🌱 Fundraiser For Türkiye + Annandale Community Center Opens

Welcome back, Annandale! I'm here in your inbox this morning to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

But first, this week's weather:

Monday: Times of sun and clouds. High: 59 Low: 40.

Tuesday: Partly cloud. High: 51 Low: 31.

Wednesday: Sunny. High: 51 Low: 29.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. High: 53 Low: 32.

Friday: Chance of rain. High: 46 Low: 37.

Saturday: Chance of rain. High: 48 Low: 33.

Sunday: Partly cloudy. High: 47 Low: 29.

📢 I'm looking for business owners and marketers in Annandale who want to build awareness, connect with customers and increase sales.

I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

Here are the top 3 stories today in Annandale:

1. On Saturday, residents from the community joined Fairfax County officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Annandale Community Center. The new community center is located in the Heritage Shopping Plaza. The center will offer programs for children in kindergarten through high school in addition to fun activities and other academic programs. (Annandale Patch)
2. For those able to donate, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission has created a fundraising campaign to send food packages to victims of the earthquakes in Türkiye. Over the last month, more than 30,000 people have died and millions have been displaced due to the extreme damage caused by aftershocks and the earthquake itself. Donations can be made here. (Annandale Blog)
3. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has put out an alert for those in the Virginia area. Bernabela, 16, was last seen in Falls Church on Jan. 26; it's possible, though, that she may travel to Annandale. For photos and contact information, please visit this link. Call Fairfax County PD if you have any information. (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children via Twitter)

This week in and around Annandale:

Monday, March 6

• Teen Advisory Board At George Mason Regional Library (5:30 PM)

Tuesday, March 7

• George Mason Knitting And Crochet Group At George Mason Regional Library (7:00 PM)

Thursday, March 9

• Northern Virginia Jazz Jam Session At Bourbon Boulevard, Chantilly (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is hiring at its second animal shelter in Lorton, VA! There are currently two open positions: Animal Care Manager and Customer Care Manager. To see details on openings and to apply, visit this link. With the upcoming addition of the FCAS Lorton Campus, there will be many positions to fill in the coming weeks - stay tuned! (Fairfax County Animal Shelter via Instagram)
• Annandale will be appearing on TV! Tune into "If You Lived Here" on Monday, Mar. 6, at 9 p.m., on Channel 26, or make sure to record it if you can't watch live. It's also live-streamed Monday at 8 p.m. For those interested, find the trailer for the episode here. (Annandale Today via Facebook)
• The application deadline for sponsors and vendors at the Taste of Annandale has been extended to Mar. 15. The family-friendly community festival, scheduled for Apr. 29, is likely to draw at least 6,000 people. Participating in the Taste of Annandale offers a great opportunity to highlight your business or organization, attract new customers, and show how you support the community. (Annandale Today)

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Featured events:

• PWLT Presents: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (March 10)
• Add your event

You're officially in the loop for today. See you all soon for another update!

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.