Leesburg, VA September 2023

Photo by Christy Kosnic

Architect: Cawood Architecture, PLLC

Be Seen

When someone says, “I see you,” it used to mean, “I appreciate you. I understand what you’re trying to say. I see what you did there.” When Paige Buscema of Eyetopia says, “Be Seen,” she means it in much the same way: unleash the inner you and be recognized for the most beautiful / stylish / extraordinary person that you are!

For “creatives” like clothing designer Afua Sam or architect William Caywood, that means taking their crafts’ version of rules and bending them a bit to suit their aesthetic, as dictated by their own originality. One is bold and colorful while the other aspires to a certain symmetry. They know that each of our wardrobes and surroundings are really just expressions of what make us happy. The language of "style" may differ among disciplines, but the desire is the same: to look beautiful.

One of the more touching stories I heard in putting together this month’s style issue revealed how innate is our fundamental human need for beauty. It was a story that Loudoun Breast Health Network Board Member Chantel Smith told us about one of her “clients” who came to be fitted for a wig after she lost her hair to chemotherapy. “She was so happy, trying on different looks and coming out to model them,” Chantel said. Both were convulsed with giggles by the time one was finally chosen. Such experiences go to the heart of the charity’s mission: to make women feel beautiful and loved and whole, even as cancer does its worst to ravage their self-images.

It was a rare glimpse of the innate indomitable spirit that a simple kindness can help to re-ignite.

Another way to show kindness is to share those things that you’ve loved and enjoyed with others. Why should that great outfit or even that purse you bought to go with those shoes you no longer wear go to waste? We invite you to both generously donate to The Ladies Board Rummage Sale, and to come this year, even if you’ve never been. Think of it, not as a bonfire of the vanities, but as a celebration of wonderful things expertly chosen to make someone happy – now in search of another home!

At Leesburg Lifestyle we like to say a truly exceptional lifestyle involves giving back. It’s okay to invest in fashion and your own personal style, just as it’s okay to change your mind and re-vamp your image. You should love how you look because great things can happen from feeling confident.

Just remember to spread the love when given the opportunity. We see you!

September 2023

PUBLISHER

Hann Livingston | hann.livingston@citylifestyle.com

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Melinda Gipson | melinda.gipson@citylifestyle.com

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Tiffany Slowinski

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson

DIRECTOR OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS Jennifer Robinson

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Josh Klein

CONTROLLER Gary Johnson

AD DESIGNER Matthew Endersbe

LAYOUT DESIGNER Kirstan Lanier

Proverbs 3:5-6

MELINDA GIPSON, EDITORIAL COORDINATOR @LEESBURGLIFESTYLE

city scene

Where

neighbors can see and be seen.

1-7: Loudoun Boozefighters joined by neighboring clubs in a poker run supporting Loudoun Breast Health Network

1: Loudoun Chapter President Bumblebee

Photography by Donn Dobkin

1-7: Loudoun Cares Celebrates 20 Years Serving Loudoun County 2: Loudoun Cares Board Members Tracey Leverett and Monti Mercer

2: Board Members Erin Adams and Debra Craig 3: Board Member Seema Khan, Exec. Dir. Valerie Pisierra and Founder Susan Snyder 5: Raffle

Drawing Draws Laughs 6: Loudoun Cares Dev. Dir. Jenny Tomlinson and Family 7: Ocelot Brewing Co. Owner and Host Adrian Widman

Photography by Melinda Gipson

We are NOT your Typical “Dental Office”

Since our number one goal is to get to the root of your discomfort and sleeping problems, we have limited our practice to TMD, sleep apnea and case finishing. That means we do not perform any general dentistry at all. Every day, we focus on helping those with craniofacial pain and airway problems. We take patient care to an all-new level of “concierge” customer service. Listed below are a few other reasons that set us apart.

Dr. Jeffrey L. Brown DENTIST

Dr. Brown understands sleep apnea and how it correlates to TMJ treatment. His knowledge in the combined fields of TMJ, sleep and orthodontics has given him a perspective unlike most other practitioners who perform basic dentistry. In addition, he has also learned the advanced techniques involved in expanding an airway so that both children and adults can breathe better.

