Archive for February, 2019
Spiritual Care Support Ministries forged in a dream
Dreams can come true. But you may have to wait 15 years and labor with endless love to see them materialize.
One story that embodies that reality belongs to Liz Danielsen, a nationally endorsed ordained minister, whose gift of compassion has changed the lives of thousands of Fauquier County citizens and beyond.
Chances are you’ve never heard of Danielsen. Scoring headlines is the furthest thing from her mind. Bringing peace to souls suffering from any number of physical and emotional torments is her only goal.
As a result of her labors, today the Spiritual Care Support Ministries is a quiet yet integral part of Fauquier County.
“For the love of God”, is often a throwaway line for exasperation. But for this dedicated minister, it is her core value and drives everything she does. The Piedmont region is a better place for the work of this love-focused individual.
The tale
The story begins in New Jersey in 1989. Danielsen was working as a hospital and hospice chaplain and repeatedly saw a need that was not being met.
Chronically ill people, those who had lost loved ones, and the personal loss of divorce, drugs, aging and more took a toll on lives beyond what physicians could cure.
One day she returned home exhausted from the strain of tending to the psychic pain of those she was ministering to. “I was very exhausted and tired because of my work and went to bed praying and asking God to give me an idea of how to meet the needs of both children and adults dealing with loss and chronic illness.
“Then I had a dream. I had all these deaths and emotional issues I was dealing with and I had a dream—a vision—of this ministry,” said Danielsen.
Intriguingly, she had never dreamed before and the next morning shared the dream with her husband who urged her to see their pastor. The man counseled that if the dream was God-directed, it would come true.
In the interim, he let Danielsen have a room in his church where she began her nascent counseling services.
One of her early revelations was to learn grief cannot be assuaged quickly. One needs time to work through emotional trauma. “If you lose a child, others may want you to move along quickly but it can take years.
“Nowadays we know it takes at least two years for people to just find they are getting back to normal after emotional trauma.”
In the course of her emerging ministry, her husband’s job was relocated to Warrenton in 2000 because of a corporate merger.
Shortly after arriving here both the Culpeper Hospital and the Hospice of the Rapidan (now the Hospice of the Piedmont) recognized her talent and hired her as a chaplain.
Almost immediately she again recognized the unmet needs of those in emotional pain. Then God stepped in. “I was in a car accident in 2004 and suffered multiple broken ribs and swelling of the brain that affected my eyesight.”
The accident was not her fault but not wanting to pursue an extended lawsuit she accepted a financial settlement from the insurance company.
“I called that settlement my ‘seed money’ for the counseling center. My husband had a good job and he was 100 percent behind me so we used the money to open the center at 76 West Shirley Avenue.”
In a twist of irony, the location was a former palm reader business. “I felt like now we could really help people who came here. Fifteen years after my dream it had come true.”
Center’s programs
In addition to Danielsen’s own initial funding, a few grants also helped established the non-denominational, non-profit center. Some additional operating revenues come from local churches via monthly investments.
Most importantly, volunteer contributions offered by those who have been healed through the ministry’s work fund the majority of its operating budget. There are no fees for any of the services rendered.
What is the scope of the work? The center is officially opened Monday through Friday. However, with special sessions and training, it is not unusual to see something unfolding seven days a week at the center.
The ministry is led by Executive Director, President and CEO Danielsen. She has three part-time paid employees; 13 counselors; 114 volunteers; conducts almost 700 counseling sessions annually; leads a seven-member board of directors and serves some 3,000 people in need each year while publishing a newsletter for 4,000 recipients.
“The number served does not count our telephone ministry. And because of technology, I talk and Skype with people all over the world. I’ve been to Bangladesh, Nepal, England, and Australia to conduct training sessions. Not to mention my speaking engagements throughout the United States.”
Each Wednesday she conducts counseling sessions at the Chapel Springs Church in Bristow. “I’ve been doing that for years because there are people in the Manassas area that need ministering also.”
Danielsen does all of this without compensation. Her work is performed gratis.
“Because we do not charge for our services, we have locally licensed counselors who send us patients when they can no longer afford their counseling. Often these people only have so much money and after that there is nowhere for them to go. We work with children from six years old and up.
“For many of these people, the light has gone out of their eyes. To see them working toward healing is exciting for me,” said Danielsen.
A recent example of such healing was a woman who anonymously wrote an article for the center’s website describing the grief she experienced with the death of her father.
