Cancer Fundraiser, Top Restaurant, MLK Day Book Drive: NoVA Good News

VIRGINIA — This week's good news stories in Virginia include a star high school athlete from Alexandria who is leading an effort to raise money to help families who have members suffering from leukemia and lymphoma, a Martin Luther King Jr. Day book drive to help children in low-income communities, and high school winners of the nation's most prestigious science and math competition.

Plus, read about an Arlington eatery named the best casual restaurant in the D.C. area; learn about a Northern Virginia woman planning to run seven marathons in seven days; and check out a book that highlights the activists who inspired the desegregation of Northern Virginia libraries.

Here are some of this week's good news headlines:

Volleyball Star Athlete Organizes Leukemia, Lymphoma Fundraiser

Zana has excelled in both aspects of the student-athlete ideal. Zana is a reporter on Theogony, Alexandria City High's student newspaper, and a member of the National Honor Society. This year she's joining with a friend from volleyball to lead Cure City, a team of students who will raise funds to help families who have members suffering from leukemia and lymphoma.

Alexandria Nominated Again For Travel + Leisure's Best Cities List

After Alexandria made Travel + Leisure’s Best Cities in the U.S. list for the first time in 2022, Visit Alexandria hopes to get the city on the list for a second consecutive year. The Best Cities list is part of Travel + Leisure's World's Best survey. Alexandria is nominated for the Best Cities in the U.S. among the likes of Charleston, New Orleans and Austin.

MLK Book Drive To Help Children In Arlington's Low-Income Communities

The authors of the children’s book “From Lee Highway to Langston Boulevard,” Nadia and Arrington Conyers, are hosting a Representation Matters Book Drive on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. They are asking community members to donate children’s books that celebrate diversity. The books will then be provided to Arlington Public Schools' eight Title 1 elementary schools.

Top 300 Regeneron Scholars Include 5 Fairfax County Students

Five students from Fairfax County Public Schools were chosen as top 300 Regeneron Science Talent Search scholars. The Regeneron Science Talent Search, the nation's most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors, named four Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology students and one McLean High School student as scholars.

• Top 300 Regeneron Scholars Include 2 Arlington Students

Arlington's Charga Grill Named No. 1 Casual Restaurant In DC Area

Washington Post food critic Tim Carman ranked Arlington’s Charga Grill as No. 1 on his list of the D.C. area’s 10 best casual restaurants of 2022. Charga Grill, at 5151 Langston Blvd in Arlington, specializes in street food from around the world, with an emphasis on plates of chicken, Carman wrote in his description of the restaurant.

More NoVA Restaurant News

• Pupatella Pizza Location Planned For Leesburg On East Market Street
• Atlas Brew Works To Open Location With Andy's Pizza In Alexandria
• Craft Beer Dinner Series Coming To The Commentary Social House
• Foxtrot Café And Market To Celebrate Grand Opening In Rosslyn

Grants, Donations and Scholarships

• Fairfax County Stuff The Bus Kicks Off With Weekly Donation Locations
• Minority-Owned Small Business Grant Program Launched In Alexandria
• Scholarship For Nurse Aide Course Seeks To Fill NoVA Worker Shortage
• Commission On The Arts Awards Grants To 13 Organizations

A Few More Good News Stories:

• Arlington's Jill Jamieson Aims To Run 7 Marathons In 7 Days
• Shopping Trip Nets Fairfax Woman $100K Prize From Maryland Lottery
• Arlington Ranks No. 1 In Virginia For Ease In Finding New Apartment
• 'We Are Staying': New Book Explores Desegregation Of NoVA Libraries
• New Monthly Newspaper Poised To Drop In 15K Reston Mailboxes This Week