Want to be seen in the magazine? Tag your Instagram photos with @LeesburgLifestyle

1: In July, Stagecoach Theatre’s Dinner Theatre offered up “Disco is Dead” at Oatlands 2: The Audience Was Dying to Participate as Cast Members 3: ... And Period Costumes Ruled the Day 4: Saturday Night Fever 5: Fame, AND dinner... 6: Building to a dramatic finish and a surprise ending! 7: StageCoach Dinner Theatre, where audience participation is key to a great evening.

Photography by Melinda Gipson

Not Your Kid’s Spelling Bee Slated for Sept. 30

Loudoun Literacy Council’s annual fundraiser “Not Your Kid’s Spelling Bee” marks an evening of dinner, refreshments, networking, a raffle prize, and both silent and live auctions plus a friendly spelling and trivia competition! Even if you would rather sip Beaujolais than spell it, you’ll still have fun cheering on your friends and colleagues as they spell their way to victory. At National Conference Center September 30 from 6:3010:30, tickets at bit.ly/LLCBee23. (Below, Board members, Beatriz McNelly and Brigitta Toruño can be bribed to help with the right answers!)

Photography: Loudoun Literacy Council

Ketterman's Jewelers Celebrates 35 Years

Ketterman's Jewelers celebrated its 35th anniversary in Leesburg August 6th. The family-owned and oper ated jewelry and gift store offers an eclectic mix of quality merchan dise -- including fashion! -- and its on-site jewelry repair and design shop make it a perfect destination for jewelry and gift-giving needs. Traditionally, 10% of proceeds from the first day of every month is shared with local charities. You can read more about the family history here: kettermans.com/company/history

Scan to read more.

Photography: Melinda Gipson

Elizabeth Lancaster Elizabeth Lancaster

John C. Whitbeck John C. Whitbeck Jim Beglis Jim Beglis

Going out in StageCoach Style

Looking for a certain costume with style, particularly with Halloween and dress-up parties just around the corner? StageCoach Theatre maintains an extensive inventory of costumes, props, and backdrops for rent. Let StageCoach help you outfit your cast, your team, or your family for a performance or party. Select from scary ghosts and witches to fancy flapper dresses and gowns. There are hats galore and a good selection of wigs. Contact April via email at april@stagecoachtc.com

Photography: StageCoach Theatre

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Want to be featured?

Get in touch by heading over to our landing page to connect: CityLifestyle.com/Leesburg

‘A FUNCTIONAL YET TIMELESS COUNTRY RETREAT’

WILLIAM CAWOOD ARCHITECTURE’S AWARD-WINNING RENO

ARTICLE BY MELINDA GIPSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTY KOSNIC PHOTOGRAPHY

When the American Institute of Building Design ( https://aibd.org/ ) recognizes a project as a “Grand ARDA” for renovation, it spotlights the best of what independent, professional architects and designers can do to make their clients’ homes both beautiful and livable. William Cawood of Cawood Architecture PLLC ( https://cawoodarch.com/ ) turned in one of just a few such projects recognized this year at the pinnacle of the organization’s renovation category.

The custom architect serving Loudoun County says after working for over a decade in the Maryland and DC region he got his break locally from Matt Bowe of Alair Homes Hunt Country ( https://www.alairhomes.com/huntcountry/ ) and it was Matt’s company that built the renovations that Will designed for the award-winning project.

As William describes his “Goose Creek Revival,” the renovation was of a two-story, rural house in Northern Virginia that “focused on providing our clients with a more efficient layout and updated finishes to create a functional yet elegant country retreat.”

One of William’s biggest challenges was refining the entry sequence of the existing house. As he recalls, “The simple front portico, which lacked

Renovated foyer with curved landing

Renovated front portico

cohesive architectural detailing, opened onto a plain foyer that featured a multiangled stair and landing which clashed with the decorative columns of an open sitting area.” The angled landing actually made access to the upstairs bedroom difficult, and made furniture placement difficult. On order: a more formal entryway that at the same time seemed open and inviting, and that resolved the challenging angles of the former entry.

“To achieve this,” William explains, “the front portico was partially deconstructed and completely redesigned with inspiration from traditional buildings and now opens onto a beautifully refinished double height foyer. Pilasters and paneling combine to create a formal entry sequence that camouflages the additional foot of space added to the existing foyer,” improving circulation to the rear of the house. A new gently curved landing and refinished staircase allow the foyer to flow gracefully to the rest of the home and improve the access to an upstairs bedroom.

