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Photos by Tim Peterson/The Connection
News
Photos by Alexandra Tecco/The Connection
Alilhson Senel holds up a mirror so one of the party attendees
can see how the haircut Selim Arasli gave him
turned out. Doing haircuts on site presents difficulties,
since all the styling equipment needs to be brought and
folding chairs can’t be raised.
Building Confidence for the Return to School
By Alexandra Tecco
The Connection
More than 80 children
from low-income
families attended
the FAC-
ETS Back to School Party on Monday,
Aug. 15 in Fairfax. FACETS, a
non-profit that focuses on the diverse
needs of those in poverty in
Fairfax County, The Mid-Atlantic
Chamber of Commerce and volunteers
with Amazon Women in Engineering
united to coordinate the
party. As the party wound down,
children filtered out talking about
their new backpacks, admiring new
hairstyles and imagining the possibilities
in the upcoming school
year.
The party started with children
hunting through tables piled with
backpacks for the one they treasured.
The styles pleased kindergartners
to those in high school. A
favorite moment by many of the
staff and volunteers was when a 5-
year-old found her backpack, exclaiming
“It’s Nemo!” The backpack
featured the young clownfish
from Pixar’s film “Finding Nemo.”
Each child was provided school
supplies based on their schools’
lists. Pencils, crayons, hand sanitizer,
notebooks, binders and more.
The stacks were taller than some
of the children weaving their way
through the tables. Some backpacks
weren’t large enough to fit
all the school supplies required for
the year, backpack zippers left open
for the short walk home.
“We try to take care of everything
on their list,” explains Josh
D’Antonio. The supplies are collected
during the summer through
the FACETS Back-to-School Drive
where workplaces, faith communities,
various other organizations
and individuals donate school sup-
Teressa Williams, 9, mother Maura Williams
of Stafford and FACETS Event Intern
Huong Cao help Natalia, 4, find her school
supplies. FACETS Community Development
Advocate from Centreville, Shanel Hudson,
helps Nana, 14, of Fairfax High School find
his required supplies.
Mohamad, 10, of Eagleview Elementary is helped by Amazon
Women in Engineering volunteer Desiree Toler and
FACETS event Intern Huong Cao find school supplies while
Ali Sison, also from Amazon, helps Nathan, 8.
plies or purchase items from
FACETS’s Amazon wish list. The
items collected are distributed to
all the children with need in FAC-
Members from the Mid-Atlantic Chamber of Commerce
who joined the FACETS back to school party to provide onsite
haircuts. Erdi Mutlu, Mahmut Yeter, Executive Director
of the Mid-Atlantic Chamber of Commerce, Mustafa
Demirkiran, owner of Salon O Tony in Vienna, Cem
Surucu, owner of Salon Macomb in Washington D.C., Enes
Senel, Selim Arasli, owner of Charmed Hair Salon in D.C.,
Alilhson Senel, Irfan-Selim Senel.
Photos by Alexandra Tecco/The Connection
ETS. The 80 at the party representing
only about a quarter of the children
in FACETS.
On-site barbers and stylists were
Enes Senel giving a haircut to a frightened
toddler as mother tries to calm him and
sister watches. Cutting children’s hair is
often more difficult because they can be
frightened.
also present to give trims or stylish
new haircuts. Although a bit
hesitant at first, entire groups of
friends joined, often asking for the
same cut as their first friend to
brave the chair. This is the first year
haircuts were performed at a FAC-
ETS Back to School Party, usually
children are provided with vouchers,
explains Alaha Ahrar, a FAC-
ETS Community Development Advocate.
The stylists and barbers are
all industry professionals, owners
or working at salons around the
area, and members of the Chamber.
“It’s not all about school,” explains
Selim Arasli, owner of
Charmed Hair Salon in Washington
D.C. “You look at them, give them
compliments and you just see them
change” Araslem says. The haircuts
and new backpack and school supplies
“make them feel better, more
confident. They stand out for their
confidence, not their poverty,” explains
D’Antonio, a FACETS Community
Engagement Coordinator.
Rickay Martin (left) from Queens, New York, is greeted
by her host family, the Thompsons of Springfield.
Freshening Up
By Tim Peterson
The Connection
At 11, Rickay Martin of
Queens has already
done Washington, D.C.
With her host family, the
Thompsons of Springfield, she’s
visited The Spy Museum, The
White House, George
Washington’s Mount Vernon.
Now when she comes to visit
each summer for ten days, she
prefers to spend down time with
the Thompsons: going to the
Hunt Valley pool, shopping, baking.
Vanilla cupcakes from the box
are her favorite.
“I like feeling like part of the
family,” Martin said.
As one of nine children back
in Queens, the living space can
be a bit cramped. This summer,
her sixth coming to visit the
Thompsons, she’ll get to stay in
her own room.
“We adore her,” said the
Thompsons’ mother Karen. “In
my mind she’s still six years old,
starting swim lessons... we
taught her to ride a bike. She
goes everywhere with us.”
Martin and the Thompsons
are participating in a program
run by the Fresh Air Fund, a
nonprofit that provides free
summer experiences and yearround
academic opportunities
for children in challenging living
situations in the five boroughs
of New York City.
DATING BACK to its founding
in 1877 the program has served
more than 1.8 million children.
They’re selected based on financial
need and registered with
social service and community
organizations in New York City.
These Fresh Air boys and girls
spend seven to ten days with
host families in more than 300
communities on the east coast
and in southern Canada over the
summer.
In northern Virginia, there are
three separate sessions, according
to co-chair for the area Felicia
Caulk of South Riding. Caulk’s family
has been hosting children
through Fresh Air for four years.
“We try to have family gatherings,”
she said, “so we all see each
other every year.”
