Author Archive: Jen Myers

Virginia Hospital Center Earns $70,000 Grant to Support Pregnant Women (Arlington Now)

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by Melanie Pincus, August 1, 2018 at 4:45 pm

The Virginia Hospital Center’s Outpatient Clinic has an additional $70,354 to support uninsured and low-income pregnant women in the area, thanks to a recent grant from the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation.

The bulk of the grant money — $64,354 — will support the second year of a telemedicine pilot program, which facilitates virtual appointments for patients with high-risk pregnancies who are unable to schedule some appointments in-person due to work, child care commitments or transportation barriers.

Another $5,000 will go to “transportation cards” for pregnant women who are low-income. The remaining $1,000 will go to purchasing “pack-and-plays,” which provide a safe place for newborns to sleep, for families in need.

The Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation was founded in memory of Jennifer Lawson, a mother of three who died in a 2014 accident. Registration is now open for the fourth annual Jennifer Bush-Lawson 5K & Family Fun Day, scheduled for Nov. 17. The event will raise additional funds for the Virginia Hospital Center’s Outpatient Clinic.

Full story: https://www.arlnow.com/2018/08/01/virginia-hospital-center-earns-70000-grant-to-support-pregnant-women/

Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation Announces $70K Grant for Virginia Hospital Center’s Outpatient Clinic

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(L to R: Lesley Daigle, Telemedicine Coordinator, Outpatient Clinic; Michelle Altman, Patient Care Director, Outpatient Clinic; Betsy Frantz, President, Virginia Hospital Center Foundation; Jennifer Myers, Executive Director, Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation; Taryn Overman, Senior Director, Patient Care Services)  

ARLINGTON, VA, JULY 31, 2018 – The Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation (JB-LF) is pleased to announce a grant totaling $70,354 made to Virginia Hospital Center’s Outpatient Clinic this month to support their work with low-income and uninsured pregnant women in the local community.

This funding covered three significant needs at the Outpatient Clinic:

  • $64,354 to fund nursing and care coordination staffing for a second year of a telemedicine pilot program, which will run through June 2019. The telemedicine program, which launched in 2017, allows for increased prenatal monitoring for high-risk pregnancies through virtual appointments for patients who may otherwise may not be able to make in-person appointments due to work schedules, child care needs or transportation issues. The program seeks to reduce NICU admissions, missed and no-show prenatal appointments, and emergency department visits and hospitalizations (other than for delivery) for economically vulnerable OB patients in the Clinic.
  • $5,000 for transportation cards for low-income expectant mothers who need assistance in order to make prenatal appointments.
  • $1,000 for new pack-and-plays for families in need so their newborns have a safe place to sleep.

“We are grateful to the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation for their support of our telemedicine program,” said Michelle Altman, Patient Care Director, Outpatient Clinic at Virginia Hospital Center. “Telemedicine has helped the Clinic to provide comprehensive, holistic, patient-centered care to pregnant patients who are high risk due to gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension and other complications. Through telemedicine, we are able to reach patients wherever they are in the community, whether on the job or at home. This program has facilitated the more continuous follow-up that is required for successful outcomes in complicated pregnancies. We partner with JB-LF to help keep our patients safe and healthy during and after their deliveries.”

“The work that Virginia Hospital Center’s Outpatient Clinic is doing for the most vulnerable members of our community is directly aligned with our mission to give all mothers and newborns the support they need to thrive. We are extremely pleased to continue partnering with them on these important projects, which have a real and immediate impact for those in need,” said Neal Lawson, founder and chair of the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation.

Funds for this grant were raised through the annual Jennifer Bush-Lawson 5K & Family Fun Day. The 4th annual Jennifer Bush-Lawson 5K & Family Fun Day will be held on November 17, 2018, at the Knights of Columbus, 5115 Little Falls Rd, Arlington, VA 22207, and will again raise funds for low-income pregnant patients at Virginia Hospital Center’s Outpatient Clinic. Registration is now open, with early bird pricing available through September 15, 2018, and sponsorships are also available; for more information, visit www.jb-lf.org/5K.

