Chantilly Students Bring Christmas Cheer to Shelter Residents

The students collected over 60 toys for local children in need.

Chantilly High School photography students celebrated the Christmas season by making sure Santa Claus had enough toys to go around at a local family shelter.  The students, who are all in photography classes or the school's club, collected over 60 toys to wrap and distribute at the Katherine Hanley Family Shelter in Fairfax last week. All of the toys were donations from themselves or their families, no outside drives conducted.   Betty Simmons, the students' photography teacher, knew that she wanted to help the students do a service project, and asked Officer Wayne Twombly, of the Fair Oaks Police Station, for ideas of what to do. Twombly suggested the shelter, and the students rose to the occasion by collecting over 60 toys.  "We come …

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Kid-ing Around

A Holiday Drive Through Bull Run Festival of Lights

Light show brings the season alive.

  With the holidays in full swing, I still needed a little jump start to get into the spirit of the season so I packed my family in the car for a ride through the Bull Run Festival of Lights. Before leaving the house, I visited the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority website and printed a $3 discount coupon, which unfortunately used a full page worth of my color printer ink. The full price weekday admission is $15 per car/van and $20 on weekends and holidays. There were several cars in front of us at the gatehouse, but they had two windows staffed so it moved quickly. We paid for our entry and were handed a brochure containing information on the Festival of Lights that included a map.  Of course it was dark, and I didn’t want to miss…

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AAA: 2.7 Million Virginians Traveling this Holiday

The 11-day holiday window affords many the time to travel.

Over the river and through the woods, AAA expects 2.7 million Virginians will be traveling over 50 miles to grandmother’s house or elsewhere this holiday. AAA said that’s a one percent increase to those who traveled through the holidays last year and the highest travel volume in the past decade. “The 11-day year-end holiday period is the longest holiday travel season of the year, affording many more Americans time to visit family or take vacations,” said a press release from AAA Mid-Atlantic of the holiday period from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2, 2012. “The number of Virginians traveling during the year-end holidays has steadily increased since 2008, leading up to the highest number of projected travelers in the Commonwealth over the past ten years …

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Ho Ho Holiday Show Delights Audience

Students directed and performed a holiday show at Westfield High School.

The Westfield Theatre Boosters sponsored The Ho Ho Holiday Show at the Westfield High School Children's Theater. The show, with over 100 Westfield High School theater students, consisted of six holiday vignettes: Charlie Brown, 'TWAS the Night Before Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Hanukkah, Frosty the Snowman and The Grinch. All the vignettes were directed by students.

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Motorcycle-Riding Santa Claus Brings Holiday Fun to Local Schools

Twenty-fifth annual Santa's Ride benefits sick children in local hospitals.

Santa Claus rode through the streets of Fairfax County on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle Tuesday, followed by a motorcade of his helpers in law enforcement.  This is the 25th year local law enforcement agencies have participated in Santa's Ride for Children. The officers collected presents and donations at police stations and other areas around the county which they dropped off to children at INOVA Fairfax Hospital Child Life Center and Georgetown Hospital Lombardi Cancer Center. The toys will also go to the Ronald McDonald House and Reston F.I.S.H. As a "thank you" to children in some FCPS schools who collect toys, the officers, many of whom were riding motorcycles, escorted Santa to each location on his list. The route included Crossfield…

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