Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma

Holiday Party Success!

2011-12-08T11:02:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, Dec. 3, sisters gathered at Grand Cru in Arlington to celebrate the holidays. More than 20 sisters were in attendance and enjoyed the festive atmosphere. In addition, we successfully collected a large table full of Toys for Tots!

2012 Dues! Early Bird Rate- $30

2011-12-06T12:15:00.000-05:00

Purchase your 2012 NOVA dues today and receive an early bird discount of $5 ($30 annual dues!)

Your membership includes free or discounted event admission to: annual wine tasting, holiday party, Founder's Day celebration, social gatherings with your sisters, and so much more! Secure your 2012 membership today.

2011 Founders' Day Tea

2011-11-21T13:56:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, November 20, 2011 the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma gathered to celebrate the founding of our Fraternity. Over tea, our sisters honored the women who began the Fraternity in 1913 and re-dedicated themselves to the twin ideals, “the brotherhood of man and the alleviation of the world’s pain”.

2011 Holiday Party- December 3, 2011

2011-11-04T11:10:00.000-04:00

Please join the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter on Saturday, December 3, 2011, at our 3rd Annual Holiday Party at Grand Cru (4401 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA 22203). Members, non-members, and guests are warmly welcome. Your ticket price include delicious food, great conversation, and a wonderful way to connect with your Phi Sigma Sigma sisters over the holidays.

Those attending the holiday party will be entered into a raffle to win a free 2012 NOVA PSS membership ($35 value!)

October Event: Wine Tasting & Bonfire

2011-09-18T20:45:00.000-04:00

Please join Phi Sigma Sigma NOVA Alumnae Chapter for an afternoon tasting of great Northern Virginia wines! Wine tasting is $4 per member/guest. Please contact natalia.akin@gmail.com if you're interested in carpooling options.

Saturday, October 22, 2011
1:00pm-4:00pm

Three Fox Vineyard

10100 Three Fox Lane

Delaplane, VA

Bring your own food and cash to purchase bottles if you wish! This will be a great afternoon to get to know your fellow alumnae sisters. The vineyard is dog friendly, so bring your favorite canine!

September Happy Hour and Quarterly Meeting

2011-09-18T20:40:00.002-04:00

On September 15th, the women of the Northern Virginia Alumnae chapter welcomed the Fall season with a happy hour and quarterly meeting to plan our upcoming events. Save the date for our next chapter meeting on December 7th.

Summer Book Club Event

2011-09-18T20:39:00.000-04:00

The sisters of Phi Sigma Sigma NOVA alumnae chapter held our first annual summer book club. Reading, The Girls from Ames - we got together to discuss the book while enjoying food and fun. During this event we also hosted a book drive for charity and filled up an entire Ford Focus!

PIzza! Pizza! And Wine...

2011-09-18T20:33:00.002-04:00

The Phi Sigma Sigma Northern Virginia chapter recently held a combined Wine Tasting and Pizza Making class. Our guest chef taught a group of over 25 alumnae, family and friends how to create a delicious homemade pizza. Check out some pictures below from our most popular event!

2011 Event Calendar

2011-06-14T20:51:00.002-04:00

Check out the upcoming events for 2011! Save the date and watch out for more details.

Saturday, June 18, 2011 Wine Tasting and Pizza Making Class
Saturday, July 16, 2011 Summer Brunch - Location TBD
Sunday, August 21 2011 Summer Book Club & Books for Africa Event
Thursday, September 15, 2011 Happy Hour / 3rd Quarter Meeting
Saturday, October 22, 2011 Vineyard Trip
Sunday, November 20, 2011 Founder's Day Celebration
Saturday, December 3, 2011 Holiday Party
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 4th Quarter Meeting

We look forward seeing you at the next event!

Wine Tasting and Pizza Cooking Class

2011-05-27T11:08:00.005-04:00

Please join the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter on Saturday, June 18th from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM for our annual wine tasting event. This year we're partnering our wine tasting with a pizza cooking class/demonstration! Chef Matt Finarelli will teach us how to make excellent homemade pizza, including how to toss the crust! It promises to be a fun and interactive event with fantastic homemade pizzas and wonderful Italian wines.

