Mary Grace Hyland, a member of Reston's Fox Mill Woods Swim and Tennis Club, was honored recently on Capitol Hill by U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf as a Congressional Award winner. The award requires achievements in four areas of volunteer service, sports, personal development and exploration. Hyland is the youngest person in the state to achieve her Emergency Medicine certification. She also received her award for her participation as a volunteer at the Vienna Fire Department, a tennis player in Reston summer leagues and at James Madison high school and for scientific exploration.
Black Enterprise magazine named Willie L. Hudgins, Jr. one of America’s Top Black Lawyers in its November 2003 issue. Reston resident Willie Hudgins has over thirty years of experience practicing antitrust law. A veteran of some of the major merger cases in the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, he now practices at Collier Shannon Scott.
The Virginia District of the United States Tennis Association is awarding Mary Conaway the Virginia Tennis Teaching Professional of the Year Award. Conaway, Reston's tennis manager, is being honored because of "her tireless efforts in behalf of the Reston tennis community." Her work includes an after school tennis program in elementary schools, which she initiated and nurtured. She also established an inter-club network with the surrounding villages' tennis clubs and a junior tennis circuit.
Conaway raised over $800 for tennis lesson scholarships for needy participants in the after school program. Her charitable efforts have not been confined to the tennis arena. She also ran a successful tennis fashion show that raised $800 for the Embry Rucker homeless shelter. She is responsible for adult tennis programs that include lessons and tournaments, including the Simon Cup, an annual fall event that pits Reston's top players against each other.
Top of her agenda for 2004 is bringing indoor tennis to Reston.
The Association also presented the Sportsmanship of the Year state award to Reston resident Evan Saltzman and the Family of the Year award to the Cronk family Mark, Amy, Stephan, Michael and Karen.
Lauren Hillman, 14, of Reston, collected 1,000 books for the Reach Out and Read Program at Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children. A community service project for the Girl Scout Silver Award, Hillman collected books for children up to age five visiting the Inova Pediatric Center, soliciting items from other girl scouts, friends and neighbors.
Andy Procko of Reston was recognized for his volunteer work at Colvin Run Mill Historic Site in Great Falls by the Fairfax County Park Authority. Procko has been a volunteer for 20 years.
Reston resident and artist Carolyn Ann Day will display her hand-colored images of Washington, D.C. at Factory Photoworks Gallery at The Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St., Studio #314, Alexandria, through Nov. 30.