Shed your layers and leave the chill in winter, because spring is upon us and we’re blooming to life in full color. Come kick-start the season by waking up to the highest vibes and amazing people.
Yogis Christy Skarulis and Ashley Braun, co-founders of pop-up yoga brand Grip The Mat, will be leading an open yoga session for the centennial celebration of the United States National Park Service hosted by National Geographic on Saturday, May 21 at 9 am in the Constitution Garden as part of the Biodiversity Festival. Join GTM as they explore one of the most notable National Parks, the Mall, and connect with each other with a light-hearted yoga session followed by a brunch by Peet’s Coffee. We would love for you to inform your readers so they can participate in this yoga event! Admission is free but participants can RSVP here. Make sure to bring a yoga mat!
About Grip The Mat:
While struggling to balance an overly demanding work life, Christy and Ashley realized they were compromising happiness, health, and interpersonal connections for unfulfilling job titles. They decided to take life into their own hands and quit their 9-5’s to build what they were craving, thus Grip the Mat was founded. The brand hosts pop-up events featuring mixed-level “feel-good” yoga paired with social experiences inside fun, unique spaces. By fostering fitness, mindfulness, and togetherness, GTM events offer a unique environment for mind-body and social connection while building a tight knit community of like-minded people. Setting Grip the Mat apart from any other yoga concept, participants do an hour-long session followed by a social component, such as wine tasting or brunch.
About Biodiversity Festival:
This two-day Biodiversity Festival is part of the cornerstone BioBlitz in the Washington, D.C. region. The National Mall at Constitution Gardens will feature hands-on science exhibits, food and art, as well as family-friendly entertainment and activities. Constitution Gardens will also serve as base camp for the National Capital Parks BioBlitz and as a connection to all the other BioBlitzes taking place at national parks that weekend.
About BioBlitz:
The 2016 National Parks BioBlitz is the culmination of a 10-year series of BioBlitzes co-hosted by the National Park Service and the National Geographic Society at different national parks across the country, leading up the centennial of the National Park Service. The first in the series took place at Rock Creek Park in 2007. Other BioBlitz locations have included Biscayne National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. This year, 13 parks in Greater Washington and more than 100 national parks across the country will host BioBlitz events. A longtime partner of the National Park Service, the National Geographic Society helped draft legislation to establish the NPS in 1916. The Society has given many grants to create and sustain national parks across the United States, and has extensively covered the parks in its media for nearly a century.
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Bicycle Ride with the U.S. Park Police
Established by President George Washington and continuously on duty in the Nation’s Capital
since 1791, the United States Park Police protect the monuments and memorials of the National
Mall. Join Park Police officers and park rangers on a three-mile ride to Hains Point and back, and
learn about the history of East Potomac Park. Younger riders can try out an orange-cone obstacle
course and a half mile loop around the Park Police headquarters. Meet at 1100 Ohio Drive, SW.
Shoppers are invited to their nearest Bloomingdale’s location on Saturday, October 8th to kick off Bloomingdale’s October Pink campaign with a morning yoga class by Corepower Yoga. A reservation fee of $10 will benefit The Marisa Acocella Marchetto Foundation and The Carey Foundation which support survivors and their families with cancer-related costs such as transportation, child care, and treatment. Attendees will receive a branded pink yoga mat and goodie bag of beauty samples and healthy treats. To reserve a mat, visit bloomingdalesyoga.eventbrite.com.
This is the 12 th year that Bloomingdale’s continues its commitment to breast cancer awareness and treatment during the month of October. This year the retailer will continue to support The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®, the Marisa Acocella Marchetto Foundation, and The Carey Foundation by inviting its loyal shoppers to join in the fight with exclusive merchandise and exciting events that help to raise awareness and funds for a cure, in stores nationwide and on bloomingdales.com.
When: Saturday October 8th
Check-in: 8:30 AM
Class: 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM
Where: Bloomingdale’s Chevy Chase
5300 Western Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Bloomingdale’s Tysons Corner
8100 Tysons Corner Center, McLean, VA 22102
The Insane Inflatable 5K, a dynamic fun run series made up of inflatable obstacles and taking place in over 115 cities across the United States, is coming to Washington D.C. on October 15th, it was announced today by Stuart Kaul, Director of Events,Insane Inflatable 5K.
The Insane Inflatable 5K is designed to be accessible to everybody – from competitive runners looking for a different type of challenge, to weekend warriors looking for the next great obstacle run, and even those armchair athletes looking to try something fun and new. The course is approximately 3.1 miles long and incorporates 11+ extreme inflatable obstacles throughout the unique terrain of the Prince William County Fair.
The 11+ obstacles combine imagination, creativity, and most importantly a large dose of fun, coupled with a touch of insanity. The signature inflatables (including six new obstacles added for 2016!) range in size and complexity, including “Mad House,” where runners climb, weave, and maneuver their way through this intricate and challenging new inflatable, “Jump Around,” a fan favorite and the largest inflatable of its kind with more than 70 feet of bounce pad, and “Finish Line,” the most awe-inspiring inflatable of the event where participants dodge wrecking balls, make their way past the tipsy towers, climb the rope ladder, and slide their way to victory.
Beyond the obstacles and the race, the Insane Inflatable 5k will also have a “Midway” where participants can enjoy games, food, beverages, merchandise, and swag from local vendors and sponsors.
Runners 21 and older can enjoy refreshing, cold craft beer from the Traveler Beer Company at the official Insane Inflatable 5k Beer Garden and kick back on inflatable couches with friends, family, and fellow bouncers. There will be plenty of varieties to sample, like Traveler Grapefruit Shandy, as well as seasonal offerings like Curious Traveler Lemon Shandy or Jack-O Traveler Pumpkin Shandy.
