A Happy Mother's Day to you + yours!

This image was taken at the Burnside Farms tulip garden right in Haymarket, VA. Be sure to bring mom by on Sunday + pick up some beautiful fresh flowers to brighten her Mother's Day! 

The Tale of the Car Sale

There are very few ventures that Serve Our Willing Warriors has yet to dive into in order to raise money. In this past year alone, we have dabbled in everything from golf tournaments, to yard sales, wine events and more! There is very little we wouldn't do to support our troops.

So believe me when I say some members of SOWW took on the role as car salesmen this past weekend.

Stop us if we've gone too far...

What follows is a short story of our adventure in the realm of sales / automobiles.

Our efforts seemed hopeless. It was all too much to take in. A kind couple donated a 1999 Buick to SOWW in the hope that we would be able to make a decent amount of money on the sale. We gladly accepted the car and took it to an organization that buys and sells used cars.  

 President Shirley Dominick with the couple who donated the 1999 Buick to SOWW

They informed us they would give us $300 for the vehicle. With no real experience on how to persuade the car salesman to reconsider, we were told take it or leave it.

So, we left it.

And onwards we went to find someone willing to give our little Buick a chance at another life among the highway.

Until, just then the answer appeared to us! It was square! It was bright! It was . . . The Craigslist website!

After doing research online, we estimated that the Buick would sell for about $2,200. Since we hadn’t done it before, it took us a while to figure out how to post anything on Craigslist, but when all was said and done, we posted the car for $1,600 knowing that someone may possibly bargain us down to $1,500. In any case, we were confident we could get more than the $300 we were quoted.

We clicked the button and simply hoped for the best. The car sold in only 30 MINUTES! Can you say Wow? ...

Shirley getting the car ready for the sale

When the man buying the car realized the cause the money was going towards, he paid the full amount of $1,600 in cash!

Officially handing the keys off to the new owner!

When we told the original owners of the car the great news they were so overcome with joy that tears welled up in their eyes. And I would be lying if I didn't say that tears were also welling up in our eyes!

SOWW team member, Debbie Shifflette, delivering good news to the donating couple

Another day, another opportunity to help our courageous troops.

God bless USA!

SOWW + Haymarket Lifestyle

Serve Our Willing Warriors has had a wonderful start to the month of May! We were featured in the very first article displayed in Haymarket Lifestyle. If you have a copy at home or see it while you are out running errands, be sure to pick up a copy and read all about the history of our organization. 

Check out the entire PDF version of this month's Haymarket Lifestyle publication here. 

Leading Ladies of the Yard Sale

Serve Our Willing Warriors is hosting a Yard Sale April 26th of this weekend! While we are still taking donations of all types of household goods, we are only less than a week away from this long anticipated event. But even with all of this excitement going on, you better believe the leading ladies heading our event, are going out in style.

Here we have a Serve Our Willing Warriors committee member Debbie Schifflett modeling a long trench fur overcoat. This coat is good for not only keeping the cold winter weather from blowing you away but, it also attracts wild life. For now though, Debbie also sports the very stylish camel leather resort bag that has her prepared for a hopeful vacation away from Virginia to the islands of the Bahamas.

Following Debbie with her hard-to-beat ensemble we have a number of jack-o-lantern candy buckets sporting our latest style of straw skimmers that will have you ready for the Spring trends, which is right around the corner.

Next we have Debbie, going for the modern "red riding hood" look that is forecasted to be popular this summer while visiting grandma's house. With this crimson wicket sun hat, she struts a taupe wicket basket to match. This should surely help in delivering all of the cookies + sweets in style.

Among all of these beautiful ladies, we had one brave man willing to tough out our modeling session with us. He was convinced to join our photography session in order to increase the amount of male demographic that we anticipate to attend our event!

Hopefully, this marketing tactic worked for you gents out there!

Make sure to attend the SOWW yard sale this upcoming Saturday April 26th from 8am-2pm.

There is so much in store for you!

A Joyous Passover + Easter to All!

We are in the midst of such a special season . . .  

 

We are halfway through the Week of Passover and beginning the Easter Weekend.  

Both occasions celebrate the most beautiful things . . .  

Life 

Freedom from tyranny

Rebirth + Resurrection

We hope you + yours are sharing a wonderful, blessed holiday season together.

Here are the latest scenes from Bull Run Warrior Retreat as Spring 

takes hold and demonstrates the signs of the season.  

Enjoy.

 

 

 

 Our Willing Warrior Tree standing proudly facing the springtime sun.

Fun Run + a Day of Sun

It wasn't just another ordinary "day on the range" at the Bull Run Warrior Retreat this past Saturday morning.

As the roosters on the property just began to crow at the crack of dawn..... the volunteers for the Serve Our Willing Warriors 5k + Fun Run were rising from their warm comfortable beds to come together and set up for the event!

RISE and SHINE Mr. Rooster says! 

but it wasn't the "cock-a-doodle-dooing" that motivated us to rise at such an early hour, it was the willingness inside our hearts to give back to our Willing Warriors.

No amount of blistering winds or lack of Vitamin D could keep us from gathering 200+ participants in a race that coiled up and down the likes of Dominion Valley in good ol' Haymarket, Virginia. If I hadn’t known any better, seeing the rolling tops of the Bull Run Mountains reminded me of the exact reason why this all started. And before the race, we were all at complete peace…until,

"Attention!!"

"Men to the ready…"

"Forward, March!!.."

All of the Participants starting off strong in the first stretch of the Serve Our Willing Warriors 5k race!

And on we went...

We had such a surmount of support from the community. Civilians + Military alike. Come to think of it, there was a whole entire regiment from Battlefield High school's Air Force JROTC that came out to volunteer at the event!

Battlefield JROTC Color Guard demonstrating the colors at the Serve Our Willing Warriors 5k Run

And, might I add, they did an OUTstanding job not only performing their color guard duties, but ALSO running the entire race in cadance. Thank you to CMSgt David Schuler and MAJ Ray Fiedler for working with us and bringing such an amazing representation of patriotism to the doorsteps of our community!

The Battlefield High School Regiment running in cadence at the Serve Our Willing Warriors 5k Run

May we have a round of APPLAUSE for them, ladies + gentlemen!

Here is the young gold medalist himself looking for his first high-five. Such an incredible acheivement!

The winner of the Serve Our Willing Warriors 5k Run high-fiving for success after crossing the finish line

Afterwards, the participants that wanted to have a tour of the house were taken back to the retreat in order to behold all of its beauty + wonder. Amongst the sunny hills of Bull Run, it was the perfect weather to conclude our afternoon and reflect on all that we have to be thankful for.

So, no matter the medals that may hang around the necks of these lively men + women, I believe today, we all win.