Lemonade Stand
When Ed Conway suggested that son Michael, 12, try and raise money for Hurricane Katrina victims, Michael interrupted him, saying he had already talked it over with friends and they were going to do something. Michael, a student at Kilmer Middle School in Vienna, raised $634.67 with a lemonade and bake sale Saturday, Sept. 3, said Ed Conway. With help from friends at Kilmer and Freedom Hill Elementary School, Michael ran the stand on the corner of Woodford Road and Woodford Court, taking donations from neighbors and giving out cookies and Kool Aid. Michael and his friends had set up a similar stand after Sept. 11, 2001, said Ed Conway.
"I thought it was a neat thing for them to do, and kept them away from the PlayStation for the afternoon," said Ed Conway. "People were very generous."
Michael delivered the proceeds to the American Red Cross.
Tennis Lessons
Westwood Country Club in Vienna hosted a fund-raiser at which people could learn to play tennis and help victims of Hurricane Katrina at the same time.
Joni Hannah, director of tennis at Westwood, along with Terence Killen and George Elias, offered lessons all day Saturday, Sept. 10, and donated the proceeds from the lesson fees and from extra donations to the American Red Cross, said Ruth Cuppernull, tennis pro shop manager at Westwood.
"[Hannah] and I came in one morning and realized, watching it on the TV and seeing the devastation, and decided, what can we do?" said Cuppernull. "You feel so helpless." The pro shop also put out a container for relief donations, she said.
The event collected over $3,000 for relief efforts, said Hannah.
Baby Slings
The images from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that stand out the most for Jennifer Sprague, she said, are "the ones of little babies sitting on the side of the road in a car seat with no one around."
"You can't blame the mothers for leaving them sound asleep, they have to take care of other things, other children, but there is a way to keep your baby with you," said Sprague, who owns a Vienna-based business making baby slings. Slings, she said, would allow mothers to have their hands free while keeping their children with them.
So Sprague decided to host a baby sling drive through her business, High Top Baby Designs. She is sending the slings and baby carriers to mothers affected by Hurricane Katrina in evacuation centers in Houston and Washington, D.C. To donate a baby carrier, sling, or pouch, e-mail Jennifer@hightopbabydesigns.com.
Pancake Breakfast
Over 200 people attended the hurricane relief pancake breakfast hosted by Deborah Brehony at her home Saturday, Sept. 10.
Del. Steve Shannon (D-35), Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites-Davis (R-34), and U.S. Tom Davis (R-11) were in attendance, along with Mayor M. Jane Seeman and Vienna Councilmembers Edythe Kelleher and Laurie Genevro Cole. Shannon cooked up some of the pancakes.
The final total was $15,855, including matches by First Horizon Bank and McLean mortgage lender Gourley & Gourley. With promised donations, said Brehony, the final tally could be over $17,000.
"I feel really blessed to be in a town where everybody pulls together," said Brehony. "It's not just my effort, but everybody's effort together."
Proceeds were donated to the American Red Cross.
Pet Help
A number of Vienna pet organizations collected donations of pet toys, food, treats and supplies for the four-legged residents of the Gulf Coast. Volunteers from Metro Ferals and Alleycat Allies, Castle Cat Rescue, Four Paws Rescue, and others joined Dr. Kim Danoff of the Veterinary Holistic and Rehabilitation Center in the project, said Barbara Lipson of Four Paws Rescue.
Four veterinarians traveled with the supplies to Waveland, Miss., to treat and collect rescued animals, said Lipson.
Food Donations
Twenty-year Vienna resident Deborah Nau is spearheading a food drive for Hurricane Katrina victims in Baton Rouge, La. Nau will be collecting food until Sept. 18, when the food items will be transported to Louisiana. The drive was organized under the auspices of the Dulles Area Democrats, but Nau stressed that it is an entirely nonpartisan community effort and encouraged all town residents or organizations to donate food. For more information or to donate food items, contact Nau at 703-938-5404.