This event is open to Phi Sigma Sigma alumnae, their friends, spouses, family, etc. The cost is $15 for all dues paying members of the Northern VA Alumnae Chapter, and $25 for all non-dues paying Phi Sig alums and non Phi Sigs.

2011 NOVA PSS Alumnae Chapter Dues

2011-05-16T12:57:00.005-04:00

Become a member today! Membership in the PSS Alumnae Chapter is good for one-calendar year (Jan 1st-Dec 31st). $5 of every membership is donation to the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation.

Purchase your membership here!

Doorways VA Donation Drive- PayPal Option

2011-05-16T12:54:00.002-04:00

PSS NOVA Alumnae Chapter Survey

2011-04-21T15:24:00.004-04:00

Please take a few moments to fill-out the chapter survey by clicking here. We want to know about your experience with the Phi Sigma Sigma NOVA Alumnae Chapter and hear your suggestions. Your feedback is appreciated!

2009-06-29T20:37:00.015-04:00

NOVA Chapter of

Phi Sigma Sigma

4th Annual Wine Tasting !

On June 20^th, the Sisters of the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma hosted the Chapter’s 4^th Annual Wine Tasting event.

Always a Chapter favorite, this year’s theme, “Great Wines Under $10” was a toast to the economic times. Our wine consultant, Kelly Magyarics stated, “One of the most exciting things for a wine lover is to find a “cheap” bottle of wine that tastes anything but.”

From Argentine to the Portuguese Vinho Verde wine, from White to Red wine, an array of tasty wines were sampled.

“It was so much fun to meet new sisters in the area while finding a new “favorite” wine,” commented Gillian Goldmark, Pi '07, who attended her first alumnae event with the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma.

Nationals Game A Success!

2009-04-22T14:31:00.002-04:00

Thank you to all of the alum sisters that joined us at the Nationals Game on April 16th!!
From the food, to the President's Race and our group's name on the big screen, we all had a great time!

We enjoyed having the Kappa sisters from GWU with us as well.

Save the Date's for Upcoming Events!
May 16th, 2009 - Quarterly Meeting/Elections
June 20th, 2009 - 3rd Annual Wine Tasting

We hope to stick a few impromptu events in as well. Make sure you check back!

Happy Spring Everyone!!

Save the Trees!

2009-04-09T18:43:00.006-04:00

Sisters from our Northern VA Alumnae Chapter volunteered at the Cherry Blossom festival for the Save the Trees program. Check out pictures from the event!

We rocked our National Park Service attire - beavers and all.

STOP! Don't pick the blossoms.

With Paddles the Beaver.

We hope you all had a chance to get out and enjoy the Cherry Blossoms!

Support Your Sisters as they Protect our Cherry Trees

2009-03-30T21:01:00.004-04:00

Dear Sisters,

Come out this Saturday, April 4th, and meet some of your sisters as National Park volunteers as they patrol the Tidal Basin ensuring visitors/tourists are being kind to these amazing trees. They will be out and about 1030 - 1300. Enjoy the weather, enjoy the blooming Cherry Blossoms and meet some sisters on "patrol."

Phi Sigma Sigma NOVA Winter Happy Hour

2009-02-05T17:56:00.002-05:00

Join your Phi Sigma Sigma Alumnae sisters for a winter happy hour!

When:
Thursday, February 19, 2009 - 6:00pm

Where:
Hudson Restaurant & Lounge
2030 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036

Happy Hour Food + Drink specials until 7:30pm!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Amy Meininger, amy(dot)meininger@gmail.com

See you there!

NVAPA Fundraiser Play "Greater Tuna" - January 27, 2009

2008-12-30T11:11:00.002-05:00

Please join the Northern Virginia Alumnae Panhellenic Association (NVAPA) for their annual fundraiser on Tuesday, January 27th at 7:00 PM. This year NVAPA is sponsoring the play "Greater Tuna" (http://www.greatertuna.com/gt/greater.htm) at the Little Theatre of Alexandria (http://www.thelittletheatre.com/) and all proceeds benefit the NVAPA scholarship fund which provides scholarships for undergraduate and graduate women attending college in the state of Virginia.