As her recovery progressed, she asked to write a follow-up article using her byline. In it, she revealed her father had committed suicide.
“She realized the way to fully resolve her grief and help others was to reveal the truth. That’s the key to our ministry. Healing is a process. A journey. And we’re here to support that journey.”
The future
Under the banner of, “what goes around comes around” the next chapter of Spiritual Care Support Ministries is emerging off of Airlie Road across from the Chestnut Forks Athletic Center.
A couple who were healed through the work of the center is funding a new 3,500 square foot counseling office that is under construction and will launch the next chapter of the organization.
“The work we are doing is so exciting. I hope to be blessed with doing it until I die, said Danielsen,” Such sentiments will surely echo from future sufferers who will be comforted through the work of this extraordinary ministry.
To learn more about Danielsen’s dream that came true, visit the organization’s website at https://www.scsm.tv/
Published in the February 21, 2019 edition of the Fauquier Times.
Founder of White Grass Ski Touring Center widely known and beloved
Wild, wonderful West Virginia? True enough. But the state’s slogan might also fittingly apply to Chip Chase. Chase is the whirling dervish owner of White Grass and is everywhere present at one of the most popular cross-country skiing centers in the Nation.
Chip Chase
Almost 25 years ago the Washington Post named it one of the best ten Nordic ski areas in the country. Chase hasn’t taken his foot off his snowy gas pedal since. If you are looking for the perfect definition of authenticity, then a trip to White Grass is de rigueur.
Nestled on the northern slope of Cabin Mountain in Davis, W.Va., the resort is one of the oldest “free-heeling” ski venues in the country opening in 1979. More impressively, its current lodge dates to 1959 when it served as an early downhill ski resort.
The magic starts when you step into the lodge and simultaneously back in time. All in one footfall. Chances are good Chase will be there to greet you. “Hey, good to see you.” Typically followed by a wave, handshake or hug.
His voice is so distinct you can hear it above the raucous din of a packed lodge when you think they can’t possibly get another skier inside the small building. His banter bounces around the room like a laser light show: “You do the same!” “Want a sip of shine?” (seriously) “Go pick out a pair of boots, we’ll make a deal.” “Conditions are ideal. Get out there and ski!” And on and on.
The man was vaccinated with a phonograph needle as evidenced by his nonstop chatter. But what you are really hearing is the sound of love coming from him and ricocheting back from his legion of fans.
“I just love people. People turn me on. They just get me excited. If I see somebody I know, I get a rush in my body. I just want to hug them.
Chip’s mom Janie
“I learned that from my Mom, Janie, who was super friendly. She taught me everything I know about loving people. I just happen to be in the kind of business where that works,” said Chase.
To reinforce his mother’s influence, her photo, taken in 1948 and holding a set of ski poles, is prominently displayed in the lodge. A beautiful woman with Chase’s knowing smile.
In the beginning
So how did a self-described “Air Force brat” grow up to become the owner of a legendary ski resort? First, with Chase “grow up” is loosely defined both emotionally and physically. The “Chipper”, 65, is a slim, athletic man who has never won the tallest man in the room contest.
And secondly, if someone told Chase he had to grow up when he was young, it’s likely he would have suggested where they could stick the idea. Yes, he’s successful. Yes, he’s a savvy businessman. And yes, he’s a loving husband and father of a daughter and three sons.
But he would emphatically refuse to wear a “grown-up” label that might be taken as the aura of conventionality. His badge of honor is childlike exuberance. And it’s contagious.
As a young lad, he traveled the world as the son of an Air Force father who was a downhill skier and sportsman. Chase first learned to ski in Alaska and Colorado while the family lived there but later gave the sport up.
“Then one winter I went up to New England to visit my sister and I got turned on to cross-country skiing. I was 19. My whole family was downhill skiers. There weren’t many cross-country skiers back then,” said Chase. “It was like people felt sorry for you if you cross-country skied.”
Back home in Virginia, he met his second wife. “Laurie and I had three boys together and have been married almost 40 years. I had had a previous marriage and it was awesome and I have a wonderful daughter from that marriage.”
Chase lived in Northern Virginia while his father worked at the Pentagon and Laurie originally hailed from Strasburg. But the young suburban couple loved country living and moved to the Shenandoah Valley, got married and set up a, “sorta homesteading life together.”