As the award submission explains, “A new private office with custom paneling was added to make better use of the open sitting room, while a dramatic butler’s pantry with a hand painted ceiling was added to take advantage of unused space next to the kitchen. Rustic decorative beams and a new stonework wall helped to define the kitchen and great room as separate spaces, while maintaining the openness and original views that the owners loved in the old design.”

“PILASTERS AND PANELING COMBINE TO CREATE A FORMAL ENTRY SEQUENCE THAT CAMOUFLAGES THE ADDITIONAL FOOT OF SPACE ADDED TO THE EXISTING FOYER.”

Existing laundry behind a hidden bookcase

The architect Will Cawood in front of his Berryville home

Fireplaces in the main living spaces were replaced, with new stonework in the main living area and a paneled surround in the sunroom. Numerous other areas were updated or redesigned, including all the secondary bathrooms and powder room. New wood flooring that had been reclaimed and re-milled from old oak fence boards was run throughout the house.

Upstairs, the owner’s suite was reworked to remove a split-level lounge in favor of a more “intentional” entry to the bedroom with the addition of a luxurious new dressing room. The main bathroom was completely refinished with custom paneling and a tiled accent window ledge.

Windows featuring curved fanlights, a custom arched window in the butler’s pantry, and a more open window muntin pattern provide views to the countryside that surrounds the home, and updated French doors with more glazing reinforce the home’s connection with its surrounding landscape. The original façade was updated with a bolder, more cohesive color palette, new chimneys anchored the expanse of the house, metal roofing replaced the existing asphalt shingles, and new operable shutters completed the reworking of the exterior.

The award ceremony is in August in Nashville; winning entries, with all the photos and descriptions, will be posted at ResidentialDesignAwards.com

ABOUT WILLIAM:

William loves historic homes and country living, which was in part what drew him to Loudoun County. He owns a turn of the century Folk Victorian home on Main St. in Berryville, adjacent to the town park, that he’s been slowly renovating. Most of his work focuses on new homes and additions, but his firm also does smaller commercial projects such as offices and a historic museum house.

He often renovates historic homes and he notes that an early step in a successful renovation is

Renovated front of the existing home

Butlers pantry with new arched window and hand painted ceiling

identifying if that charming old house is or is not on a historic registry that carries with it rules and regulations on modifications. William has done both and is well familiar with the processes required for getting truly “historic” home renovations approved, as well as how to create sympathetic additions for both types of historic homes.

He’s also a member of the Institute of Classical Art and Architecture, remarking that “traditional design can seem very rigid, but in my experience, it’s like having a language with a sentence structure that give you the ability to create on top of that foundation, and that the variety can be endless while sharing a common theme.” Another of his gifts is working within a budget, and applying “stagecraft” when unlimited funding isn’t an option. “You learn very quickly as an architect that creating opportunities for small moments that highlight a view or artwork can elevate and expand a space without requiring a large investment.”

Renovated living room with new windows, coffers, and stone fireplace

Renovated sitting room with new paneled fireplace and rustic beams

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STW Cleaning: Saving Much More Than the Weekend

ARTICLE BY MELINDA GIPSON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARRY HARLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Dawn Crawley is one of our region’s unsung heroes who support women undergoing cancer treatment, first responders and others with life emergencies. Her cleaning company originally was called House Cleaning Heroes, but she changed it to “Save the Weekend” or STW Cleaning (stwcleaning.com ) to reflect a broader dossier that now includes home renovation and commercial cleaning services. But the logo still includes a “Super Girl” figure because the company exists to empower the women Dawn employs as much as it does her customers.

Another of STW’s values is community service and Dawn reflects this by offering “small acts of kindness” to the community. “We say, ‘We may not change the world, but we change the world around us,’ and the way that we do that is through outreach to the community to drive positive change,” Dawn says. Initially, she partnered with Cleaning for a Reason

(cleaningforareason.org ), which offers free house cleaning for women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Her own life was touched by the disease when she lost her mother at age 52 to metastatic breast cancer.

Through COVID, STW also supported “front-line” workers like nurses, teachers and even people working in grocery stores, supplying up to 16 hours of cleaning in four-hour increments. Dawn is also on the board of LAWS, the Loudoun Area Women’s Shelter. Once a quarter all her employees are allowed to take a day off to serve the non-profit of their choice. She’s been recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year in 2021 by the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, by the National Association of Women Business Owners, and the National Association of Business Owners and Entrepreneurs and looks for opportunities to mentor other women in business. She is, in short, our kind of heroine.

