[Archived] Weekly Event Announcements for the City of Alexandria: February 6 – February 12, 2010

For Immediate Release: February 5, 2010 

Please visit www.alexandriava.gov/Storm for any weather-related cancellations of events scheduled for next week.

Saturday, February 6 – African American Genealogy Lecture – CANCELED – RESCHEDULED TO SATURDAY, JUNE 5
This event has been canceled for Saturday, February 6, and rescheduled to Saturday, June 5. For more information, Visit www.alexblackhistory.org or call 703.746.4356.

Saturday, February 6 – Historic Alexandria Museum Gala – CANCELED – RESCHEDULED TO SATURDAY, APRIL 10
This event has been canceled for Saturday, February 6, and rescheduled to Saturday, April 10. Visit www.historicalexandria.org or call 703.746.4554 for more information.

Tuesday, February 9 – English Language Workshop
Drop in to practice your English conversation in an ESL Workshop for adult students at Charles E. Beatley Jr. Central Library, 5005 Duke St. from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. All levels welcome. No registration required. Free! Call 703.519.5900 ext 3.
 
Thursday, February 11 – 18th Century Dance Class
In preparation for the Birthnight Ball on February 13, learn 18th-century English country dancing from an expert dance instructor at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St. Class is 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and costs $12. Reservations are recommended. For more information, Visit www.gadsbystavern.org or call 703.746.4242.

Coming Soon!

Saturday, February 13 – Annual George Washington Birthday Celebration Activities
From Saturday, February 13 – Monday, February 15, the City of Alexandria hosts a variety of activities in celebration of our Nation's first President. For additional information, visit www.washingtonbirthday.org.

February 13 – “The Language You Cry In” Film Screening
At the Alexandria Black History Museum (902 Wythe St.) at 4:30 p.m., view “The Language You Cry In,” a scholarly detective story that searches for—and finds—meaningful links between African Americans and their ancestral past, bridging hundreds of years and thousands of miles from the Gullah people of present-day Georgia back to 18th-century Sierra Leone. This film recounts the remarkable saga of how African Americans retained links with their African past through the horrors of the middle passage, slavery and segregation. Discussion follows the screening. Reservations requested for this free event. For more information, visit www.alexblackhistory.org or call 703.746.4356.

Wednesday, February 17 – An Inspirational Evening for Youth in Alexandria
A panel of prominent African Americans from Alexandria will share personal stories with an audience of young people to show how they overcame challenges and found professional success. The audience will be permitted to ask questions, and following the formal program, the students and panelists will be able to mingle and enjoy pizza, desserts and door prizes donated by local restaurants and stores. This special Black History Month program is being held at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St., from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is co-sponsored by the Human Rights Commission and the Alexandria Black History Museum. For more information about this free event, contact the Human Rights Office at 703.746.3140.

Saturday, March 13 – Naomi Project Volunteer Training
The Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy invites volunteers who are interested in mentoring Alexandria pregnant teens and new moms to attend an upcoming training with the Naomi Project. The training is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Falls Church Presbyterian Church. The Naomi Project is a free, confidential, interfaith program that matches one volunteer with one pregnant or newly parenting woman in a mentoring friendship that extends through pregnancy and the baby's early development.  If you have 4 hours a month and want to help make a difference in the life of a pregnant woman, then this opportunity is for you! To learn more or to register, contact Laura Greenspan at 703.860.2633 or visit www.naomiproject.org.
 
Ongoing!

Nominations Thirtieth Annual Salute to Women Awards Nominations Needed
The Alexandria Commission for Women seeks nominations for its 2010 Salute to Women Awards recognizing women leaders who have made outstanding contributions to women and girls living in Alexandria. The deadline to submit nominations is Wednesday, February 17, at 5 p.m. For more information or to make nominations, please visit www.alexwomen.com.

Nominations for Student Human Rights Awards Needed
The Alexandria Human Rights Commission (AHRC) will award up to three Student Human Rights Awards to recognize high school juniors and seniors, and first-year community college students who have contributed significantly toward improving basic human rights and fairness for all in the City of Alexandria. Recognized students will receive a commemorative plaque and a monetary award. Submissions must be sent or delivered to the Director of the Alexandria Office of Human Rights, 421 King Street, Suite 400, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, by Friday, February 26. The Alexandria City Council created the AHRC in 1975 to advise the City Council on matters related to human rights affecting the City and to oversee the Office of Human Rights. For more information, please contact Jean Kelleher Niebauer, Alexandria Office of Human Rights, at 703.746.3140.

Tavern Toddlers
Join us for a special program for toddlers (walkers through 36 months) and their caregivers at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St. Tavern Toddlers features a weekly open playtime in Gadsby’s historic ballroom Mondays, excluding Federal holidays, through April 26 any time between 10:30 a.m. and noon. Cost is $7 for a group of three, which must include one adult, or $30 for purchase of a five-week pass. For more information, please visit www.gadsbystavern.org or call 703.746.4242.

Open Through Saturday, March 13 – “Grass Roots” Exhibition
“Grass Roots: African Origins of an American Art” is now open at the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St. Explore the history of coiled basketry in Africa and America with this traveling exhibition from the Museum for African Art. “Grass Roots” traces the evolution of an ancient art while examining rice-growing societies which, through the trans-Atlantic slave trade, exported their cultures to America. See baskets from the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia as well as from diverse regions of Africa. Suggested admission is $2. The Alexandria Black History Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please visit www.alexblackhistory.org or call 703.746.4356.

Open Through Saturday, May 31, 2010 – “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts”
A new exhibition at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., blends historical photographs, artifacts and reflections to tell the story of Girl Scouting in the Washington metropolitan area. “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts” features a collection of Girl Scout uniforms from the 1910s, 1930s and 1960s; Brownie items from as early as 1937; a display of cookie fundraising materials; extensive camping and hiking exhibits; and official Girl Scout gear including a canteen, collapsible cup, pocket knife, compass and more. Suggested admission is $2 and the exhibition is open through May 31, 2010. The Lyceum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please visit www.alexandriahistory.org or call 703.838.4994.

For more information, contact Jennifer Harris, Communications Officer, Office of Communications, at 703.746.3961 or jennifer.harris@alexandriava.gov 

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