“We were into a kind of subsistence living. I was a back-to-the-lander and worked all kinds of jobs; carpentry, apple picking, chimney sweep. I did a little bit of everything to make ends meet.”
From the suburbs to living in the mountains is where the White Grass journey began. Chase’s emerging love of cross-country triggered an idea to start a ski place around Harrisonburg, Virginia. Unfortunately, nature did not cooperate with sufficient natural snow.
Hearing that Canaan Valley W. VA. had reliable snowfalls, he discovered an old downhill ski resort south of Davis that had success written all over its weathered facade. Almost four decades later, the genius of not tearing the original building down but turning it into a homey, retro cross-country venue is evident to thousands of his loyal skiers.
As the ski operation took off, a café was opened to feed the growing kick and glide crowd. Its food reputation is equal to the skiing resulting in popular cookbooks written by his wife Laurie, who heads up the kitchen.
Chase says, “The café is great. We serve international cuisine focused on healthy foods. Its operation is subsidized by ski revenues. “We never tell the kitchen there are too many expensive ingredients. We just tell them one thing. Cook! And to never hurry up.
“The café is a no-brainer. Skiers come in here so hungry after skiing they’re chewing their arm off.”
As White Grass sets its sights on its 50th anniversary Chase says, “I feel pretty healthy. I eat well. I sleep well and I don’t have many physical ailments. The farmer that I rent this land from is 97 years old and going strong; 65 is today’s 45.
“We started with a simple goal and if you take baby steps toward reaching such a goal it makes it even better when you achieve it. It’s so much fun,” said a grinning Chase.
White Grass ski resort is opened whenever the snow flies or lays packed on its trails. If you don’t cross-country ski, consider renting top quality equipment and taking a lesson. Or rent or bring your snowshoes and explore the 18 miles of mountain and pasture trails.
Oh, and bring your appetite.
For the complete White Grass story, including trail conditions and webcam photos drop by https://whitegrass.com/
Published in the February 13, 2019 edition of the Fauquier Times.
Culpeper shop showcasing upscale coffee and bikes
Let’s pretend you’re an entrepreneur looking to start a small business with lots of potential. What might you consider? Gift shop? Restaurant? Pet grooming? Microbrewery? Self-Storage?
All good choices.
But what if you had the opportunity and experience to open two linked businesses with a potential customer base of 250 million Americans who enjoyed your products? Your business plan would brighten considerably.
Such a shop is thriving in Culpeper centered on two staples: coffee and bicycles. And both items are focused on audiences with upscale tastes. Or more accurately, folks who may not know they have high-end tastes until they experience the products for sale.
Welcome to 18 Grams Coffee Labs and VeloConcepts. It’s a twofer business. Open one door and walk into two shops; artisanal coffee on one side and high-performance bikes on the other.
The eclectic business model is the brainchild of Joe Coppola, a high energy guy with an idea never far from his active imagination. Linking coffee and bikes evolved as he sought to build and expand his business.
There are 150 million coffee lovers in the U.S. and 100 million bike riders so the potential is obvious.
Today Piedmont residents can score an exceptional cup of java and a pedal machine of the highest caliber under the same roof at 201 Waters Place #110 in Culpeper.
Coppola, 46, labors as an IT professional during the day while overseeing his two passions. “About four years ago I started a bike shop called VeloConcepts. I carry high-end boutique bikes. I don’t cater to kids and lower cost bikes,” said Coppola.
The reason is he grew up racing both road and mountain bikes beginning in his college days and realized there was a market for riders with similar interests. “It was my way to give back to the cycling community. Over the years I had gained weight and gotten out of shape. I got reinvigorated getting back into cycling.”
As part of his shop, he always had coffee available for visiting customers. “I thought it was better to offer them a cup of coffee or expresso as opposed to saying, ‘What do you want to buy from me’. I was into quality coffee and thought it was just a small thing to provide as part of my customer service.”
The bike shop was opened in 2014 but a year and a half later he learned he was going to lose his lease. He began a hunt for another shop and located an old apple warehouse that needed considerable work to suit his needs. It also expanded his retail space from the original 700 square foot store to 2,500 square feet.
“It was going to be tough to support such a large space just selling bikes. There’s a big-time tie in between cycling and coffee and I said, ‘Let’s open a café as part of the bike shop.’ I also didn’t want to be on Main Street because the expectation is you’d be able to find lower priced bikes there and I don’t deal in that kind of product.”
