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Inspiration and an Invitation 

October 11, 2013

Today’s guest blogger is Gail Ledford, a longtime supporter of SCAN (in countless roles) and a member of our 25th Anniversary Planning Committee. She’s extending a special invitation to this year’s Toast to Hope in today’s post…

Wow, SCAN is celebrating its 25th anniversary!  It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed since SCAN first opened its doors to be THE advocacy organization in Northern Virginia dedicated to eradicating child abuse and encouraging, promoting and supporting positive child and family well-being.

blogblock_gailI began this blog post with the question “why do we celebrate anniversaries?” This question led me to recall all of the important and effective initiatives, programs, collaborations and impact that SCAN has engaged in over the years.

SCAN launched as an organization thanks to the passion of one single, individual – David Cleary.  Dave, our founder, understood and believed in the importance of positive child experiences for achieving positive outcomes in children’s lives.  He recognized the role parents and communities play in those experiences, yet also understood how difficult a task parenting can be.  Dave wanted to make sure that there was a “place” that parents and communities could turn to for information and resources to help improve children’s life experiences, and he knew that those opportunities began at home and in home-like settings.

Since those early years with its beginning in the City of Alexandria, SCAN has grown to provide its services across all of Northern Virginia.  Those services include and involve local government, nonprofits, families, children and communities.  SCAN knows that the well-being of children is a community’s greatest responsibility and that it’s a community’s most important contribution to the future.

I’ve been involved with SCAN in a variety of ways for more than 20 years – as a Board member, as a volunteer for its events, and in many other roles that have supported the organization.  I do this because SCAN is a well-run and effectively managed organization and most important, its mission is something in which I believe!

For the last decade, SCAN has celebrated its successes and honored its supporters at its “signature” Toast to Hope event.  I think I’ve only missed one of these events over ten years!  This year SCAN will host its 11th annual Toast to Hope. It’s a great way to connect with community leaders, colleagues and friends in our collective support of the mission of SCAN – improving child well-being.  The “Toast” events are also a whole lot of FUN!  You get to sample the “best of the best” in local fare from restaurants donating their food specialties, and from wineries and breweries offering tastings.

This year’s Toast to Hope, on November 2nd, will be a fantastic opportunity for you to connect or re-connect with SCAN.  I’m providing the link to the event below.  You can sponsor the event  or simply buy a ticket to attend . . . believe me, you can’t have more fun and contribute to a better cause anywhere else in Northern Virginia!  I hope to see you on November 2nd, so please make a point to find me and say “hi” and let me know how much you are enjoying the event!

– Gail Ledford, SCAN Supporter