Dawn Crawley, STW Cleaning Owner

Afua Sam Returns to the Runway for Silence No More

The Red Affair Celebrates Bold, Beautiful Women

“I’m bold and beautiful and my fashion speaks to what’s inside of me,” says Afua Sam in describing her approach to clothing design. While the Ghanaian fashion designer can cite a few famous designers like Alexander McQueen and Valentino that “speak” to her, she is largely self-taught, and never studied fashion formally. “I often create stuff straight from my head, from shapes and silhouettes that I like or colors that I like. I create what I want to wear that I don’t see anywhere... Fashion comes naturally to me by way of creativity.”

She grew up in a family where there was never enough, so she and her brothers were always making baskets or other crafts by hand to make money, and she did needlework for fun. But her father was a musician and her mother sang in church, “So, maybe my creativity is inborn because my dad was a very creative person,” she adds. Certainly, the bright, tropical colors, African prints and natural fabrics she loves are native to Ghana, a western African country on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea.

Fashion gave her an opportunity to come to the U.S. two decades ago, and she is now recognized as a fashion pioneer in both London, where C Hub Magazine named her one of the 100 most creative people, and in her home in the D.C. DMV, where she was added to the D.C. Fashion Week Hall of Fame in 2019. Her climb to fame came not, however, with any one “big break,” but through designing for a long series of charitable causes, like the Silence No More Movement / P7 4th Annual Fashion Show scheduled September 23rd from 6-9 p.m. at Carahsoft in Reston. This year’s SNMM Red Affair P7 Fashion pairs Lisa Jones, Carahsoft, Backflow Technology, ARM Consulting, P7, and Fifty Leven with non-profits that help abused women escape domestic abuse.

Why “The Red Affair,” we asked Afua? “Because red is beautiful, and every woman looks stunning in it. Not only is it beautiful, it also to me symbolizes the struggles of women. You know, being a woman is not easy.”

ARTICLE BY MELINDA GIPSON |

BY AFUA SAM

She explains, “Silence No More is very personal to me. I haven’t spoken much about it but when Lisa told me about the event, I was drawn to it immediately because of my personal experience. I will just say that if I had not had the strength and the courage to move away from an abusive relationship, nobody would have seen my talent today. So, I hope that me being part of this event will encourage other people to know that they have something in them that can bless other people, that can enrich other people’s lives, that can encourage other women, that can break the cycle of women being in abusive situations.”

She adds, “I know it’s not easy to just leave, because I’ve been there, and I know how hard it is. But I will say to every woman out there that is around anybody who is abusive – walk away. Find the courage. There’s something in you that God gave you that needs to be seen. Don’t stay. Don’t be silenced.”

Her own personal Afua Foundation concentrates on empowering women and young people. She currently mentors two high school students who want to pursue careers in fashion, and annually engages in “Operation Prom,” where she creates a prom dress for a deserving high school student with good grades. “I’ve worked hard and had opportunities

I never could have imagined. I hope to influence young people [to believe that] even if they suffer difficulty, that they can do it too, and even bigger things than I’m doing.” She adds, “You know when God gives you a gift, He didn’t give it to you for you to keep it to yourself.”

See something you can’t live without? Afua designs seasonally for fashion shows and often sells her designs right off the runway, but she also can reproduce a design in another size to fit a client, or do something entirely custom, as she has for many celebrities and influencers, as well as for “ordinary people like myself.” Studio D’Maxi Designs (studio dmaxsi.com) represents Afua’s high concept, “oneoff” designs, while “The A Concept by Afua Sam” (theaconceptbyafuasam.com) is the more casual, ready-to-wear boutique where colorful African prints predominate, and clothing and accessories can be purchased online.

Tickets for The Red Affair are $75. Besides the opportunity to revel in what Red can do for your wardrobe, attendees will enjoy a delightful evening of fashion, music, food and drink and the chance to support women looking to live their best lives without fear. See bit.ly/RedAffairTickets.

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High Fashion from a Rummage Sale?