“We are most appreciative to the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation for its continued dedication and support of the Hospital’s most vulnerable population,” said Betsy Frantz, President, Virginia Hospital Center Foundation.

About the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation

Established in honor of Jennifer Lawson, who lost her life in 2014, the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, serves economically vulnerable mothers and infants by working to increase access to high-quality maternal and pediatric health care and support. Jennifer was a loving, dedicated mother of three, driven to advocacy after receiving high-quality care during her own complicated pregnancies. JB-LF seeks to embody her generous spirit by giving all mothers and newborns the means to thrive.

 

 

Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation received $100,000, the largest check ever presented in the DC’s Dancing Stars Gala’s four-year history

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In Four Years DC’s Dancing Stars Gala Donates $1,042,500 for Local Charities

Washington, D.C. (February 12, 2018) – On Thursday, February 8, DC’s Dancing Stars Gala presented seven local charities with a total of $333,000 in donations raised at this year’s Gala bringing their four-year total to $1,042,500. Beneficiaries included The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Marymount University, Operation Renewed Hope Foundation, the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation, Operation Second Chance, the Amelia Morgan Foundation and the Raymond A. Wood Foundation.

The Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation (JB-LF) received the largest check presented in the DC’s Dancing Stars Gala’s four-year history. The $100,000 donation will aid in the charity’s mission to assist economically vulnerable mothers and infants by working to increase access to maternal and pediatric health care and support. “We are immensely grateful to Maria Coakley David, Jim David and the rest of the DC’s Dancing Stars team for the opportunity to participate in this charity event, and we were floored when we learned that JB-LF would be the recipient of this record-breaking $100,000 donation,” said Jennifer Myers, executive director of the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. “Through this generosity, we’ll be able to help even more low-income expectant mothers and their babies get a fair start to life.”

The post gala celebration and check presentation event was attended by many past celebrity and corporate dancers including the 2015, 2016, and 2017 Mirror Ball Trophy winners: Matt Shank, President of Marymount University, Krystal Koons, spokeswoman for Jim Koons Automotive Group, and Lola Reinsch, CEO of the E.G. Reinsch Companies. Krystal set a new fundraising record for the gala, raising $115,000 when she competed in 2016.

The main event, which took place on Saturday, November 11, 2017, was hosted by founders Maria Coakley David and Jim David at the Sheraton Tyson’s Corner and featured 9 local Celebrities and 4 Corporate Challenge Dancers. The winner of the Mirror Ball Trophy and $10,000 for her charity, Marymount University, was Lola Reinsch, a commercial real estate developer, and philanthropist currently serving as CEO of the E.G. Reinsch Companies, who raised $60,000 in cash and sponsorships from more than 55 donors.

The winner of the Corporate Challenge, Caroline Coakley of Beautycounter, chose as her beneficiary the Raymond A. Wood Foundation, an organization that provides quality of life support for childhood brain tumor survivors and their families. With the winning $10,000 donation, the organization will be able to provide a handheld blood analyzer to a child suffering from diabetes insipidus. Handheld blood analyzers are hospital grade devices that are expensive, not covered by insurance and difficult to purchase for home use.

PRESS CONTACT: For additional information, interview requests or high-resolution photos, please contact Maria Coakley David. Email: mcdavid@cjcoakley.com Telephone: 703.593.8791.

Arlington community races for moms, babies at 5K (The Arlington Catholic Herald)

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By Stacy Rausch | Catholic Herald Producation Coordinator
11/22/17

Good things can sometimes come from tragedy.

Jennifer Bush-Lawson lost her life in 2014 after spending the morning volunteering at Nottingham Elementary School in Arlington. She was struck and killed by a passing dump truck while putting her daughter in her car seat.

It’s great how the community comes together to support the neighborhood and Neal. It’s a way to keep in touch and support one another. ~ Courtney Portner
Neal Lawson, Jennifer’s husband, has devoted himself to honoring his wife’s memory through the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation (JB-LF), launched in 2015 on the anniversary of her death.

