Posted by
BOWA Inc. on Thu, Sep 22, 2011 @ 10:18 AM
We are thrilled to announce that BOWA and our own Steve Kirstein have been honored as Business and Business Person of the Year for 2011 by the Potomac Chamber of Commerce.
“As a long-time Potomac resident, this honor is particularly meaningful to me,” said Steve Kirstein, a principal at BOWA. “My family and I love this community, and I am thankful for having had the opportunity to work closely with so many Potomac families over the years.”
Winners are chosen from nominations and are selected based on the work they do in and the contributions they have made to the welfare of the community.
“Steve is an active member of the Chamber, and supporter of Autism Speaks, numerous local schools and many other Potomac charitable groups,” said Josh Baker, BOWA’s co-founder. “BOWA has a solid history of business and philanthropy in the community, but Steve’s profound commitment is what earned us this award.”
Kirstein and BOWA will be recognized at this year’s Potomac Day Parade to be held October 22, 2011 and at a Potomac Chamber Awards Dinner in November.
Posted by
BOWA Inc. on Wed, Aug 24, 2011 @ 11:50 AM
In just two weeks, BOWA Chief Knowledge Officer, Jim Little will be sailing in the 18th Annual Leukemia Cup Regatta at the Washington Sailing Marina in Alexandria, VA. As a crew member on the sailboat “Paradiso”, Jim will race against 45 other teams to win the coveted Leukemia Cup.
Jim’s participation in this annual event gives all of us here at BOWA the opportunity to do two things we love – cheer on a colleague and support an organization that provides much needed resources to the community.
The proceeds from the 2011 Leukemia Cup help advance The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's mission: cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. BOWA is proud to be a Skipper Sponsor of this year's regatta.
If you are interested in learning more or donating, go to the "Paradiso" Leukemia Cup website for this event.
We all hope Jim has the wind in his sails on September 10th…best of luck!
Guest Blog Post by:
Jimmy Finn, AIA
Vice President, BOWA
Learn more about Jimmy Finn
Posted by
BOWA Inc. on Thu, Jul 28, 2011 @ 08:25 AM
On July 15, 2011 BOWA hosted a Green Remodeling Presentation at the Alexandria location of Architectural Ceramics. The seminar coincided with the Annual Christmas in July event on Union Street in Old Town. The audience of homeowners, real estate professionals and interior designers enjoyed holiday treats and received an introduction to important factors that should be considered when planning a remodeling project. BOWA’s Vice President of Best Practices Doug Horgan discussed the best ways to improve the energy efficiency in the home, how to make the most of green building opportunities in material selections, and an explanation of the different nationally recognized green rating systems. Locally stationed Marines were also in attendance and manned a collection station for Toys for Tots that received boxes of new toys and cash donations totaling over $1200. Doug Horgan is a nationally recognized authority on green remodeling and construction quality and is available for presentation to local groups. If you’re interested in learning more about this event or Doug’s presentations, please let me know.
Guest Blog Post by:
Jimmy Finn, AIA
Vice President, BOWA
Learn more about Jimmy Finn
Posted by
BOWA Inc. on Tue, Jun 07, 2011 @ 04:29 PM
With less than a month to go, I’m kicking into high gear for my second year as Sponsorship Chair for the Autism Speaks July 4th 5K Run/1 Mile Walk, presented by BOWA. For the past ten years, the generous support of sponsors, donors and participants has made this event tremendously successful, contributing over $2 million to Autism Speaks.
With one in every 110 children affected by autism, and
one in every 70 boys, this national crisis is everyone’s cause.
The race attracts both competitive runners and families with children of all ages, and is a wonderful start to Independence Day. The local event kicks off at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, July 4, with a pre-race warm-up. Runners participating in the 5K will depart from the Potomac Library, 10101 Glenolden Drive, Potomac, MD 20854 at 8:00 a.m. followed by the one-mile walkers. Post-race activities will include food, music, prizes and fun for the whole family.
I hope you’ll consider getting involved. There is still plenty of time to register for Richie’s Racers Team BOWA, in honor of my son Richard. Whether you wish to become a donor, a participant or both, simply click here to join Richie’s Racers Team BOWA.
Not in town on July 4th? In its third year, the "Run Anywhere" initiative allows you to participate – either solo or as a group – wherever you might be for the holiday. Even if you’re joining us virtually, you can still sign up to be part of Richie’s Races Team BOWA to raise money for autism awareness.
Guest Blog Post by:
Steve Kirstein
Principal, BOWA
Learn more about Steve Kirstein
BOWA, the Greater Washington area’s leader in the design and construction of luxury renovations and additions and a fixture in the community for more than 23
years, believes strongly in supporting the organizations that touch our employees, clients and business partners. Following are a few examples of our recent involvement.
Autism Speaks July 4th 5K: BOWA's Steve Kirstein is pleased to again be Sponsorship Chair for the Autism Speaks 5K race, and BOWA will again be Presenting Sponsor. Autism Speaks is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization devoted to the cause.
