Virtual • September 25, 2020 • 12-1 PM
Join us in Celebrating Columbia Pike!
Support our community with this year’s virtual “luncheon” benefit
While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on Columbia Pike, the region, and indeed the world, our community is still strong. We’ve seen our businesses come together in new ways to support each other, companies adapting to serve new needs, and even new businesses opening along our corridor. Please join us for our annual Columbia Pike Progress Luncheon (virtually) as we celebrate these achievements and discuss the future of our region with a panel of speakers.
Thank you to everyone who supported our Columbia Pike Progress Luncheon! In case you missed it – or want to see it again – you can now watch our presentation online!
Program
Awards
This year, CPRO is presenting its first “Columbia Pike Spirit Awards” to four companies/organization who have gone above and beyond to support our community over the past several months during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also presented a Community Volunteer award to a CPRO volunteer who helped make our Drive-In Movie Nights possible.
Arlington Presbyterian Church
For over 100 years, Arlington Presbyterian Church has been a place where people of vision, connected with the community, have heard and responded to the needs of our neighbors. Last year, APC partnered with Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing to convert their home into Gilliam Place to provide 173 affordable apartment homes. This year, APC been a shining example of what it means to be part of a community and serve your neighbor as they committed funding to CPRO’s Feed Our Families project to provide nearly 100 boxes of fresh produce each week to Gilliam Place’s residents in need throughout the summer.
B.M. Smith
B.M. Smith has spent more than a century building a lasting legacy of community along Columbia Pike. As a property development and management company, they have worked hard to make Columbia Pike a great place to both live and work. In the midst of the pandemic, when things looked darkest for both working people and businesses, B.M. Smith did everything they could to ensure that both their residents and commercial tenants could stay in their homes. They’ve worked out new rental agreements, restructured payment plans, and more so that no one faced eviction and that our vibrant businesses could remain on the Pike.
Flare
Flare launched just last year as an electric micro-mobility carrier service. Their electric shuttles were meant to provide new transportation options in areas underserved by current public transportation services. However, when the pandemic hit our area this year, those services were no longer needed. Rather than shut down their business, Flare put their fleet to use providing transportation for AFAC food drives and CPRO’s Buy A Nurse Lunch Program. Without Flare, we would not have been able to provide over $25,000 in revenue to our local restaurants since April or deliver 2,000 meals to Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington Pediatric Center, and Mary Marshall Assisted Living.
Our Lady Queen Of Peace
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church has lived up to the teachings of Matthew 25 that they hold so dear: “I was hungry and you gave me food, thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me…” For years, the church has run a pantry that provides much needed food to our neighbors in need. However, as the pandemic took its toll, the pantry saw the number of families lined up at its doors triple. Determined not to turn anyone away, the parish and community came together to answer the call and provide for their neighbors, including collecting donations to purchase produce from Columbia Pike Farmers Market vendors and participate in our Feed Our Families Program.
Ana Arias
Like many other businesses, CPRO was faced with reimagining everything we do, especially our events. This summer, we converted our annual summer movie nights into the Columbia Pike Drive-In. Running a drive-in and keeping our guests safe took more coordination that we’d ever needed for our past movie nights and one member of our community stepped up to help. Ana Arias gave up her Saturday nights for the entire summer to be at all eight of CPRO’s movie nights. She directed traffic, handled registration, and assisted with training our other volunteers. We could not have hosted our events without her. To say “Thank You” we presented her with a Columbia Pike Spirit of the Community Volunteer Award and $200 in gift certificates to Columbia Pike restaurants.
Lunch
While we may not be able to gather together in person for a formal luncheon, you can still enjoy a wonderful meal from one of our participating Columbia Pike restaurants during our presentation. Each restaurant listed below will have an exclusive meal available for order on September 25. Stay tuned for more details.
The Celtic House is offering the follow menu items for $10 (plus tax) on Sept. 25:
Nancy MC Shepherd’s Pie
Beef & Guinness Stew
Donegal Fish & Chips
Tomato & Basil Pasta
Call (703) 746-9644 and ask for one the Pike Progress Luncheon Specials!
Rebellion on the Pike is offering 15% off their entire lunch menu on Sept. 25
Call (703) 664-0297 and ask for the Pike Progress Luncheon Discount!
William Jeffrey’s Tavern is offering the follow menu item for $10 (plus tax) on Sept. 25:
Lamb Sandwich:
Oven roasted then sliced lamb, goat cheese, house made yogurt sauce & roasted red pepper & cucumber salad. Served with your choice of side.
Call (703) 746-6333 and ask for the Pike Progress Luncheon Special!
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