The foundation provides funding for medical care for pregnant women and their children through the first year of life. Being able to help women receive quality healthcare — especially for high-risk pregnancies — is important to the family since the Lawson’s three children were born prematurely, and Jennifer struggled with difficult pregnancies.

One of the ways the foundation is funded is through an annual 5K race and family fun day, now in its third year. This year’s race raised more than $100,000. The Nov. 18 5K race started and finished at the Edward Douglass White Knights of Columbus council home in Arlington. The Knights donated the use of the grounds for the event that drew more than 450 racers ranging in age from 7 to 69. Many families bundled up for the chilly fall day race while pushing babies and toddlers in strollers.

The activities included face painting, moon bounces, food trucks, silent auction and live music.

The foundation’s mission “is to serve economically vulnerable mothers and infants by improving access to high-quality maternal and pediatric healthcare and support.” The JB-LF partners with the Virginia Hospital Center outpatient clinic and the Arlington Pediatric Center to carry out this vision.

Michele Werner, director of development at the Virginia Hospital Center said, “The best thing about working with the JB-LF is how innovative and forward thinking they are to help solve problems for patients, and they care about the population of expectant mothers and children.”

High-risk pregnancies include many doctors’ visits, which can become untenable for many women, especially those with lower incomes or the uninsured. Through the JB-FL, infants receive access to well child medical care, acute care, specialty care, developmental assessments, and pack and plays for a safe place to sleep. Mothers are getting crucial pre-natal care, ultrasounds, and help monitoring their pregnancies through support such as telemedicine, a smartphone app that allows them to check in with a doctor from work or home. This free service has decreased greatly the number of missed appointments.

Courtney Portner, a parishioner of St. Agnes Church in Arlington and friend of the Lawson family, has volunteered at the event for three years. “The race was not only about raising funds,” she said. “It’s great how the community comes together to support the neighborhood and Neal. It’s a way to keep in touch and support one another.”

“The sense of community and giving back is especially important for the kids,” she added. “It was great to see all ages come out, whether they were running or not, to raise money for a great cause.”

Full story: https://www.catholicherald.com/News/Local_News/Arlington_community_races_for_moms,_babies_at_5K/

DC’s Dancing Stars Gala nets more than $300,000 for local charities (Fairfax County Times)

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By Gregg MacDonald/Fairfax County Times | Nov 17, 2017

On Nov. 11, the fourth annual DC’s Dancing Stars Gala in Tysons netted more than $300,000 for local charities, and it was done with the utmost of style.

The event was hosted by co-chairs Maria Coakley David and Jim David at the Sheraton Tyson’s Corner and featured nine local celebrities including Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer (the real one, not the Melissa McCarthy version) and four ‘Corporate Challenge Dancers’ who spent the past several months training for the gala performance. Local businesswoman Lola Reinsch took first prize, raising more than $50,000 in cash and sponsorships from more than 100 donors.

Spicer served on the judge’s panel, where he was by far the harshest critic of the trio, which also included Chelsie Hightower from TV’s Dancing With The Stars and Washington Ballet Artistic Director Julie Kent.

President and CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors Michael D. Bellaman was the runner-up winning $5,000 for the Morgan Amelia Foundation. Caroline Coakley, Director at Beautycounter, was the winner of the Corporate Challenge, and will direct her $10,000 prize money to the Raymond A. Wood Foundation. The Corporate Challenge winner was determined in the same way as the overall winner: 60 percent judges scores and 40 percent funds raised. Coakley raised over $60,000 and had one of the top scoring performances.

“We’re thrilled to have hosted another successful and fun evening for our local charities,” said Maria Coakley David, CEO of C.J. Coakley Co., Inc. and co-chair of DCs Dancing Stars Gala. “I’m so proud of all of our dancers, who rehearsed tirelessly and gave it their all. My husband Jim and I are avid dancers, and we’re so pleased to share our love of dancing with others as we change lives one dance step at a time.”

Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer made his debut at the judges table and he kept the crowd laughing! He was joined by Chelsie Hightower, best known as a dancer, partner, trainer and choreographer for ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars, and Washington Ballet Director Julie Kent. Emceeing the event were Larry Miller of WUSA9 and former Washington Redskin Charles Mann.

Local charities were beneficiaries of the event, such as: The DC Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Operation Renewed Hope Foundation, Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation and Student Scholarships to attend Marymount University.

Full story: http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/dc-s-dancing-stars-gala-nets-more-than-for-local/article_37008210-cbae-11e7-b3ea-73247380e46d.html

Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation 5K & Family Fun Day Set For Saturday (ArlNow)

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by Chris Teale November 16, 2017 at 1:45 pm

A 5K race and festival in memory of an Arlington mom killed by a passing truck while placing her children in a minivan will be held for the third time on Saturday.

The Jennifer Bush-Lawson Memorial 5K Race begins at 9 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus (5115 Little Falls Road). It will feature a 5K race, a kids’ fun run with Teddy, one of the Washington Nationals’ Racing Presidents, and a “Family Fun Day Festival.”

The family festival will live feature music from local band Gutterball Kingpin, as well as moon bounces, a rock climbing wall, obstacle course, in-line jumper, human hungry hippo, food trucks, a beer garden, corn hole, face painting, balloon animals and more.

The event benefits the Arlington Pediatric Center and the Virginia Hospital Center Outpatient Obstetrics Clinic, with a focus on prenatal and postnatal health services for underprivileged mothers and babies.

Police will close several roads to accommodate the event. Per the Arlington County Police Department:

The 3rd Annual Jennifer Bush-Lawson Memorial 5K Race will take place on Saturday, November 18, 2017. The Arlington County Police Department will conduct the following road closures from approximately 8:30 AM until 11:00 AM to accommodate this event:

Main Closures:
Little Falls Road: N. George Mason Drive to Yorktown Blvd.
Yorktown Blvd.: N. George Mason Drive to Williamsburg Blvd.
Williamsburg Blvd.: Yorktown Blvd. to N. Emerson Street
33rd Street: N. Emerson Street to N. George Mason Drive
George Mason Drive: N. 33rd Street to Yorktown Blvd.
Smaller closures exist within the race area

Full story on ArlNow.com: https://www.arlnow.com/2017/11/16/jennifer-bush-lawson-foundation-5k-family-fun-day-set-for-saturday/

Pace the Nation Podcast with Neal Lawson & Jennifer Myers

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Episode 127 – An Episode of Tangents (Neal Lawson and Jennifer Myers)
Jump ahead to minute 12:39 to hear Neal Lawson, founder and CEO of the Jennifer Bush Lawson Foundation, talk about his running background, the Jennifer Bush Lawson Foundation, Jennifer’s story and how the foundation honors her memory. Executive Director Jennifer Myers joins him at minute 22:37 to talk about the 5K & Family Fun Day, and some of the families that have been helped by the foundation.

More at Pacers Running: https://www.runpacers.com/podcast/episodes/episode-127-episode-of-tangents/ 

 

India Hicks Truck Show coming to Pursuing Vintage to Benefit JB-LF

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India Hicks Truck Show coming to Pursuing Vintage on Wednesday
by Sally Cole, Falls Church News-Press
October 20, 2017

Pursuing Vintage is hosting an India Hicks truck show and sale to benefit the Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation on Wednesday, Oct. 25 from 6 – 9 p.m. Refreshments will be offered and 15 percent of proceeds will benefit the foundation. Those unable to attend the event can still shop online to benefit JB-LF until Oct. 31. To shop online at Pursuing Vintage, visit pursuingvintage.com and mention JB-LF at checkout. To shop India Hicks online, visit indiahicks.com/event/jb-lf-2017/shopping. Pursuing Vintage is located at 260 W. Broad Street in space attached to Zoya’s Atelier. For more information about the event, email kristen@pursuingvintage.com. For more information about the benefiting foundation, visit jenniferbushlawsonfoundation.org.

https://fcnp.com/2017/10/20/india-hicks-truck-show-coming-pursuing-vintage-wednesday/