The Reaves family ate breakfast with more than 200 of their closest friends at Sugarland Elementary School Saturday, March 2.
Nicole Reaves and her children, C.J., Beandre and Nishan, lost their home in January due to a fire.
The Friends of Reaves Family Fund sponsored a pancake breakfast at Sugarland Elementary School to raise money for them.
Reaves did not expect the response her family received.
THE PANCAKE BREAKFAST raised $5,300 for the Reaves family to help them rent a home in the Sugarland area.
The Friends of the Reaves Family Fund not only served up pancakes, but provided entertainment as well. Local middle- and high-school students volunteered to serve food and paint faces. Sugarland Elementary School faculty led students in their rendition of the Macarena.
Fund chairperson Mera C.K. Diaz spent five weeks arranging the event. Diaz ran around town attending organizational meetings and collecting donations.
“This thing took on a life of its own,” Diaz said.
Diaz said she couldn’t have done it without the support of her husband, Ray, and two children.
“My husband was like a single parent for four or five weeks,” she joked.
Sugarland Elementary School principal Jennifer Ostrowski was “extremely pleased” with the event on Saturday.
“I was most impressed how a small number of dedicated community members working together made such a huge difference for this family,” she said. “The outpouring of support for the fund-raiser was incredible.”
The event attracted families from at least 11 Loudoun County public schools.
“It was truly a great day for Sugarland and the Reaves family,” Ostrowski said.