November 9, 2016 | Feature Features
Follow the Money
Shining Stars
In an election year, military families get a lot of attention. But for Kathy Roth-Douquet, founder and CEO of Blue Star Families (bluestarfam.org), making sure service men and women and their families are supported is an ongoing mission. The nonprofit, which works to connect military families with their civilian communities, was founded in 2009 and now has more than 30 chapters and 1.5 million members—and the support of first lady Michelle Obama. The nonprofit’s signature gala (set for March 22 in DC) demonstrates the power of military and civilians working together with chef demonstrations that pair Armed Forces chefs with celebrity chefs—last year’s lineup included David Guas and Cathal Armstrong and raised $300,000 in direct support of career-development and caregiving programs. “We have 200,000 military services members deployed in 150 countries right now,” says Roth-Douquet. “If it takes a village to support a child, it takes a nation to support the military.”
Another Year Older
It’s not often that an annual fundraising event reaches the quarter-century mark, but under the leadership of the Junior League of Washington (jlw.org), Tossed & Found hits that milestone this March, having raised $2 million. It now includes a series of cocktail parties and VIP events. Funds raised go to literacy-focused grantees in the DC community like Reading Partners (readingpartners.org). On our must-attend list this year? Hoops & High Heels, the kickoff event for the rummage sale weekend in Crystal City (March 24 to 26), which features a live and silent auction and an opportunity to shop the sale’s luxe offerings (think labels like Chanel, Kate Spade and Tori Burch) before anyone else.
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