Caulk said the 16 families in the
region that host children over the
course of the summer are cultivating
the concept of northern Virginia
being a “Friendly Town.”
A tour bus with about 20 children
bound for families around
Rickay Martin (left) from Queens, New York, is greeted
by her host family, the Thompsons of Springfield.
Families host children from underserved
New York City communities.
Photo contributed
From left, Sydney, Sarah and Katie Olson spend an evening
outside with Victoria Rodriguez, who’s spending less than
two weeks with the family as part of the Fresh Air Fund
program.
Photo contributed
Mike Thompson of Mount Vernon builds a tool box with
Victoria Rodriguez, who’s staying with his family as part
of the Fresh Air Fund program
northern Virginia arrived at the
Container Store parking lot in
Tysons on Wednesday July 13.
Host families were waiting with
balloons and eager siblings, some
around the same ages as the Fresh
Air boys and girls.
Sarah Olson of Mount Vernon
was once one of those host sisters.
As a child, her family also welcomed
in a child that was her
brother’s age.
She said the experience was a
positive, learning one for the whole
family, “teaching us to be appreciative
for the things we have.”
“The biggest thing is to be
empathetic, open-minded,”
Olson continued. “Consider that
everyone has different things
going on and to respect them for
who they are.”
Olson and her husband Mike
have four children of their own,
and have hosted someone from
Fresh Air for four years. Their
current visitor Victoria “Vicky”
Rodriguez from the Bronx is
spending her second summer
with the family.
“She’s a great young lady,”
Olson said. “She gets along great
with my family, it’s like having
an extra daughter, she fits right
in and is so eager, so excited just
about every little thing.”
Olson said they go to the
farmer’s market every week and
Rodriguez is able to pick out
things she wants to eat.
“It’s an opportunity to experience
things they don’t do at
home, necessarily,” said Olson.
“To expose them to life outside
the city.”
Rodriquez also wasn’t familiar
with the concept of a backyard,
a park she could play in at
any time.
“Catching lightning bugs,”
Olson said, “she had never seen
them before.”
Both Thompson and Olson
said their Fresh Air daughters
were homesick initially, but
they’ve kept in constant contact
with their mothers in New York.
“Her mom is amazing,” Olson
said. “She calls every day. I send
her pictures every day, something
we’re doing. It’s tough, to
send your 6-year-old away. It
takes a lot of trust, faith in the
program.”
FAMILIES who are interested
in becoming hosts, or to find out
more information about the program,
can call The Fresh Air
Fund at 800-367-0003 or visit
www.freshair.org.
Photo contributed
The first 100 guests in line will receive a free entree
platter of their choice and the first 1000 guests in line will
have their choice of The Halal Guys t-shirt, sunglasses or
commemorative cup.
Halal Guys Announce
Grand Opening in Springfield
The Halal Guys, a New York City
institution, announces the grand
opening festivities for their new
Northern Virginia location. On Friday,
Sept. 2, at 11 a.m., a brickand-mortar
storefront of the popular
food cart will open their doors
at the Springfield Tower Shopping
Center (6304 Springfield Plaza.)
The first 100 guests in line will receive
a free entree platter of their
choice and the first 1000 guests in
line will have their choice of The
Halal Guys t-shirt, sunglasses or
commemorative cup.
“The Halal Guys was ‘love at first
bite’ for us,” said Operating Franchisee.
“We are looking forward to
bringing THG gyro sandwiches,
chicken-and-rice platters and famous
white sauce to the NoVA
community and anticipate the
grand opening being a huge success.”
The Halal Guys grew from its
Week in Springfield
humble beginnings as a food cart
on the streets of New York City to
the largest American halal street
food concept in the world. This
Manhattan-based landmark was
created by three like-minded men
from Egypt who came to America
in search of a lucrative life. When
Mohamed Abouelenein, Ahmed
Elsaka and Abdelbaset Elsayed noticed
that many cab drivers in New
York were looking for a place to
buy meals in Manhattan, they created
their first food cart and
quickly grew into a leading tourist
and native New Yorker destination
for American Halal fare. In 2013,
The Halal Guys were ranked the
most popular food truck reviewed
on FourSquare and the third most
Yelped restaurant in the United
States in 2014.
For updates on the Springfield
location follow them on Facebook
& Instagram.
Fatal Crash in Springfield
Officers responded to the area of the Franconia-Springfield Parkway
northbound, prior to the Interstate 95 overpass on Thursday, Aug. 18
around 2 a.m. Detectives from the Crash Reconstruction Unit were called
to the scene. The preliminary investigation has revealed that a 26-yearold
man was riding a 2010 Suzuki motorcycle northbound on the
Franconia-Springfield Parkway approaching the I95 overpass. For unknown
reasons, the motorcycle left the roadway to the right and struck
a jersey wall. The impact caused the rider to separate from the motorcycle
and the motorcycle slid another 200 feet down the Parkway before
coming to rest in the northbound travel lanes. The rider was
launched over the jersey wall and he fell approximately 25 feet before
landing on the gravel surface behind a business in the 6700 block of
Loisdale Road. The rider, Usman Yusaf Mirza, of Springfield, was pronounced
dead at the scene — according to the Fairfax County Police.
There was no evidence of any other vehicle being involved. Speed
does not appear to be a factor. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
will determine if alcohol was a factor and the official cause and manner
of death.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact
Crime Solvers electronically by visiting www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org
or text-a-tip by texting “TIP187” plus your message to
CRIMES(274637) or by calling 1-866-411-TIPS(8477), or call Fairfax
County Police at 703-691-2131.
6 ❖ Springfield Connection ❖ August 25-31, 2016 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com
Springfield Connection ❖ August 25-31, 2016 ❖ 7