NVAPA will hold a pre-reception beginning at 7:00 PM, and the play will begin at 8:00 PM. As a member of NVAPA, Phi Sigma Sigma is responsible for selling 10 tickets to the play at a cost of $20 each. If you are interested in attending, please contact either Dotti Shields at dottishields@yahoo.com or Shara Roppel at slroppel@hotmail.com. This event is always popular and this year promises to be very fun and entertaining, so if you are are interested in attending please contact Dotti or Shara quickly as the tickets will be available on a first come first serve basis. Checks should be made payable to Phi Sigma Sigma.

Holiday Party & Quarterly Meeting

2008-12-30T11:08:00.002-05:00

Our annual holiday party and quarterly meeting was a great success!
Check out pictures from the event.

Quarterly Meeting & Holiday Party - December 13th!

2008-11-21T17:05:00.004-05:00

Need some Holiday spirit?

Join your Phi Sigma Sigma Alumnae sisters for our quarterly meeting and holiday party on December 13, 2008 from 11:30am-2:00pm. We will be having our quarterly meeting to discuss upcoming events and various chapter dealings.

We will be having a potluck brunch to celebrate the holidays. Please bring your favorite holiday dish to share with your sisters.

Got presents? We will be having a white elephant gift exchange ($15 limit). Bring a small gift along if you wish to participate in the gift exchange.

Location: The Home of Diane Lebson, 4453 Warren Street, NW Washington, Dc 20016
Phone: 202-758-2759

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Dotti Shields (dottishields@yahoo.com) 703-802-5759 or Tess Stovall at (tess.stovall@gmail.com) 615-727-2050

Come spread you holiday cheer!

Directions:

VIA METRO: From the Tenleytown/AU Metro (Red Line), proceed South on Wisconsin Avenue, make a right onto Yuma Street, walk 5 blocks, make a left south on 45th street, walk 3 blocks. At the corner of 45th and Warren Streets.

FROM DC: Proceed north on Massachusetts Avenue, towards Maryland. Take a right onto 46th Street and a right onto Warren, 4453 Warren Street, NW

VIA THE BELTWAY: Proceed on the Beltway towards Rockville/Baltimore. Take Exit 39 (River Road) towards Washington. Drive for about 4.5 miles, then take a right onto 46th Street and a left onto Warren Street, 4453 Warren Street, NW

Phi Sigma Sigma Founder's Day Celebration

2008-11-17T20:07:00.005-05:00

The sisters of the Northern Virginia and Baltimore alumnae chapters came together at our national headquarters in Elkridge, MD to celebrate the founding of our sorority. Founder's Day is on November 26, 1913. Check out some pictures from the event!

All of us posing for a picture!

Sandy Grossman, our current Grand Archon.

We hope to see you all at our next event on December 13th! Stay tuned for updates.

ALIVE Food Distribution Event

2008-10-27T18:45:00.007-04:00

Dear Sisters,

I wanted to share with you the amazing time we had this past Saturday participating in ALIVE's food distribution efforts.

Gretchen Ehle, Jillian Burstein, Amy Meininger and Michele Dominiak arrived at the Church of the Resurrection (Alexandria, VA) around 8:30 AM and the ALIVE Coordinator (Jane) had us working immediately. We, along with 25+ other volunteers, spent the first hour packing some 400 bags with various canned and dry goods donated by local grocery stores and food purchased by the ALIVE program. After bagging the food, we then were able to see the "fruits of our labor" by helping distribute the food to those in need as they came through the church to collect their share of groceries.

The ALIVE program was a well oiled machine and their well-organized process made it easy to enjoy the work. And to make this a day a bit more special, Saturday was also Make A Difference Day!

