverage and dessert, as well as a handmade pottery bowl to keep as a reminder that there are those in our community with empty bowls. The event will feature entertainment and a raffle.

Among the local artists creating bowls for the event, which is sponsored by the Giving Circle of HOPE, are students at Madison High School. Attendees will select a handmade piece of pottery contributed by a Madison student or other local artist. Madison High School students, many of whom have been studying for several years and are accomplished potters, are working under the direction of art instructor Julia Bargo. About 30 students are involved with the project.

According to the Fairfax County Community Action Advisory Board, 1 in 15 people live in poverty, which is defined as an income of less than $23,850 for a family of four. All proceeds from the Empty Bowls fundraiser will be donated to Food for Others, the largest distributor of free food directly to the hungry in Northern Virginia.

“Empty Bowls engages the community to invest in Food for Others and it serves as a critical fundraiser to help us provide food for people in need throughout the year,” said Annie Turner, executive director of Food for Others. “This is the 10th year that The Giving Circle of HOPE has organized this event and we are thankful for their long-term support.”

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

Photo of Madison High School students courtesy Giving Circle of HOPE

The water in Lake Anne was 38 degrees Saturday, but that didn’t stop nearly 200 people from making a “splash” for charity.

The 10th annual Virginia Polar Dip at Lake Anne raised $75,000 for Camp Sunshine, organizers announced at the conclusion of the day’s festivities. A total of 198 people, many dressed in colorful costumes, leapt from the dock to show their support of the cause.

The dry onlookers cheered from the plaza as plungers — some solo, some in groups; some tentatively, some with backflips and cannonballs — took the chilly dive.

Curtis Ellor of Reston had participated in the event every year since its inception, but was forced to miss it last year after an operation. He was excited to get back into the water, continuing the tradition of diving along with his guitar.

“It’s wonderful,” Ellor said. “[It’s] for the kids.”

One of those kids was Mathias, who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma when he was 11 and died at the age of 13. Team Mathias, represented by a large group of jumpers from around Loudoun and Fairfax counties, has participated in the event for four years and has raised thousands of dollars for Camp Sunshine.

“Team Mathias’s mission is to support cancer families, siblings and parents — we do care packages for them,” said Emily Kelly of Herndon. “This year we raised almost $5,000 [for the plunge].”

Kelly said the event is a special chance to help kids and families who need a pick-me-up while battling a life-threatening illness.

“It’s special, it really is,” she said. “This is why we do this.”

Lake Anne Plaza merchants banded together during the event. Some, including Lake Anne Brew House and Kalypso’s, participated in the plunge itself. They and many others also offered specials throughout the day and donated a portion of the proceeds to the cause.

Organizers said the money raised from this year’s event will support an entire week of services at Camp Sunshine, which is located in Casco, Maine. It is the only year-round program in the nation designed to serve the entire family.

The $75,000 raised this year brings the total amount raised during the event’s 10 years to nearly $700,000.

For the 20th year, Reston is preparing to host its annual Relay for Life fundraiser to fight cancer.

This year’s event will be held May 20-21 at South Lakes High School. The fundraising drive will officially kick off Thursday, Feb. 9 with a celebration at the Reston Association conference center (12001 Sunrise Valley Drive) from 7-9 p.m.

Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society‘s largest fundraising event. All proceeds raised from the drive are donated to ACS to support local community programs and cancer research. As of Friday afternoon, the Relay for Life website reports more than $7,300 in local donations have already been pledged.

The Reston event’s goal is $175,000.

May’s event at SLHS will feature live entertainment, food, games and more. At the kickoff event next week, catered snacks will be provided by Trader Joe’s of Reston.

According to information provided by Relay for Life, the fundraiser — staffed and coordinated by volunteers — takes place in more than 5,200 communities across 20 countries. It has raised more than $5 billion since it began in 1985.

For more information, to register or to make a donation, visit the Relay for Life website.

The 34th annual Capitol Steps fundraiser performance Sunday raised nearly $300,000 for Cornerstones, to help families in the Embry Rucker Community Shelter.

