An Evening to SPARCle | SPARC - Specially Adapted Resource Centers

Guests celebrating at An Evening to SPARCle

About An Evening to SPARCle

An Evening to SPARCle is our signature annual fundraising event, bringing together 200+ including SPARC participants, families, staff, donors, elected officials, and community leaders.

This elegant evening features:

Buffet dinner and cocktail reception
Entertainment and dancing
Heartfelt stories from SPARC participants
Recognition of donors and volunteers
Community celebration of our impact

An Evening to SPARCle is our largest fundraising event of the year, raising critical funds to support programs for adults with severe and multiple disabilities.

Why We Ask for Your Support

Every dollar raised at An Evening to SPARCle goes directly to community-integrated day programs for adults with severe and multiple disabilities across Northern Virginia — programs that public funding alone cannot sustain.

Your sponsorship, ticket, or raffle purchase helps our participants continue an adventure of connection, purpose, and belonging. Because the adventure begins with inclusion — and no one should be left behind.

SPARC Hero Award

This year, we are proud to honor

Supervisor Jeffrey McKay

Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

We are proud to honor Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeffrey McKay with the SPARC Hero Award for his extraordinary leadership on behalf of the region's most vulnerable residents.

This recognition reflects a 20-year partnership that embodies Chairman McKay's unwavering commitment to One Fairfax.

Fairfax County created SPARC as a pilot through the Coordinating Council for Adults and Adults with Disabilities (CCAAD), based in Fairfax, and provided our first staff from the Department of Therapeutic Recreation. We began operating in 2006 at the Cathy Hudgins Community Center in Reston and subsequently expanded to serve the McLean, Jim Scott, Hybla Valley, and Herndon communities over the years. This long-standing collaboration demonstrates how Chairman McKay has continuously invested in inclusive, coordinated services and sought to ensure that operating with dignity, accessibility, and opportunity remains at the forefront of regional planning.

Elevance Health

Presenting Sponsor, A Call to Conscience

We are also proud to honor Elevance Health with the SPARC Hero Award in recognition of its extraordinary commitment to building healthier, more inclusive communities for the region's most vulnerable residents.

As Presenting Sponsor of A Call to Conscience, our 2026 advocacy summit, Elevance Health has helped elevate the national conversation around the dignity, access, and opportunity owed to adults with severe and multiple disabilities.

Through its investment in SPARC's mission, Elevance Health embodies what it means to be a true community partner — turning corporate citizenship into real impact for the families we serve across Northern Virginia.

Hannah Irsfeld, Esq.

Vice Chair, SPARC Board of Directors

We are also proud to honor Hannah Irsfeld, Esq., whose visionary leadership, extraordinary pro bono service, and groundbreaking policy research have transformed SPARC, helped secure historic public investments, and positioned our organization for an even stronger future.

Special Tribute

In heartfelt recognition of

Leaders gathered at A Call to Conscience, SPARC's advocacy summit at The George Washington University

Ellen Dyke

Board Chair, SPARC

A Call to Conscience — The George Washington University

We offer a special tribute to Ellen Dyke in recognition of her extraordinary leadership in bringing A Call to Conscience to life — and for inspiring a conversation that will continue to advance inclusion, dignity, and opportunity for adults with severe and multiple disabilities.

Honorary Host Committee

The Honorable Donald S. Beyer Jr.

United States Congress

The Honorable James Walkinshaw, United States Congress
Senator Kannan Srinivasan, Senate of Virginia
Delegate Irene Shin, Virginia House of Delegates
The Honorable Kate Hanley, Former Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia
Dr. Anne M. Kress, President, Northern Virginia Community College
Arlington County Supervisor J.D. Spain, Sr.
Fairfax County Supervisor Rodney Lusk
Fairfax County Supervisor Walter Alcorn
Fairfax County Supervisor Jimmy Bierman
Fairfax County Supervisor Dalia Palchik
Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity
Loudoun County Supervisor Sylvia Glass
Loudoun County Supervisor Mike Turner, Ashburn District
Loudoun County Supervisor Koran Saines
Loudoun County Supervisor Juli Briskman
Buddy Rizer, Executive Director, Loudoun County Department of Economic Development
Tony Howard, President & CEO, Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce
Jerry L. Hulick, CLU, ChFC, ChSNC, CLTC, Principal, The Washington Group Special Care Planning Team