Finally, after a hard morning's work, ending our volunteer time around 12:30 PM, we celebrated by heading to 5 Guys for some burgers and fries.

There is another ALIVE event on November 8th (with the Boy Scouts) and then again on December 13th. While we will not make these official PSS NoVA events, these are great opportunities for sisters to volunteer. For more information on volunteering or on ALIVE, please visit http://www.alive-inc.org/.

Thanks to the sisters that participated. A good time for a good cause.

ALIVE Food Distribution Philanthropy Event

2008-10-11T12:09:00.003-04:00

The sisters of the Phi Sigma Sigma NOVA alumnae chapter invite you to join us in our cause to help others through the ALIVE Food Distribution event on Saturday, October, 25, 2008.

Where: Church of the Resurrection
2280 North Beauregard Street
Alexandria, VA 22311
When: 8:30am-12:00pm (Must be there by 8:30am.)

Volunteers are needed to help bag and distribute nonperishable food and fresh produce to low-income families.

This is a great opportunity for us to come together to help others and we hope many of you can join us.

Please RSVP to Michele by October, 22nd if you plan to join us. (moochichi at gmail dot com).

More Information for the Wine Event - Chrysalis Vineyard!

2008-09-02T11:26:00.004-04:00

UPDATE:

Unfortunately, due to not meeting a minimum number of attendees, we had to cancel this wine event to Chrysalis. We look forward to exploring different and exciting ways to celebrate our sisterhood in the future.

------------------------------------------

Dear Sisters,

Here is more information about the Wine Event to Chrysalis Vineyard on October 4th!

*Price per person for this event will be $65. This price includes transportation to and from the event, admission to the festival, and snacks while we get there and come home.

*Pick-up and drop-off location will be in Fairfax, VA (most likely near Vienna Metro station).

*We will meet at 11:00 AM and should be back at the drop-off location by 4:00 PM.

PLEASE RSVP TO Michele Dominiak (moochichi at gmail dot com) BY SEPTEMBER 15th. We will need a minimum amount of people to make this trip happen, so the sooner we hear from you, the better!

Thank you and please contact Michele D. with any questions. We look forward to seeing you.

Happy Hour - September 11th

2008-08-28T15:19:00.002-04:00

What: Happy Hour!!
When: Thursday, September 11, 2008 6:00-8:00pm
Where: M Street Bar and Grill (2033 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036)

We are celebrating the end of summer and the start of fall with a happy hour at M Street Bar and Grill. Happy hour specials run until 8pm, and the appetizers are on us!

M Street Bar and Grill is located in the St. Gregory Hotel--a short walk from Dupont Circle and Farragut North on the Red Line, and Foggy Bottom and Farragut West on the Orange and Blue Lines.

http://www.mstreetbarandgrill.com/

We hope to see you there!

SAVE THE DATE!

2008-08-22T23:51:00.001-04:00

Dear Sisters,

SAVE THE DATE! Join sisters and friends on Saturday, October 4, 2008 as the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter travels to Chrysalis Vinyard in Middleburg, VA for their Bluegrass Festival (http://www.chrysaliswine.com/begin.htm). Join us for a day of fabulous wine tasting at one of the most popular vinyards in the DC Metro area. This will be an all inclusive event that will include luxury transportation to and from Chrysalis Vinyard (pick-up/drop-off info TBD), entry into the Chrysalis Vineyard Bluegrass festival and snacks to and from the event.

And the best part - you will be doing good! This is the NoVA Alumnae Chapter's Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation fundraiser. Profits from this event will go to the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation (www.phisigmasigmafoundation.org) to aid in their efforts to fund educational grants and donate to charitable organizations.

More details to come, but you won't want to miss this extraordinary event. EVERYONE (SISTER OR NOT) IS INVITED TO JOIN US - SO BRING YOUR HUSBANDS, SIG-OTHERS, BEST FRIENDS, AND PARENTS!

SPACE WILL BE LIMITED, SO RSVP NOW TO MICHELE DOMINIAK AT MOOCHICHI@GMAIL.COM BY SEPT 15, 2008. We look forward to seeing you!