Capitol Steps, a D.C.-based political satire troupe, puts on the benefit show each year. More than 600 people attended the event Sunday night at the Hyatt Regency Reston.

“We are thrilled to see a full house, especially after this year in politics,” said Sarah Leonard, chair of Cornerstones’ Board of Directors. “You help Cornerstones accomplish our mission to encourage stability, empowerment and hope. It takes thousands to help within our connected community and for each of you we are grateful.”

At the end of the night, a total of $294,697 had been raised for the cause. According to information provided by Cornerstones, that money will be used “to meet critical needs of those in the [Embry Rucker] shelter as they progress toward affordable housing.”

Since 1970, Cornerstones has reached out to 250,000 neighbors in need, helping them overcome tough economic times in an already high cost-of-living region. Through advocacy and support services, it connects its clients to the resources they need to help build more stable families and self-sufficient lives. It also strives to provide a comprehensive array of programs that solve urgent or on-going requirements for housing, childcare, food or financial assistance.

Photo courtesy Chip McCrea Photography

No matter where you find yourself on the political landscape, there is always something to lampoon. The current state of politics in the nation leaves no shortage of targets.

Political satire troupe Capitol Steps will be in Reston once again this month to throw their barbs at those targets, all to benefit a good cause.

For the 34th straight year, the D.C.-based group will perform here to benefit Cornerstones. This year’s event is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Reston (1800 Presidents Street).

Tickets for the show are $100, with full tables and sponsorship opportunities also available.

Proceeds from the performance will benefit Cornerstones’ efforts to provide affordable housing, emergency shelter, food, financial assistance, childcare and other essential resources to individuals and families in need. Last year’s show raised over $230,000 for those efforts.

Photo via Chip McCrea Photography

There is still time to register to take part in Rescue Reston’s second annual Golf Classic fundraiser.

The event, which will raise money for Rescue Reston’s legal bills in the battle to protect Reston National Golf Course from development, is Monday at Reston National.

Rescue Reston was formed in 2012 in response to the golf course owners’ Board of Zoning Appeals case to render the 166-acre golf course as a candidate for residential redevelopment.

The BZA ruled in 2015  that the owner could redevelop without getting a comprehensive amendment, which could ease the path to redevelopment of the land. Rescue Reston, RA and Fairfax County all filed appeals, and the decision was later vacated by a Circuit Court judge.

If you want to play Monday, Rescue Reston says sign up by Saturday.

Fees (greens fee, carts, range balls, dinner and drink ticket):

• Individual Player $85
• Foursome $340

Here’s the schedule:

1 p.m. Check-in and Warm Up
2 p.m. Shotgun Start (Format Captain’s Choice)
5 – 7 p.m. Dinner-Awards-Prizes
Raffle ticket drawings 6 p.m.

There is also a free nature walk around and through the course from 3-5 p.m. The walk will be led by resident Bill Burton and Walker Nature Center Naturalist Idalina Walker. To reserve your spot call 703-476-9689 x5 or email [email protected].

Dinner will be provided by Glory Days Grill.  For non-golfers, a dinner donation of $10 will be accepted at the entrance by check, cash or credit card.

For more information, visit Rescue Reston’s website.

Friends of Connor Golden are holding a fundraising concert to help the 19-year-old Oakton High graduate who was hurt in an explosion in Central Park last month.

“#ConnorStrong — A Benefit Concert for Connor Golden,” is Sunday at 9:30 p.m. at Jammin Java in Vienna.

Golden, a 2015 Oakton graduate who attends the University of Miami, was vacationing in New York City on July 3 when he stepped on explosive material in Central Park. The injury from the blast caused his leg to be amputated just below the knee.

Oakton High Chorus families have started the Connor Golden Fund to help Golden, who aspires to a career in music engineering, with medical and rehabilitation expenses. More than $66,000 has been already been raised in the Go Fund Me campaign.

The benefit concert will feature a mix of talent representing Oakton High School students and graduates, as well as local singers, musicians, and bands, says the Go Fund Me Page.

Tickets are $15 for general admission/$30 for VIP seating.

Photo: Connor Golden/Go Fund Me