ARTICLE BY MELINDA GIPSON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MJLSTUDIOS

Today, Loudouners take having a county hospital for granted. But back in 1912, the six-bed Leesburg Hospital survived only with the support of what is now called The Ladies Board of Inova Loudoun Hospital ( ladiesboard.org ). These stalwart churchwomen supervised housekeeping and fundraising. And, beginning in 1938, they launched The Ladies Board Rummage Sale, a tradition now in its 84th year, to give the community a chance to both contribute gently used clothing and furniture, and to shop to support quality healthcare in Loudoun County.

THE LADIES BOARD DELIVERS IT IN STYLE

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1 Five Inova and four Rummage Sale Volunteers Joined our Tribute as Models

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2 Bezu Tadesse, Clin Tech 2, Inova Loudoun Hospital

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3 Catherine Hughes, Rummage Sale Volunteer

4 Michael Gauvreau and Ming Donovan, Rummage Sale Volunteers

IMAGE 5 Susan Carroll, President, Inova Loudoun Hospital

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Nicole Dlesk RN, MSN, PCCN, Clinical Director 51 North, Inova Loudoun Hospital

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arah Stinson, BSN, RN, CPEN, Administrative Director, Inova Loudoun Hospital

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Ming Donovan, Rummage Sale Volunteer

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Maryse Wayser-Pratte, Ladies Board Member, Rummage Sale Volunteer and stylist for our photo shoot

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Jaimee Robinson, MSN, RN, RNC-OB, NPD-BC, C-EFM, C-ONQS, Labor & Delivery Clinical Educator & Perinatal Care Coordinator, Inova Loudoun Hospital

Tradition says that the first year of the Rummage Sale was almost its last, the organizers feeling that they had surely exhausted the supply of lightly used items that could be donated by their $150 haul. This October, the sale of truly extraordinary fare ranging from fine jewelry and accessories, high-fashion clothing and furs, “Man Cave” electronics and holiday items, to decorative items and household goods will take place two and a half days from October 13-15 ( ladiesboard.org/rummage-sale). This year the sale will even feature 70 wedding dresses donated by a shop going out of business.

Its first day, Friday from noon to 3 p.m., is a VIP-only shopping event for just 200 patrons who must buy a $50 ticket for early entry, and they’ll probably sell out! (See  ladiesboard.org/viptickets .) The following Saturday and Sunday will see literally thousands of local shoppers browsing the buildings and tents of the Loudoun County Fairgrounds.

Past participants speak of the sale in awe of its scale and variety, and brag about their finds. We thought there would be no better way to prove the point than by giving some of those who benefit from Ladies Board donations and a few of the volunteers who staff the sale an opportunity to strut their stuff in Rummage Sale fashion finds.

Among their number is Jaimee Robinson, MSN, RN, RNC-OB, NPD-BC, C-EFM, C-ONQS, Labor & Delivery Clinical Educator and Perinatal Care Coordinator for Inova Loudoun Hospital. Jaimee is a recent recipient of a Ladies Board nursing scholarship. She’s using her scholarship to achieve a doctorate in nursing practice from The George Washington University.

Working part time, Jaimee told us it will take her until May of 2025 to graduate, but, in the meantime, the scholarship, and the freedom to split time between work and school, affords her the opportunity to achieve a better work-life balance and to stay connected to the lives of her own children. Aside from her personal education, she’s quick to note a recent $10,000 donation from The Ladies Board to Inova’s obstetrical services, for simulation equipment which her program uses to train all its EMS providers in both normal and emergency obstetrical deliveries.

That amount pales in comparison with the $3,580,676 the Rummage Sale has generated since 1959: the Board contributed $1 million to the hospital’s Birthing Inn, and another $1 million to the Cornwall Emergency

Room, and has funded more than $2 million in nursing scholarships as well as critical projects like the Inova Virts Miller Family Emergency and Trauma Center and the Lisa Dugan Chapel at Inova Loudoun Hospital. They’re more than halfway to another $1.2 million pledge they hope to meet in the next three years. Funding to cover the Board’s pledge also comes from the Twice Is Nice thrift shop in Leesburg, the Riverside Gift Shop at the hospital in Lansdowne, the Lights of Love remembrance program, the Rummage Sale, and the Polly Clemens Nursery Fund.

All those zeroes tend to blur together absent specifics. What struck us repeatedly as we scouted the halls of Inova Loudoun’s less well-known venues for our photo shoot was the sheer pervasiveness of the Board’s generosity – here exercise equipment, there therapeutic facilities – even a renovation of the hospital chapel!