--
Michele D.
NoVA Alumnae Chapter Philantrhopy Chair
moochichi@gmail.com

Summer BBQ - August 23, 2008!

2008-08-02T09:37:00.001-04:00

Anyone hungry?

Come enjoy an afternoon of fun with your Phi Sigma Sigma sisters at our summer BBQ on Saturday, August 23, 2008!! All local Phi Sigma Sigma alumnae, their families, children, friends and significant others are invited to join us.

The BBQ will be from 11:30 AM-1:30 PM at Quincy Park in Arlington, VA (directions below) at 1021 North Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22201. The park is walking distance from the Virginia Square-GMU metro stop.

The Phi Sigma Sigma NOVA Alumnae Chapter will be providing hamburgers/hot dogs/buns, soft drinks and paper products. Please bring your favorite BBQ side item or food for grilling (i.e. grilled chicken) and make sure to bring the recipe to share with your sisters! We?ll be doing a recipe exchange as part of the BBQ, so bring plenty of copies of your recipe to share.

Please RSVP no later than Thursday, August 21st (please email amy_meininger@hotmail.com if you did not receive an evite) and make sure to include whether you will be bringing a side dish, salad, main course or dessert.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Amy Meininger (amy_meininger@hotmail.com) 703-509-9998 or Tess Stovall at (tess.stovall@gmail.com) 615-727-2050

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Directions:

Via Metro:

From the Virginia Square Metro, walk one block down N. Nelson Street until you see the park. You should cross over 10th Street North, and then walk past baseball fields on your left. The picnic table area will be on your left between 10th Street North and Washington Blvd on N. Nelson Street.

Driving from the West:

66 East to exit #71, Fairfax Drive/Glebe Road/Ballston. Stay straight and take Fairfax Drive approximately ½ mile to N. Quincy Street, turn left onto N. Quincy Street, the park will be on your right. Parking is available on any of the neighborhood streets or by the library at 10th & Quincy Street.

Driving from the South:

Take 395 North to exit 8A, Washington Blvd. Follow Washington Blvd. for 2.5 miles to Wilson Blvd., turn left onto Wilson Blvd. Follow Wilson to Fairfax Drive, and turn right onto Fairfax Drive. Follow for ½ mile and turn right onto N. Quincy Street. The park will be on your right. Parking is available on any of the neighborhood streets or by the library at 10th & Quincy Street.

Driving from DC:

Take 66 West to exit #71, Glebe Road. Turn left at the stoplight onto Glebe Road. Follow Glebe to Fairfax Drive, turn left onto Fairfax Drive. Follow Fairfax Drive approximately 1/2 mile to N. Quincy Street, turn left onto N. Quincy Street, the park will be on your right. Parking is available on any of the neighborhood streets or by the library at 10th & Quincy Street.

Happy Hour on July 10th!!

2008-06-27T18:05:00.003-04:00

Join the sisters of Phi Sigma Sigma NOVA for a happy hour on July 10th at Liberty Tavern in Clarendon!

Liberty Tavern
3195 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201

www.thelibertytavern.com

Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm
Happy Hour prices end at 7:00!

Liberty Tavern is off the Orange Line - Clarendon Station.

Hope to see you there!!

3rd Annual Wine Tasting a Hit!

2008-05-28T14:03:00.003-04:00

On Saturday, June 21st the Northern VA Alumnae Chapter held its 3rd Annual wine tasting event at the home of Katie Vlietstra in Washington DC, and the event was a hit once again. The theme this year was "Wine and Junk Food", which proved to be a popular theme! We had fun trying wines recommended by our wine consultant, Kelly Magyarics, along with junk food such as potato chips, cheese curls, chips and salsa, and buttered popcorn. We tasted such diverse wines as Italian Prosecco, Spanish Rioja, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, California Chardonnay, and French Cotes du Rhone.

We had a great turnout of alumnae in the area along with friends and family. Watch the blog for details on the upcoming wine tour in September, and next year's wine tasting event.

For information on Kelly Magyarics Wine Consulting, visit http://www.trywine.net/.