New Dominion Women’s Club Spring Fling: BOWA's Pat Tetro was Chair of NDWC's 2011 Fashion Show and Luncheon, and BOWA was an event Gold Sponsor. NDWC of McLean is dedicated to enhancing the community through volunteer service, financial contributions and fellowship.
Architecture in Schools (AIS) - Alexandria: BOWA's Jimmy Finn, a registered architect, guided third grade students at Fort Hunt Elementary in building a model of China's Forbidden City. The AIS program enriches the learning experience and teaches children to
exercise their analytical and creative skills through the architectural design process.
Middleburg Boy Scouts Pinewood Derby: BOWA supplied lumber and pre-cut materials for 30 wooden display stands. The stands were packaged and delivered to a local scout troop in preparation for the big race.
Celebrate Great Falls Spring Festival: As part of this annual tradition, BOWA continues to support the Great Falls community by sponsoring this fun family event as a Gold Sponsor.
Numerous School Events: BOWA continues to support local public and private school events, including the Landon Azalea Festival; Holton-Arms, Norwood, Hill and Potomac Schools' Spring Galas; and the Langley and McLean High Schools' after-prom parties.
Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship: BOWA again contributed to the Dare to Dream Gala sponsored by NFTE. The DC chapter has reached over 22,700 students from low-income communities with entrepreneurship education programs since opening in 1994.
HomeAid Northern Virginia: BOWA recently led a team of partners and subcontractors in the complete renovation of a condo in Fairfax for the Northern Virginia Coalition, which serves homeless survivors of domestic abuse. The project was coordinated by HomeAid Northern Virginia.
If you have suggestion on how BOWA can make a difference in your community, please let us know.
BOWA and HomeAid Northern Virginia recently announced the completion of a renovation that will enable a previously-homeless family to have a new, safe and comfortable place to live. HomeAid Northern Virginia coordinates the building and renovating of homeless shelters, transitional houses, food banks, medical clinics, counseling centers, and other facilities that help homeless people.
BOWA led a team of partners and subcontractors in the complete renovation of a condominium in Fairfax for the Northern Virginia Coalition (NOVACO), which serves homeless survivors of domestic abuse, and HomeAid Northern Virginia. The two-bedroom unit, which had been repeatedly damaged by water, will be occupied by a mother and her two young children. The project, valued at $25,000, included a completely new kitchen, bathroom, flooring, carpets and other repairs.
"HomeAid truly opens your eyes to the needs of homeless people in our community," said John Monacci, board president, HomeAid Northern Virginia and senior vice president, Winchester Homes. "When local builders such as BOWA contribute time, manpower and materials to a HomeAid project, whether it’s remodeling an entire home or making space more usable at a multi-family shelter, they are helping families put their lives back together and plan for the future.
"We thank HomeAid Northern Virginia and BOWA for providing this incredible renovation," said Victoria Neeley, executive director, NOVACO. "The renovation has enabled us to provide a home for a family and keep them safe from abuse."
Posted by
BOWA Inc. on Thu, Dec 09, 2010 @ 10:57 AM
Each year, as the weather turns colder and the decorations start to appear, all of us at BOWA look forward to sponsoring and participating in the Christmas in Middleburg festivities.
This year’s event occurred Saturday, December 4th, 2010, and was attended by thousands who lined Washington Street in downtown Middleburg, VA, a charming historic town in Loudoun County. As is tradition, the event was kicked off by the Middleburg Hunt as their approximately 100 horses, riders in red coats and dozens of hounds came through the center of town. The parade which followed included local schools, businesses, organizations and social groups and featured decorated floats, dance and scout troops, lines of classic cars, plenty of horses, dogs and even Alpacas.
The BOWA Team was there represented by a number of employees and family members who built and decorated the “Santa’s Coming Down the Chimney” float, marched in the parade and served refreshments outside our local office at 201 E. Washington St. As an active member of the community, we were happy to take part in this wonderful tradition for the third year running. It is local event not to be missed and everyone who was there had a great day. Hope you’ll consider joining us next year to help kickoff the holiday season in classic style.
Here is a short video of some of the fun.
Guest Blog Post by:
Josh Baker
Founder, BOWA
Learn more about Josh Baker.
Posted by
BOWA Inc. on Mon, Oct 11, 2010 @ 10:52 AM
Earlier this year, BOWA launched a new company logo and updated our company gear to go with it. In part, the reason for the change was to help people understand that as a design build renovation contractor, we are more than just builders. Hence, BOWA Builders became BOWA. We think this is an important distinction since we specialize in both the design and construction of residential additions and renovations. Read more about our new logo and name change.
Not wanting anything to go to waste, BOWA collected all company clothing with the old logo that was still in wearable condition. Over 500 items were collected and once boxed and sorted, the charitable group Fashion Delivers connected us with Operation Compassion who paid to ship our boxes to their headquarters where it could be directed to help in the Haitian relief effort. BOWA is thrilled to be able to give back in this way.
Find the Thank You Letter from Fashion Delivers here: BOWA Charitible Gift Thank You Letter
Guest Blog Post by:
Juliana Ehrlich, SPHR
Human Resources Manager