What do high-performance cycles cost? Be prepared to pay anywhere from $1,500 for an entry level machine up to $11,000. If it helps, think Tour de France.
The bike shop also sports $50,000 in fitting equipment to enable bikes to be custom fitted to each rider. In addition to recreational riders, professional racing cyclists from throughout the mid-Atlantic region call VeloConcepts home.
The Waters Place location also enabled Coppola to safely launch customer bike rides headed out of town without dealing with heavy downtown traffic.
Café
Coffee is coffee, right? Not so fast. If you told Coppola that, he’d leap off his bike to share the fuller story with you. “We serve third wave coffee and expresso and get our product from a roaster company in North Carolina called Counter Culture Coffee.”
Third wave coffee is a movement to produce high-quality coffee as an artisanal foodstuff, much like wine and craft beer. It involves improvements at all stages of production, from coffee plant growing, harvesting, and processing, to stronger relationships between coffee growers, traders, and roasters.
The coffee side of the business is called 18 Grams Coffee Lab because of the technique used to brew the cuppa. “It takes 18 grams in a filter basket to produce espresso and coffee. It’s a scientific method to ensure the perfect cup each and every time.
“We are very temperamental and weigh and measure everything that goes into our recipes. We actually go down to the hundredth gram to make a perfect blend or 18.4 grams per cup.
“We also feature a wide range of seasonal epicurean toasts, healthy starts, and house-made sandwiches, pastries and sweets. We often get comments such as, ‘This is the best cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted,’” said Coppola.
Never willing to rest on his coffee beans, the café recently launched a series of flavored brews that are produced to replicate a craft cocktail bar except coffee and lattes are the prized drinks.
One new offering is the campfire s’mores latte. It consists of graham cracker infused milk with homemade chocolate and marshmallow. The drink is then placed in a smoke infuser box to produce a smoked hickory flavor drink replicating a campfire s’more treat but snuggled inside a 12-ounce cup. It’s served with a signature food item.
Coffee hounds should not expect to drop by and just grab a cup and run. These handcrafted drinks may take up to 10 minutes to produce providing time to gaze at the sleek racing bikes on the other side of the shop.
In summing up his passion for life and business, Coppola said, “Anything I can sink my teeth into and gain more knowledge of while educating my customers is what I’m all about.”
What his customers are all about are enjoying the fruits of his labors. For a sneak peek into this unique café and bike emporium visit: https://www.veloconcepts.com/ and https://www.18gramscoffeelab.com/
Published in the February 6, 2019 edition of the Fauquier Times.
Young People’s Concert showcases tomorrow’s stars
Discovering something before the world does can create a long-term thrill. Seeing Tiger Woods golf at age 6. Watching Tom Cruise in a 4th-grade school play. Listening to Taylor Swift warbling as a 14-year-old.
Such experiences deepen as the years roll by because one couldn’t have known what the future held for those young phenoms.
On February 17 residents throughout the Piedmont will have an opportunity to bank an experience they too may look back on in the years ahead. Three talented student musicians will be performing in the Young People’s Concert at the Highland Center for the Arts.
The concert is one of many programs sponsored by the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra. Founded in 1996 as the Piedmont Regional Orchestra by Conductor Emeritus Michael A. Hughes, it performs in the Rice Theater at the Highland Center for the Arts.
Dozens of musical performances have been held over the last two decades providing a legion of music lovers a wide variety of entertainment. Think of it as the “Piedmont Kennedy Center”.
Glenn Quader is the music director and conductor and has worked over the past 13 years to build paid membership, strengthen volunteer participation and collaborate with a host of local art organizations to further the goals of the PSO.
Cooper Wright, former president of the PSO board of directors, said, “In 2001 the symphony decided to begin its young artist competition. It provides students throughout the region the opportunity to compete for scholarship prizes.
“The program works by students wishing to compete submitting a piece of their music on CD. We have a panel of judges that review their submittals and then they select the top three.”
The young talent is drawn from 11 counties in the Piedmont region. This year six finalists performed before a panel of music experts who then selected the final three who will perform in February.
Each young musician plays a separate piece during the first half of the performance. Then a panel of judges experienced in working with young people huddle and select the third, second and first place winners.
At the conclusion of the second half of the show, the master of ceremonies announces the winners. The scholarships provide $1,500, $750 and $500 checks for college studies. Since the program began in 2001, over $40,000 has been contributed to talented local students’ educations.