Check out some pictures from our event!

Next Chapter Meeting - Saturday, August 23, 2008

2008-03-26T18:04:00.006-04:00

Our next quarterly meeting will be held on Saturday August 23rd at the home of Amy Meininger in Dunn Loring, VA. Please watch your emails for an Evite in late July, which will include the start time and directions.

We are doing a BBQ-themed Receipe Exchange Party, plus a very short quarterly meeting, so bring your best BBQ dish to pass, along with the receipe to share. This is an open event, so families, children, spouses and friends are welcome to attend.

If you have questions, please contact Tess Stovall at tess.stovall@gmail.com

Winter Fundraising

2008-02-04T10:38:00.000-05:00

The chapter has increased its Phi Sigma Sigma aparrel options to raise money to fund its two scholarship endeavors. Please take a look at the new offerings for winter, and contact Gretchen Ehle (gmehle at hotmail dot com) for an order form. All orders are custom and can be placed at any time.

Happy New Year, NoVA!

2008-01-03T18:59:00.001-05:00

Wishing all the sisters in the Washington, DC Metro area a very Happy New Year. Hope your holidays were wonderful and that the new year brings you joy and prosperity.

What better way to celebrate a new year than by joining (or renewing membership with) the Northern Virginia Alumnae chapter.

Tallula - Good Friends, good food...

2007-12-03T21:05:00.000-05:00

Our holiday happy hour at Tallula's in Arlington was great. We enjoyed each other's company and appetizers in the back of EAT Bar, a casual bar that shares a menu (and wine list) with Tallula. Swanky, 70's retro chairs set the mood as we toasted to the holiday season and commiserated about our work day. It was good to see everyone and we hope to see more of you at the next gathering.

Pottery Barn Silk Dupioni Drapes for Sale!

2007-12-02T18:20:00.000-05:00

Kim Hildred, Foundation President, is hocking her wares to any sister interested;-) If this is not reason enough to buy, then let the Pottery Barn name be the other.

For Sale - Like New Pottery Barn Silk Dupioni Drapes (50X84") in Plum (2 panels - for one window). Panels are pole pocket and are in perfect condition. Original price was $89/panel, but for sisters, the price is $45 (negotiable) for 2 panels. The picture above is not great quality, but should help with identifying color. Please contact Kim at khild32 at cox dot net if you are interested in these drapes. Thanks!

NVAPA Gift Wrapping for Juvenile Diabetes

2007-12-01T16:15:00.000-05:00

The Northern VA Alumnae Panhellenic Association (NVAPA) will once again be participating in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's annual gift wrapping fundraiser at the Pentagon City mall on Sunday, December 16th. As a member of NVAPA, the NoVA alumnae chapter has agreed to provide six volunteers for this very important event on December 16th from 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM. So far we have three volunteers but we need three more. Please email dottishields@yahoo.com and if you are interested in volunteering.

Thanks so much to everyone who has volunteered for this event in the past. We're looking forward to another successful event this year.

NOVA Alumnae Chapter volunteers with NOVACO

2007-11-28T13:28:00.000-05:00

Under the guidance of the NOVA Chapter's Philanthropy chair, Michele Dominiak, chapter members have participated in children's activities for the Northern Virginia Coalition, an organization providing transitional housing for victims of domestic abuse.

Chapter members have assisted with occupying children with numerous activities while their mothers attend classes. Michele has developed an engaging program for the children including activities such as: halloween ritz cracker spiders, decorating pumpkins for halloween, oreo turkeys, thank-you signs for moms and teachers, and "Where is Mr. Turkey?"

Michele has done a fantastic job in organizing this philanthropy effort. The last volunteer opportunity for this year will be on December 10. The chapter will be donating food to mothers for the weekly meal. Please contact Michele if you are interested in participating: moochichi at gmail dot com.

