To the Editor:
I love this community. There are so many ways to serve a community as diverse and as vibrant as ours. I recently competed in a special election to succeed Congresswoman Comstock. While I came up short in the vote count, largely due to the unfortunate weather on Election Day, I am as inspired to serve as I was on that day. My passion to serve others only strengthens with each pursuit.
Long before I decided to run for office, I have served the people of Fairfax and Loudoun counties through my work on multiple not-for-profit boards. Two are particularly relevant to some big things happening in 2015. I am the president of Volunteer Fairfax (www.volunteerfairfax.org) and a member of the board of directors of The World Police and Fire Games (www.fairfax2015.com). Volunteer Fairfax and The Games organization have partnered around the massive volunteer recruitment and coordination effort. We require over 4,000 volunteers to execute The Games and to demonstrate to the world that there is no better place to host a global sporting event than right here in the suburbs of Washington D.C.
The Games are coming to Fairfax and Loudoun Counties June 26 through July 5 of this year. Over 12,000 athletes from around the globe will compete in 61 events. If you’re serious about economic development then you need to support The Games as they are expected to have a direct economic impact of $60M to $80M over a 10-day period, particularly to small business and our hospitality industry. I can also think of no better way in 2015 to demonstrate our commitment to the people of the emergency management and first responder communities than to be involved in The Games. Please take a moment to learn more about both Volunteer Fairfax and The World Police and Fire Games and find your way to get involved.
Craig Parisot
McLean