Year-End Happenings Dul, Drab. Dreary Wals? How about a Fauquier Firefighters Collect 8,000 Toys for Tots New Color! timeframe—enough to meet local needs without outside assistance, which Pat says is uncommon. She adds that many Fauquier County Toys for Tots, the local counties must seek additional help to meet branch of the U.S. Marine Corps Reser ve’s national program, provides new gifts each Christmas to children from birth through age 17 across the county. Last year, the organization operated from a storefront at 605 Frost Avenue in Warrenton and relied on donations and volunteers. One of its most anticipated events is the annual Santa Run, a festive parade and toy collection led by local fire and rescue companies. Fire trucks and emergency vehicles travel through neighborhoods with Santa waving from a fire truck as toys are collected along the route. Interior & Exterior Skilled Professional Painters for Your Challenging Jobs • Attention Paid to Details • • Satisfaction Guaranteed • We listen to your needs & follow up throughout your project Fire Department Members and Volunteers 2-Year Warranty Labor & Materials Call KH 571-286-0658 Family Owned & Operated See testimonials at kopeckpainting.com O�� Pr��i�� Creativity. Quality. Professionalism demand, but Fauquier County consistently collects enough toys to ser ve local families. After the collection, volunteers sort and distribute the toys anonymously to protect families’ privacy. “All the companies drive in with lights and sirens, and we make a big deal of it. It really does Participating departments include fire your heart good,” Pat says. companies from Warrenton, Remington, Marshall, Catlett, Goldvein, New Baltimore, Beyond toy donations, companies host and Orlean. Remington was the first to join fundraisers such as dinners and breakfasts the program locally, and Warrenton has with Santa, and residents may also par ticipated for f ive years. Brandi contribute financially at the Toys for Tots Glascock-Schaeffer coordinates the storefront. “For us, this is another way to serve the community,” Pat says. “It lets countywide drive. people see us not just in emergencies, but This season, the companies collected as neighbors giving back.” For more m o r e t h a n 8 ,0 0 0 t oy s i n a s h o r t information, call (540) 422-8808. Pat Koglin, president of the Warrenton Volunteer Fire Company, ser ves as volunteer coordinator for the Warrenton event. “The Santa Run is the culmination of everyone’s efforts,” Pat says. Warrenton Ballet Center Doubles received many compliments on their professionalism and quality of dancing. Audience for Holiday Ballet The average age of the cast was around Warrenton Ballet Center dancers nine or ten, but they all knew their performed The Kingdom of the Sweets +, on choreography and had fun onstage.” Saturday, December 13, with shows at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. at Fauquier High School. The center also continued its tradition of announcing its spring production to the cast before the performances. This year’s original children’s ballet, The Enchanted Dollhouse, loosely based on The Fairy Doll, will be presented on Saturday, June 13. Proc eeds will suppor t future productions and enhance students’ learning experiences through guest teachers and choreographers. For more information, call (540) 200-8212. Professional Plans, Patios & Walkways, Plantings, Lighting, Water Features, Decorative & Retaining Walls, Arbors & Pergolas Promise Landscape 540.454.7826 www.promiselandscape.com 540.454.5283 Member of American Society of Landscape Architects 30 KH Discover Fauquier ■ February 2026 jar 0925 Discover Fauquier The Kingdom of the Sweets+ performers “The per formances went well,” says Ariana Myers, owner and artistic director of the center. “We doubled our audience size from last year, and the dancers To advertise: ~ Kristy Gillespie www.discoverypubs.com 540-349-8060