NOVA and Baltimore Alumnae Chapters host Founders' Day at HQ

2007-11-28T12:47:00.000-05:00

On November 3, 2007 over 30 Phi Sigma Sigma alumnae gathered at Headquarters in Elkridge, Maryland to celebrate the Fraternity's Founders' Day. The event brought together new alumnae with seasoned volunteers from the Baltimore, Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. metro regions to celebrate the vision of perpetuity shared by our Founders'. Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails were generously provided by the alumnae chapters, and thus, in lieu of an event fee, the alumnae chapters suggested a donation of $19.13 be made to the Founders' Day Campaign in an effort to support the 2008 NKF Transplant Games.

We were very honored to have several very special guests in attendance, including three Past Grand Archons, Louise Kier Zirretta, Judith Distler and Kim Hildred. Also in attendance were Executive Director, Michelle Ardern, Supreme Council Member, Melanie Boone, and Foundation Executive Director, Nancy (Nash) Hay.

Special thanks to Executive Director Michelle Ardern and HQ staff Cara Fabrocini and Lisa Wallace for offering the HQ space for this event and providing all support and assistance necessary to make the Founders' Day a wonderful event. Also, special thanks to Amy Lewis and Rachelle Seeds of the Baltimore Alumnae Chapter and Michele Dominiak of the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter on organizing this special Founders' Day event!

Celebrate Founders' Day!

2007-11-26T19:55:00.000-05:00

Happy Founders' Day sisters! I just heard about the great way Phi Sigma Sigma is celebrating Founders' Day this year. I've participated, and I thought of the wonderful sisters of the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter when the Foundation asked me to spread the word. They're undertaking a special campaign to raise gifts of $19.13 that will support the National Kidney Foundation's Transplant Games. It's a very modest gift for most, but will add up to incredible support when thousands of us participate! As I made my donation, I thought about how our Phi Sigma Sigma Founders never knew you or me, yet they made our friendship and community possible.

If you want to join me in honoring our Founders and helping transplant recipients and their families, just click here to add your contribution: https://www.phisigmasigmafoundation.org/donate/founders.php. The campaign runs through the end of November. (If you want to find out more, I’m told there’s information on the $19.13 Founders' Day Campaign on the Foundation’s Web site at http://www.phisigmasigmafoundation.org/.)

Holiday Happy Hour at Tallula's in Arlington

2007-11-26T17:00:00.000-05:00

It's the most wonderful time, of the year...

To celebrate the season properly, on Monday, December 3rd (6:30 PM) come share a toast with yours sisters (and their significant others) at Tallulah Restaurant (http://tallularestaurant.com) where we hear the wine is fabulous and the food is good too ;-). Don't like wine, that's okay, a diet soda is just as satisfying - we just want to see you!!

Kidney Walk 2007 - A Success!

2007-10-14T11:07:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday was the NKF National Capital Region's Kidney Walk. We had a great time and it felt good that we could contribute to an event that is so very important to so many. The NKF kicked off the walk with a mini rally, introducing their sponsors and sharing kidney organ donation success stories. After hearing these inspirational stories we embarked on our 5K walk along Georgetown's C&O Canal. Enjoying each other's company and the beautiful fall weather, the time flew by and we crossed the finish line at 10:30AM.

The NoVA Alumnae chapter raised over $390 for the NKF this year. The chapter would like to thank our individual donors: Molly Harrison, Michelle Calderone, Amy Meininger, Dotti Shields, Gretchen Ehle, Katie Vlieststra, Kim Hildred and Michele Dominiak. We also would like to thank the Beta Upsilon (American University) and Beta Alpha (University of Maryland) Chapters for participating and raising money for this important cause. Diokete Hupsala!

Northern VA Alum Chapter Wine Tasting

2007-10-01T10:13:00.000-04:00

On August 5th the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma held their second annual wine tasting event. This event is fast becoming a popular tradition with our alumnae chapter for it's combination of food, fun and fantastic wine. We had over 20 alumnae gather at the home of Kim Hildred where we sampled a variety of wines, both red and white, from the Central Coast of California, Napa Valley, France and Germany. Sisters also bought a wonderful spread of foods to accompany the wines, including shrimp, salmon, a variety of cheeses, fruit and salads. Our wine expert, Kelly Magyrics, expertly led us through discussions on the wines themselves, as well as their regions and the best food pairings. As always, Kelly was a wealth of information.