This year the Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofé will be the featured performance.
In addition to the music, student artists will be selected to have their art projected on a screen during the concert, enlivening the show with visual themes drawn from the symphony. The multimedia effect heightens the audience’s enjoyment of the orchestral piece.
The opportunity for these young musicians to play alongside accomplished members of the PSO broadens their experience of performing in a live concert setting.
The talent
This year’s three young musicians hail from Gainesville, King George, and Fauquier County. Here’s a peek at the talent you’ll be missing if you don’t’ score tickets for this upcoming concert.
Thomas Se-Roam Kim
Thomas Se-Roam Kim is a freshman at Battlefield High School in Prince William County. He began his piano studies at the age of 7 under Dr. MiHyang Joo at her home studio in Centreville, Virginia.
Kim started off last season with a 1st Place win at the 2018 Asian American Music Society International Piano Competition. He has won all three of their divisions (Peewee 2014, Junior 2017, Senior 2018). His accomplishments were acknowledged during the winner’s concert and was gifted the audience award. This is his second year returning as the PSO Young Artist Concerto Competition finalist.
Kim was the 1st Prize Winner of 2018 James A. Bland Music Competition at the club, regional, and at district levels. He advanced to the state finals representing district 24-A, where he finished second place. He also finished second place at the 2018 William Knabe International Young Artist Piano Competition.
Kim has won various competitions including the 2018 East Carolina Young Artist Piano Competition, the 2016 and 2018 Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association Piano Achievement Awards, the 2016 and 2017 Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association, Robert Spencer Piano Concerto Competition, and the 2017 Richmond Symphony Orchestra League Concerto Competition.
He was also the Grand Prize Winner of the 2017 American Fine Arts Festival International Concerto Competition where he was invited to perform at the Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall.
Kim has performed at venues such as the Jazz at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, The Mansion at Strathmore, and at the Hylton Performing Arts Center as the featured solo violinist performing Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Winter with the Manassas Symphony Orchestra during their 2016 Winter Concert.
Kelsey Payne
Kelsey Payne is a 16-year-old from King George. Since August 2016, she has been a student of Ricardo Cyncynates, assistant concertmaster with the National Symphony Orchestra. She is the youngest of four children all who are string players.
Payne started piano lessons at age four and took up the violin at age eight. Through the years, she has enjoyed playing with many ensembles. She participated with Fredericksburg Area Young Musicians, Awards for Young Musicians, Youth Orchestra of Prince William, and the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra.
She currently plays with her siblings in the Mary Washington Philharmonic Orchestra and the Payne Quartet.
For three out of the last four years, Payne has had the honor of sitting as concertmaster for North Central Virginia’s Regional Orchestra. She has also participated in the All Virginia State Orchestra for the past three years, placing third and then second overall respectively in 2017 and 2018.
Patrick Smith
Smith is a senior at Kettle Run High School. He began playing saxophone in the 7th grade and started private study in 9th-grade. He has participated in the Kettle Run marching band, jazz band, and wind ensemble for the past four years.
Smith was chosen for the District Band during all four years of high school, making the 1st chair in the district for the past three years, as well as participating in the University of South Carolina Honor Band Clinic in 2017 and 2018. He also made the prestigious Honor Band in 2017, All-County Jazz Band, and Tri-County Band for all four years of high school.
He further made the 2017 and 2018 All-VA Concert Band groups, placing 7th and 6th in the entire state. He made the cut for the 2017 and 2018 All-VA Jazz groups, placing 2nd and 4th.
Smith was a student at the Summer Residential Governor’s School for Visual and Performing Arts for saxophone performance. He wishes to continue to study music at a prestigious university and turn music into his career.
The opportunity to see these three talents in person should not be missed. In the years ahead you may well claim, “I saw them in the beginning.”
Tickets for the upcoming Young People’s Concert on Sunday, February 17 at 3 p.m. at Highland Center for the Arts in Warrenton can be obtained at this ticket window: http://demetersoft.net/piedmontsymphony/tickets/show_listing.php
Published in the January 27, 2019 edition of the Fauquier Times.
Warrenton gym up and “running”
What’s your most prized possession? A classic car? Lush lawn? Beautiful home? Sleek boat?
None of the above. The most precious thing we all possess is our body. Without health, lives suffer. Even those struggling with disease and handicaps seek to maximize health and enjoy life.