Additionally, the event will give back to the community, designating a portion of the proceeds from the race to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay For Life movement. The Relay For Life movement is the world’s largest fundraising event to fight every cancer in every community, with over 6,000 events worldwide. Dollars raised help the American Cancer Society save lives by funding groundbreaking cancer research, providing free information and critical services for people with cancer, and supporting education and prevention programs.
The Washington D.C. event, taking place at the Prince William County Fair on Saturday, October 15th, will kick off at approximately 8:30 a.m. with the first wave, and additional waves will run concurrently until noon or 1:00 p.m.
“The Insane Inflatable 5k is the fastest-growing and largest obstacle run in the country, and 2016 is going to be Insane Inflatable 5K’s biggest, best, and bounciest year yet,” said Mr. Kaul. “We’ve listened to the feedback from our fans and updated our inflatable obstacles with crazy new designs. We’re taking the obstacle world to a whole new level with this insanity! Not only will there be new obstacles, but the Insane Inflatable 5K is excited to offer over 40 new locations and over 120 locations throughout the country in 2016.”
Registration fees, which include an event T-shirt and medal upon completion, range from $49 for advance registration to $75 for day of event registration. Children are welcome to participate, with a minimum height requirement of 42”.
For more information about the Insane Inflatable 5K and to register, visit www.insaneinflatable5k.com.
The Foundation for Women’s Cancer (FWC) will mark its 25th Anniversary with the 7th Annual National Race to End Women’s Cancer, featuring a 5K Run and a 1 Mile Walk, on Sunday, Nov. 6, in downtown Washington, DC, on Freedom Plaza. The National Race to End Women’s Cancer is the Foundation’s major annual awareness and fundraising event, supporting the full slate of the organization’s efforts. Registration is open at endwomenscancer.org, with a $45 entry fee.
Every five minutes, a woman is diagnosed with a reproductive cancer – cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal or vulvar – impacting more than 98,000 women each year. That’s another mother, daughter, sister, friend or colleague every five minutes. Too many are diagnosed in the late stages, and nearly a third will die. Far too few women – or men – know how to recognize the symptoms of these cancers, and the importance of getting treatment from a gynecologic oncologist for the best outcomes. Risks rise with age, weight and other factors. The FWC supports survivors and works to raise awareness and research funding to defeat gynecologic cancers.
The pre-race program will begin at 8:15 a.m. at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, with the race beginning at 9 a.m. The event is led by National Race Chair Camille Grammer, an endometrial cancer survivor and star on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” who will walk the route with her team, “Camille’s Crusaders.” All participants (survivors, family, friends, loved ones, surgeons, caregivers, colleagues, and sponsors) are encouraged to “Join the Movement” whether as a runner, walker or supporter. Even if you can’t join us in Washington, your registration fee and donation are greatly appreciated.
“It’s such an honor and privilege to once again play a part in such a worthy cause as the National Race to End Women’s Cancer. I’m very much looking forward to returning to Washington and reuniting with our team – Camille’s Crusaders – as we spread awareness and help raise funds for the Foundation for Women’s Cancer,” says Grammer, who is participating in her third walk. “And this year will be extra special for me as my mother [Maureen, an ovarian cancer survivor] and my daughter [Mason] will be ‘Joining the Movement’ too by walking alongside me down Pennsylvania Avenue!”
Since FWC was founded by the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 25 years ago, it was discovered that cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable. The Foundation was one of the organizations leading the charge to create public awareness linking the human papillomavirus (HPV) to cervical cancer. More recently, HPV has been linked to both vaginal and vulvar cancers. FWC alerted women to the fact that a cluster of symptoms is associated with ovarian cancer, the most deadly gynecologic cancer, and has worked with other advocacy organizations to make women more knowledgeable about an individual’s risk of developing ovarian cancer. Taken together, this information can and has led to earlier detection of this cancer, when a cure is more likely.
For more information on risks, prevention and treatment of gynecologic cancers, please see How to Maintain Your Gynecologic Health on the FWC website.
Those interested in participating in the race, as an individual, with a team, or as a volunteer, can visit endwomenscancer.org for additional information and registration.
What: Kimberly Snyder & Well + Good Present DC Beauty Immersion Speaking Tour + Radical Beauty book signing
Where: Westin Washington D.C. City Center
1400 M St NW
Washington, DC 20005
When: Saturday, July 22nd from 12pm-2pm
Who: Kimberly Snyder, New York Times best-selling author and nutritionist
ABOUT: New York Times best-selling author and nutritionist Kimberly Snyder will kick off her Beauty Immersion Speaking Tour with an event in DC sponsored by Well + Good. The event will feature a discussion from Snyder followed by a Radical Beauty book signing and meet and greet, which will take place at the Westin Washington D.C. City Center on Saturday, July 22nd from 7:00pm-9:00pm EST. This event is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased here: http://kimberlysnyder.com/events/
On Saturday, November 18, VIDA Fitness is hosting its third annual VIDA-Thrive 5K run/walk at East Potomac Park (Hains Point). VIDA Fitness is donating 100 percent proceeds from the event to Thrive DC — a local nonprofit dedicated and committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the D.C. area. 94.7 Fresh FM’s hosts of The Tommy Show, Tommy McFly, Kelly Collis and Jen Richer, will emcee the race. To learn more about the 5K fun run/walk, please visit www.vidathrive5k.com.
