Happy New Year, NoVA!

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...

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!

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

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

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

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!

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/.)