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Best of Reston Names This Year's Honorees
Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, Reston Interfaith team to honor people and businesses for their good works.
Reston Interfaith and the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce on Thursday announced its 2012 honorees for the Best of Reston Awards.
This is the 21st year the Best of Reston Awards have been given out to individuals, businesses and community groups in the Reston area who have had an impact through community service and involvement.
Faces in the crowd at a reception at Google headquarters in Reston included Reston founder Robert E. Simon and his wife, Cheryl; Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins; Reston Association president Kathleen Driscoll McKee; RA Lake Anne/Tall Oaks director Ken Knueven; Reston Community Center executive director Leila Gordon; and past award winners Beverly Cosham, Ellen Graves, Eve Thompson and Lynn Lilienthal.
The 2012 winners will be honored on April 12 at the Hyatt Regency Reston.
The winners are:
Janet and Vade Bolton (Individual Community Members) - The Boltons have been volunteering with Reston Interfaith since 1985. Vade Bolton, who died suddenly in December, was a board member and former chairman of Reston Interfaith, as well as a hands-on volunteer at Embry Rucker Community Shelter.
Janet Bolton is on the community board of The Closet in Herndon, serves a bike captian for the Reston Sprint Triathlon and organizes and volunteers for hypothermia programs run by FACETS and Reston Interfaith.
Boofie and Joe O'Gorman (Individual Community Members) - The O'Gormans have been active community volunteers in such organizations as Reston Swim Team Association, the Reston Triathlon, the Reston Kids Triathlon and the Reston Sprint Triathlon. The latter has helped raise more than $100,000 for Reston Interfaith.
Boofie O'Gorman, a Realtor with Long & Foster, also serves as the chair of the board of managers for the YMCA Fairfax County-Reston and chair of the Capitol Steps Benefit to support Reston Interfaith.
Graceful Spaces (Community/Civic Organization) - Jean Boston, Karen Hale and Anne Strange use their interior design savvy to provide furnishings and organizational skills to families in transitional housing. Since 2008, the group has served 59 families and has dedicated more than 2,700 hours of community service.
Reston Little League (Community/Civic Organization) - The league teaches love of baseball, respect for community and the lessons of sportsmanship to 700 girls and boys each year.
In 2011, a Reston Little League team won the Virginia state championship.
RLL has been active in the community for 40 years, depending on 450 parents to volunteer for various jobs and fundraising.
Wee Play (Small Business) - This Herndon play space for children, founded by Kathy Brennan, proves that "having fun does not require money. It simply requires time," said the Best of Reston selection committee.
Wee Play opens its studio weekly to children from Laurel Learning Center and the Embry Rucker Community Center.
Dominion Virginia Power (Corporate Business) - Dominion Virginia Power has given back by supporting Girls Excelling at Math and Science (GEMS) at Dogwood Elementary School as well as FREE: Future Renewable Energy Effort at Rachel Carson Middle School.
In 2011, the Dominion Trail Mix helped celebrate and clean up the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, and 40 Dominion employees volunteered to winterize seven townhomes owned by the Reston Interfaith Housing Corporation.