Three cheers for longer and warmer days to come as we welcome another glorious RVA spring! We finally got some snow this winter, which was fun and so pretty, but boy am I ready for some warmer weather. I just love all of the Richmond traditions that come along with this time of year, like Easter on Parade, Maymont’s Herbs Galore and Family Easter, and the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10K.
Speaking of the 10K, otherwise known as Richmond’s biggest block party of the year (and 2024’s largest race in Virginia!), as you see from our amazing cover shot, we’re paying tribute in this issue to the man who started it all, way back in 2000 when Richmond saw its very first Monument Avenue 10K. Jon Lugbill, executive director of Sports Backers, who is set to retire after a remarkable 31-year tenure, has been central to so many RVA health and wellness “get outside” initiatives over the years, from Bike Walk RVA and Kids on the Move to Dominion Energy Riverrock and the Fall Line Trail. We’re honored to send him off in grand style with our look at the man behind the movement that forever changed our community for the better (page 20).
Believe it or not, another spring tradition that I’m really looking forward to is spring cleaning! I always love clearing out the household clutter and refreshing my home and my closet, and I’m excited that we’re helping you on both fronts in this issue. First up, we’re taking you behind the scenes at Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia for an eye-opening look at what it takes to keep all those donations moving through their 18 Greater Richmond area locations. I’m sure like me, you’ve seen social media posts asking where to donate items “other than Goodwill,” and you may have even asked the question yourself. I understand that many out there feel like Goodwill is now just a big retail machine and doesn’t give back to the community, so after a recent tour, I really wanted to show our readers just how much good Goodwill actually does, both for our area residents and for our environment. I think you’re going to enjoy learning more, and you will now know for sure just how much your donations mean (page 38).
We’re also getting some spring home refresh help from our friend Leah of Leah Walder Interiors. You’ve read her great home tips in our Home Space department over the years, and now we’re chatting with her to get some ideas for easy spruce-ups to greet the new season (page 62).
This issue’s Real Mom Tara Lane has some fabulous tips for saving big at “the most magical place on Earth” – Disney! I’ve been friends with this Disney superfan since middle school, and when she invited me to go with her to Orlando to finally experience the four Disney theme parks (can you believe I’d never been?!), I couldn’t resist. We had such a great time, and she made it so easy for me, planning out all our adventures and saving us a ton of money every step of the way. I just knew I wanted her to share her tips and tricks with our readers. She has so many good ones, we had to continue her article on our website (page 16 and at RFMonline.com)!
Throughout this issue, you’ll find tons of summer camp ideas, including our special summer camps section, beginning on page 43. Our online summer camp directory is a fabulous resource for busy families, too – more about that on page 13.
Enjoy this issue and all of the fabulous spring events to come!
Best wishes,
Margaret Thompson
Publisher