The Board works closely with the Inova Foundation to bridge the gap between its budget and its needs, explains Alexia Orr, a member of the Inova Loudoun Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees and Chair of The Look Department, the Rummage Sale’s fine clothing repository. “The way it works is that every year each hospital department has a budget, but there are always more wants than the budget is set for.” After a thorough review of other potential donations, The Ladies Board is offered the opportunity to raise money for those requests, “and they’ve been very generous.”

So have Loudoun’s donors, adds Joylyn Hannahs, Rummage Sale Chair. “It’s very easy now to take to these high-end things and go on to Facebook Marketplace and sell them on your own. We’re so fortunate that we have such a great tradition like the Rummage Sale that folks feel really excited to donate to us.”

And for that, there’s still time! The final donation drop for the sale will be held Saturday, September 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Inova Loudoun Hospital at 44045 Riverside Parkway in Leesburg, the Cornwall Campus at 224 Cornwall St. and Loudoun Valley High School at 340 N Maple Ave. in Purcellville. There’s also an online Silent Auction, the link for which will be posted at  ladiesboard.org, and plenty of opportunities to volunteer.

It’s all great fun, too, because, besides looking great at a bargain, patrons wear the delight of supporting a great cause.

Crossroads Festival Returns This Month

ARTICLE BY MELINDA GIPSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY BENEFIT LIVE

DOWNTOWN LEESBURG RINGS WITH THE SOUND OF LOUDOUN’S MUSIC COMMUNITY

On Saturday, September 16, a record 35 musical performers will take the stage at 12 venues in downtown Leesburg for the annual Crossroads Music Festival. The festival is organized by BENEFIT Live, which has newly incorporated as a stand-alone non-profit to unite people with music to raise funds and awareness for charities making a difference in our area. That’s a mouthful, but trust us, this year’s offering will be even better than the promised 35-course meal.

The head chef in this case is Amy Bobchek who co-founded the organization with Ara Bagdasarian. Amy, who by day is Senior Vice President of Sales for Everfi, also performs locally with the band Big Bad Juju at least once a month. As she describes the origins of BENEFIT, it started with the realization that Loudoun County indexes lower than its neighbors for charitable giving as a percentage of income, despite its relative wealth. “We got to thinking about that problem. Why is it that people aren’t giving? One theory was that it is a pretty transient community – people live here but commute to D.C. for their jobs. So, maybe there was an opportunity for us to create deeper connections with people living here and becoming more dialed into the needs of our neighbors? How do you change that? Well, being musicians, we’ve all experienced the magic that happens when you are delivering live music to an appreciative audience. You see people dancing and singing along and the joy that comes out of people, so we thought we’d put those two things together and create a culture that makes people want to give because they’re so swept up in the joy that live music creates. That’s what we’ve been doing since 2017.”

Gary Smallwood

Dave Mininberg

Favorite Child

The event has grown every year by every measure – the amount of money collected and distributed to non-profits (a total of $134,000 since 2017), the number of musicians (7 more than last year), the number of venues, “It’s just grown organically every single year,” says Amy. This year, the group gave $25,000 to eight non-profit organizations from proceeds of the show, even though no tickets are required. Sponsors like Toth Financial and Keane Enterprises donate for marketing consideration and individuals can donate in advance from $20 for a mobile pass to $500 for the designation of “Superfan.” Donations of any amount are welcome the day of the festival.

This year’s grants totaled $25,000 to A Hand Up – NOVA, which operates the  Northern Virginia Diaper Bank (nova diaperbank.org), Food For Neighbors (foodforneighbors.org), Ryan Bartel Foundation (ryanbartelfoundation.org), LAWS Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services ( lcsj.org), Legacy Farms ( legacyfarms virginia.org);  Loudoun Literacy Council ( loudounliteracy.org); The Salvation Army of Loudoun ( loudoun.salvationarmypoto mac.org/loudoun-county), and Just Neighbors Ministry ( justneighbors.org).

Growing beyond being a program of the Paxton Foundation and becoming its own entity gives BENEFIT the freedom to serve charities that go beyond the children of Loudoun County, says Amy, though they remain a priority. “We love kids, but the main idea is that many people that live here don’t necessarily feel a connection to the needs in the community. You may not even know that we have people that are food insecure, or people that can’t pay their electric bills. We wanted our grant-making process to be adaptable and dynamic and able to respond to the needs that are right in front of us right now.”