So it’s good news that the fastest growing gym franchise on the planet has chosen Warrenton as its next location. It’s an auspicious event for those seeking to maintain optimum physical conditioning.
Of course, heading off to a gym to get in shape is just one of several ways to stay healthy. But the discipline and support available at a professionally run health club offers an edge to achieving the often-elusive healthy body.
The force behind the new venture is the Parsons family. Richie and Carissa are the parents of four children ranging in age from six years to two months. The family lives in Leesburg and owns four other Anytime Fitness gyms; two in Pa. and two in W.Va.
Richie Parsons, 34, hails from W.VA. and grew up learning the gym trade from his father. “My dad owned a gym and I became interested in owning and running a business in high school. This is our first business foray into Va.,” said Parsons.
The new facility is located in the former RadioShack store in the Warrenton Village Center but has been expanded by converting two adjacent stores into one 6,400 square foot emporium to health.
The concept behind Anytime Fitness is underscored by its name. Whenever a club member wishes to work out the facility is open; 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round.
Sounds like any excuse not to exercise just evaporated.
Entry into the gym is through the use of a key chain fob used to scan the lock. The door remains unlocked for about five seconds so only one person at a time can gain entry.
“It’s a very secure facility. A member could come out at two o’clock on Christmas morning and get a workout in,” said Parsons. More often members elect to train during conventional hours. Once it’s up and running up to 200 member visits a day are anticipated.
In addition to individual exercisers, trainers and coaches will run group training sessions throughout the week. Employees are typically on site from around 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. “Staff is usually present about 15 hours a day,” said Parsons.
The facility has four private bathrooms with two equipped with showers, the most of any of their other gyms. “We decided to add an extra bathroom to make sure there would be no waiting time.”
Equipment
To ensure members get an optimum workout a host of equipment stands ready to accommodate faithful exercisers. In addition to hydromassage, tanning beds, a heart rate monitor, and body composition scanner there are a number of cardio workout machines.
“We will have 15 to 20 cardio machines, 15 to 20 plate-loaded weight trainers, eight power racks, lots of dumbbells and kettlebells. Whether you are a serious lifter looking for heavy weight training or just a casual exerciser, you’re going to find something to keep you busy.”
To emphasize the safety features built into the facility, Parson’s explains both security cameras and panic buttons are located throughout the gym. “We’ve only had one safety issue in our other gyms. A member fell once while training alone and hit our panic button. We were on site quickly.”
The cost of club membership depends on the level of services a user seeks. Basic access to cardio and weight equipment runs $17.45 biweekly. The company synchs the debit withdrawal to a member’s payday.
To access all of the club’s services including tanning and hydromassage a premier membership is $45.69 biweekly. There are also a variety of customized payment plans based on workout goals.
Agreements are for 12 months but after the first-year memberships can be extended on a month-to-month basis. “There is a cancellation policy but we try to make it less cumbersome.”
Parsons emphasizes 16 percent of Americans have a gym membership but only half of them regularly workout. “It’s important to join a gym but it’s even more important to actually go and train, even if it’s just for an hour or two a week.”
To help encourage delinquents the club sends out email reminders to members who have slacked off on their training routines. “Statistically people spend more on health care costs than they would on a gym membership. Such costs often dwarf what a membership would run.”
Parsons emphasizes Anytime Fitness seeks to become part of the community they serve. Last year one of his clubs in W.VA sponsored a fundraiser to support a local activities group.
“We ran a fundraiser in Charles Town and committed to donate a penny for every calorie the members burned in one day. Collectively they burned 40,000 calories and we wrote a check for $400 to the charity.”
Becoming an integral part of the local community is Parsons goal. “Warrenton is a great town. We are really excited to be opening here. The response has been fantastic.”
Next year look for Parsons to open another Anytime Fitness in Bealeton, further extending their commitment to the Old Dominion.
For more information on the club’s facilities and membership plans visit: https://www.anytimefitness.com/gyms/4257/warrenton-va-20186/?upu_uid=c1bf57e7f0cc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8fSTtOHo3wIVA8DICh0gHQMcEAAYASAAEgJQ7vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Or better yet, drop by the gym and introduce yourself to Richie Parsons. He’s waiting to greet you at 251 West Lee Highway.
Published in the January 27,2019 edition of the Fauquier Times.
