By Danielle Matta

On Sunday, October 6th, from noon to 5 p.m., the non-profit charity organization Dream Bigger 4 Kids (DB4K) joined soon-to-be-opened coffee shop Bean Bar to host an awareness and fundraising event uniquely named a Stomp-a-thon. The event was held at Bean Bar in the Village of Leesburg, where the local community came together to write their fears on the unpaved floors and raise money for local charity organizations.

The idea of a Stomp-a-thon originated from the owner of the new coffee shop, Sohini Gupta, who wanted to relieve the community of their fears by allowing any passerby to write them on the floor of Bean Bar and then participate in “stomping” on their written handiwork. Later, the floor will be paved, and all of Leesburg’s worries will be buried beneath.

Bean Bar provided refreshments for the volunteers and participants, allowing the community a sneak-peek of what to expect when the cafe opens on November 16th. It will serve high quality coffee and beverages, as well as a menu that changes throughout the day.

The Stomp-a-thon received a positive response from the community — over 150 people participated and almost $1000 was raised.

“Our main goal was to increase our awareness, and I feel that we were 100% successful,” said senior Edward Hill, president of DB4K. Due to the encouraging turnout in October, Hill plans on collaborating with Bean Bar again once it opens.

Although the event was free, all accepted donations went to Dream Bigger 4 Kids, whose mission is to better the lives of underprivileged children locally and around the world. The organization started two years ago as a club at Tuscarora High School. It was founded by Tuscarora graduates Nathan Huet and Michael O’Mara and seniors Neeraj Dalvi and Hill. Many executives of the organization attend Tuscarora, as well as some of the numerous volunteers that help out at events and fundraisers.

The proceeds from the event were used the following Monday, when DB4K volunteers and officers shopped for Christmas gifts for the Embry Rucker Community Shelter, a residential shelter in Reston, and bought supplies for the Mobile Hope program, which supports local homeless and at-risk youth. The wrapping of the donations was televised on ABC 7.

Special thanks to DB4K Volunteer Coordinator, junior Akash Bhatthal, for providing information about the event.