FOUNDATION DONATES $75,000 FOR NEW FIRE ENGINE IN McLEAN: On the anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks in which many firefighters risked and lost their lives, the Patricia A. Henriques Charitable Foundation on Sept. 11 made a $75,000 grant to McLean Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) to help purchase a new, state-of-the-art fire engine.
Robert Freda, an estate-planning attorney and MVFD administrative volunteer, presented a check to Patricia Moynihan, the fire department’s president. The donation was the largest ever in the department’s 103-year history.
The charitable foundation’s benefactor, Patricia Henriques, died in 2020, and her charitable foundation is managed by Freda and his wife, Tricia.
“My admiration for McLean Volunteer Fire Department is well-known, and it was always noted by my dear friend and colleague Pat [Henriques],” Robert Freda said. “For 40 years, she lived by the Pentagon, and making this grant to assist the heroes of this department on the 23rd anniversary of the attack would thrill her. Personally, it’s very moving to me to be the bridge between her undying spirit and the spirit of this great department.”
Moynihan said the department was “very grateful” for the generous donation, which will go a long way toward purchasing the $500,000 fire engine. Department officials expect delivery of the new engine in 2027.
“We will go from one to two fire engines to serve the people of McLean and greater McLean area,” she said. “This added capability will allow us greater flexibility to respond to emergencies as the number of residents and businesses in the area continues to increase.”
NEW DOMINION WOMEN’S CLUB BESTOWS GRANTS: In its first member meeting of the 2024-25 season, the New Dominion Women’s Club presented four local organizations with donations of $2,200 each in recognition of their support to the local community over the past year.
Beneficiaries are:
• English Empowerment Center – teaches adults the basic skills of reading, writing, speaking, and understanding English so they can access employment and educational opportunities and more fully and equitably participate in the community.
• Falls Church-McLean Children’s Center – provides a comprehensive, high quality early childhood program designed to give all young children, regardless of their family’s economic resources, a strong foundation on which to build the rest of their lives.
• Homestretch – a non-profit organization designed to address the root causes of homelessness for each family and reverse it.
• Safe Community Coalition – provides programs and resources to reduce stress, foster mental wellness and empower youth to thrive and make responsible choices about their health and safety.
New Dominion Women’s Club also provides volunteer service and other assistance to the beneficiaries, which are nominated by members and then evaluated and selected by a committee.
Based in McLean, New Dominion Women’s Club is committed to promoting, encouraging, supporting and cultivating the civic, cultural, educational and/or environmental welfare of the community. For information, see the Website at www.ndwc.org.
STUDENTS HONORED BY McLEAN AAUW: Three Northern Virginia students were honored for academic prowess recently by the McLean area branch of American Association of University Women (AAUW).
The meeting, held at the McLean Community Center, also featured a program on “Gender, Women and Politics: Where Are We Now.”
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Achievement Awards were presented to Nora Tafader of Park View High School (science) and Lily Rodriguez Velis of William O. Robey High School (awards for both math and science). Alison Martinez, who received the math achievement award for students at Park View High School, was not able to attend.
The criteria for the awards include a demonstrated record of overall academic success, as well as a distinguished record of achievement in either math or science.
Each award, which is funded through the branch’s fund-raising, consists of a certificate and monetary award. The members of the McLean area branch STEM Awards Committee who managed the awards program were Nina McVeigh, Phyllis Provenzano and STEM chair Judy Page.
For more information on the McLean area branch of AAUW, see the Website at http://mclean-va.aauw.net.
McLEAN VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, INOVA TO HOST BLOOD DRIVE: The McLean Volunteer Fire Department is partnering with Inova Blood Donor Services to host a blood drive at the station, 1455 Laughlin Ave., on Tuesday, Oct. 2, from 1 to 5:30 pm.
To sign up to help the community replenish its vital blood supplies, visit https://www.inovabloodsaves.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/33648.
