Courtesy of Hudson Studio.
Run!Geek!Run! presented by Ironistic and Hudson Studio in Alexandria supports local organizations.
Volunteer Alexandria, the organization that connects residents and businesses with local nonprofits, honored Hudson Studios for their efforts to give back to the community at Thursday morning’s Business Philanthropy Summit.
Named Business Philanthropist of the Year, Hudson Studios is a woman-owned graphic design firm in Alexandria that has donated a significant amount of pro-bono graphic design work to local nonprofit organizations. In addition, the group co-hosts the Run!Geek!Run! 5K with Ironistic, raising more than $40,000 for Alexandria organizations in the past three years.
“In a community with so much wealth… we are still a community where more than 60 percent of the students in our schools rely on free or reduced-priced lunch,” noted Mayor Justin Wilson at the event. Many residents struggle with making a living wage or accessing health care.
During the Business Philanthropy Summit, Points of Light Foundation’s Corporate Institute Leader Jennifer Lawson interviewed Virginia Tech President Dr. Tim Sands. Virginia Tech last year announced a $1 billion investment in Alexandria by creating a new Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in northeastern Alexandria.
Sands said Alexandria is ideally located for the Innovation Campus, as Virginia Tech already has locations and partnerships with Alexandria-based organizations. “The arts community here, the service community here and the history here are things that will attract talent,” Sands said.
Virginia Tech will bring with it a culture of service, Sands said. Virginia Tech alums in particular are the type of people who will rush to help in many situations, and he’s happy to bring more of that culture to Alexandria.
“What’s amazing about this generation … is that they are absolutely committed to being change agents.” Virginia Tech’s motto is “Ut Prosim,” which translates to “That I May Serve.”
“Each year it gets stronger,” because recruiting civic-minded students leads to additional recruitment of more people like them, Sands said. “They are very focused on making a difference.”
The new location of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus is “TBD” Sands said – while a triangle of land just west of Richmond Highway has been reported as most likely, the campus will be “somewhere in the Potomac Yard region”.
"Volunteering, if it's skills based or pro bono or just one time, it all matters. ... Our community and nonprofits need all of those," said Marion Brunken, Executive Director of Volunteer Alexandria.
Volunteer Alexandria's Community Day of Service is May 17. Learn more about how to participate here.