Amy now serves as vice president and president elect of her own board, and Michael Gauvereau is chair of the events committee. In that role, Michael helped with band and venue coordination. An airplane broker by day, he also performs with several bands including Jumptown. Crossroads’ slate of performers favors original music to

promote a diverse group of local musicians to the local Loudoun audience. Both are excited that this year’s roster includes jazz for the first time.

Amy says having its own board also provides a succession plan that helps BENEFIT maintain its “big tent” community commitment. Some 200-250 volunteers including performers will take to the streets this year, passing out maps and schedules to attendees for shows from 5-10 p.m. at Black Walnut Brewery, Buford’s Biscuits, Delirium Café, Dynasty Brewing Co., Goosecup, GreenTree, the Town Green at Leesburg Town Hall, Loudoun County Courthouse, King’s Tavern and Wine Bar, MacDowell’s Beach, Schmidt’s Barbecue and Sidebar. More details are available at crossroadsmusicfest.org , and there are still opportunities to sponsor and volunteer. See benefit.live

Michael Gauvreau and Amy Bobchek

“We got to thinking about that problem. Why is it that people aren’t giving?”

Robert Rogers Blues Band

Tamara Mae Dovell

Beauty and the Bee

Breast Cancer Is No Respecter of Persons, Says Loudoun Breast

Health

Network

ARTICLE BY MELINDA GIPSON | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DONN DOBKIN, DOBKIN PHOTO

Chantel Smith and Bumblebee

LBHN Board Members Margo Fallon, Chantel Smith, Misty Simon and Dr. Virginia Chiantella

Billy Maykrantz, a.k.a. Bumblebee, leads the Loudoun County Chapter of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club, Chapter 105, currently 11 members strong. You’ve probably seen their bikes behind Spanky’s Shenanigans on a Friday or Saturday night. But you may not know about the club’s long-standing commitment to raising money for local charities.

One of those is Loudoun Breast Health Network ( lbhn.org ) which has provided sisterhood, sustenance and even style to local women battling breast cancer since 2007.

Its Pink Assistance Fund provides financial assistance for medical expenses, prescriptions, rent or mortgage, car payments, utilities and groceries – more than $572,000 since its founding in 2012. Its New Beginnings program offers support services including free wigs, hats, scarves, mastectomy bras, support calls and partnerships with local community resource providers. Its educational efforts have taken it to countless local schools educating students about breast cancer detection and treatment.

One of its core tenets? Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate: by age 80, one in eight women will be diagnosed with it, and the financial burden of fighting the disease can be devastating. The American Society of Clinical Oncology reports that “financial toxicity” has been diagnosed as one of the side effects of cancer treatment. Says Chantel Smith, LBHN Board Member and cheerleader for the Boozefighters’ charitable efforts says, “Our goals are to keep our clients focused on their health and treatment and to try to alleviate some of the financial stress that comes with a breast cancer diagnosis.”

At the Boozefighters’ annual “Cure for Cleavage” benefit in June, Bumblebee told us that his mother was a breast cancer survivor, as is his ex-wife, but added that everyone he knows has been touched by it in one way or another. Harkening back to the foundation of

the club after WWII, he says members originally were bonded by the mantra to “live life to its fullest.” But besides that, “We also find that it’s important to give back to the community; we have a symbiotic relationship. And so, events like this are what we do to try to help people. In my chapter, it’s very important to stay grassroots. We’re the Loudoun County Chapter and I like to make sure that the money that we do generate for people stays in our county. That’s why Loudoun Breast Health Network is such a great organization for us to support. I know that every dollar we raise goes to a person who needs it the most.”

The benefit began with a Poker Run, where bikers collect playing cards at each of five stops around the county patronizing businesses who support the cause along the way. Bikers then reconvene at Spanky’s where winning hands win prizes and there’s a raffle of donated gift baskets. Both Bumblebee and Chantel had a giggle about the image of Boozefighter bikers approaching local golf courses for raffle donations – “We’re not typically your door-to-door type of people,” admits Bumblebee – but says the club’s business ties have grown with its reputation for giving back. The group is itself a 501(c)4, or nonprofit membership organization, but all the money the club raises goes to charity. “We’re on target to surpass $100,000 donated through the Cure for Cleavage Event alone over the years,” he adds.