A special thank you goes out to Gretchen Ehle, Christy Smith, Katie Vlietstra and Dotti Shields for providing the food and wine for this event.

We are looking forward to planning another successful wine tasting for the summer of 2008, so keep an eye out for details after the first of the year.

NKF Walk - 2 Weeks Away!

2007-09-30T15:27:00.000-04:00

The NKF Kidney Walk is now less than two weeks away (Saturday, October 13, 2007). Please let Michele Dominiak (moochichi at gmail dot com) know by this Friday, October 5, 2007, if you will be joining us in walking for this important cause. If you are interested in volunteering that day (helping out with walker registration, etc.,), please let her know as soon as possible. Don’t worry if you want to walk...if you volunteer, you can still walk!

If you would like to donate to the NKF, you can support the NoVA Alumnae team by donating online. Please visit the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter’s NKF Web site at http://www.firstgiving.com/novaalumpss. Remember, it doesn’t matter how much you give, just that give.

LET'S EAT! - We will also be going out to brunch/lunch together after the walk. We’ll be building up an appetite!

WHAT: 2007 Kidney Walk for NKF-DC
WHEN: October 13, 2007; Registration begins at 8:00 AM. The Walk starts at 9:00 AM
WHERE: The Shops at Georgetown Park (parking available in the garage), Washington, DC. The Walk is around the C&O Canal
Web site: www.kidneywdc.org
Event Web site: http://www.kidney.org/site/203/walk.cfm?ch=203
NoVA Alum Chapter’s Team site: http://www.firstgiving.com/novaalumpss

Look forward to serving with you!

Service Events with NOVACO

2007-09-16T21:32:00.001-04:00

The NoVA Chapter has teamed up with the Northern Coalition, a non-profit organization that helps homeless victims of domestic abuse become healthy and self-sufficient. We will be helping NOVACO with the following service activities:

October 22 - Youth Activities Night - providing fun activities for 10-15 children while their moms are attending NOVACO's life skills class
November 19 - Youth Activities Night
December 10 - Dinner for families and dinner with sisters! This social event will have a philanthropy component as we will ask sisters attending this social event to bring designated dinner "supplies" for NOVACO families.

If you are interested in attending any of these events or have questions, please feel free to contact Michele Dominiak at moochichi at gmail dot com.

Phi Sigs Walk for Kidney

2007-09-09T17:38:00.000-04:00

Phi Sigma Sigma Sisters proudly walking in last year's NKF-DC Kidney Walk. This is the 2007 Promotional poster for the Kidney Walk, October 13, 2007 in Georgetown (click on picture to enlarge).

Fall Quarterly Meeting and September Social Event at the National Zoo

2007-08-26T19:33:00.000-04:00

The Northern Virginia Alumnae chapter will meet on Sunday September 23 at 11:00 am for the chapter's fall quarterly meeting. The event will begin at Open City for brunch. Following the meeting we will walk up to the Washington National Zoo for the social part of the event. We will plan on walking up to the zoo around 12:30 for anyone that wants to forego the chapter meeting and meet us at the zoo.

Getting to the Zoo

Please RSVP to Gretchen Ehle: gmehle at hotmail dot com so that we can make reservations for brunch. We look forward to seeing you!

National Kidney Foundation Walk

2007-08-21T18:18:00.000-04:00

Saturday, October 13th in Georgetown will be the NKF - National Capital Area's Annual Kidney Walk. Come join your sisters, alum and collegians, in supporting this important cause! The NoVA Alum Chapter of PSS has their fundraising Web site up and running. For more information about this event and how you can participate, please contact Michele Dominiak at moochichi at gmail dot com.

Welcome!

2007-06-16T17:42:00.000-04:00

This is the new Blog for the Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma! Here, we communicate on the "what's happening and what's new," with sisters and share information about the international organization and the local chapters.