Among LBHN Board members, breast cancer is personal. Misty Simon, a cardiac nurse, had it in 2007 when she was a young mother, and now stewards the Pink Assistance Fund, for which there’s no income pre-requisite for aid. Chantel lost her sister to breast cancer and now runs the New Beginnings program, helping breast cancer patients feel beautiful with the aid of new wigs and other items. Margo Fallon is also a survivor we met in May in our Strong and Beautiful issue.

But it was Dr. Virginia Chiantella, the organization’s founder, that offered the most perspective about the

“My conviction was always that Loudoun County is a wealthy community and there shouldn’t be a two-tiered system for people who suffer from this disease. We’re all in this together.”

— Dr. Victoria Chiantella

organization and its reason for being. When she arrived in Loudoun in 1989, she was the county’s only female general surgeon, so she began to be consulted by more and more women with breast cancer. By the mid-1990s, with advances in genetic and imaging diagnostics, “it just got more and more complicated and I felt like I couldn’t do it justice if I weren’t focused on it full time. I stopped doing everything else around 2000. But if you had told me when I was in medical school that I would have an ultrasound in my office the size of a laptop and that I’d be talking about genes with people, it would have been like telling me that I was going to go to the moon for the weekend.”

In the early years, surgeons only had one response to the detection of breast lumps – they did lumpectomies, tested the tissue for cancer and moved directly to a mastectomy under the same anesthetic if it was malignant. Treatment now is much more nuanced, offering many treatment

options, she says. She now provides care and consultations for the entire spectrum of benign breast concerns, breast cancer risk assessments, in-office ultrasound evaluations and biopsies, and top of the line breast cancer surgical care.  With mammography and ultrasound on site, and now CT scans at the Lansdowne location, along with 3 outstanding medical oncologists, radiologists and now a second surgeon Dr. Claire Edwards, her practice offers a leading “one-stop shop” for breast care patients. With better care, come many more survivors of the disease and she’s encouraged when the Susan G. Komen Foundation Race for a Cure draws thousands of participants. “The first time we went, there were five of us in a church van,” she recalls. But she notes that donations to the Komen Foundation support research efforts to find a cure for breast cancer. “Meanwhile, we have people in our community that really need help... There’s financial

“Our goals are to keep our clients focused on their health and treatment and to try to alleviate some of the financial stress that comes with a breast cancer diagnosis.”

LBNH Stocks Hundreds of Wigs for Cancer Patients

toxicity that goes along with breast cancer treatment, not just hoping that your insurance pays for your treatment, but the financial effects of not being able to work.”

The initial thrust of the Loudoun Breast Health Network was to bring people together who were undergoing treatment for the disease, then followed with raising money to help them pay their bills while they were undergoing treatment, Dr. Chiantella relates. At around the same time, the group began lobbying to have an actual breast center in the hospital. She traveled to multiple states to study their programs and got all the way to designing a floor plan when the hospital was sold and the local Cornwall project initially died, though it was later reborn in Fairfax as the Sharp Cancer Institute.

“My conviction was always that Loudoun County is a wealthy community and there shouldn’t be a two-tiered system for people who suffer from this disease. We’re all in this together,” Dr. Chiantella adds. She explains that breast cancer diagnoses are rising and the age of people being diagnosed is falling. “I saw 163 new breast cancer patients last year compared with 112 the year previous, and around 90 the year before.” Whether the increase marks

a significant trend or relates more to the success of her practice, she’s not sure, but strongly supports LBHN’s educational efforts to ensure early diagnoses and treatment.

Obviously, the board works tirelessly to engage a wide range of local businesses – not just bikers, though the Boozefighters’ loyalty over the years has won a special place in Chantel’s heart. For example, Loudoun County Public Schools high school students and one elementary school raised $31,000 for the organization last year. They’ve held “Pink Outs,” for sports games, and sold t-shirts through DECA. “It’s great to see these kids really take such a passion for it. My son came home to surprise me over the weekend for Mother’s Day. And it was so great to see him in his pink t-shirt that he got and paid for with his own money in high school. He’s wearing it six years later,” says Margo. October is the traditional month for raising awareness of breast cancer and Nanette Parsons, business owner of Best Rack Around, typically hosts a sale that month as a benefit for the organization.

There are countless other examples. To be alerted to other activities, follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/ LoudounBHN, or Instagram at instagram.com/loudounlbhn

LBHN Founder, Dr. Virginia Chiantella

report

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