Our 2023 Florida Citrus Fruit Sale is now in the planning stages.

We expect to be set up at our usual location in front of the Dulles Crossings Chick-fil-A in the My Guys Moving Truck from Thursday, November 30 through Sunday, December 3, 2023 with Hours of operation between 9:00 AM & 5:00 PM While Supplies Last.

The types of fruit and their prices have not yet been determined, as that is subject to Mother Nature, and the ripeness and quantity of the fruit available at that time.  

Watch this site for more details as we will update it as we firm up the plans for this event.  Also watch your mailbox and e-mail box if you are on one of our mailing lists, and have not changed your contact addresses, as we will be sending out notices again this year.  If you would like to be added to our mailing lists, please forward your request to us at SterlingLions@verizon.net by following this link.  

This annual event funds our enVisionLoudoun eye care for the those in need here in Eastern Loudoun County, Virginia.

Thanks to all who have helped make our Florida Citrus Fruit Sales a tremendous success! Especially our faithful customers, #MyGuysMoving, #ChickFilA, #DullesCrossings and Florida Indian River Groves for their continued support!  

WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT THIS YEAR!

The 2024 Sterling Lions Entry Level Contest is just now in the planning stages.  Check back here often, as we will be posting developments as they become available.  We Hope to have all the details published by early December 2023.  

 In the meantime, here are some of the details about our 2023 Contest.   

We had 13 Contestants in total, Eight in the Instrumental Category and Five in the Vocal Category.  We are happy to announce that our Instrumental Winner at this Club Level Contest went on to Represent Northern Virginia at the State Level Contest in May 2023, and Jessica Chen took Second Place Honors at that State Level Contest.  

Out of the eight Instrumental Competitors, we had seven pianists, and one violinist.  On the Vocal side of the contest, we had two Sopranos, two Altos and one Mezzo-Soprano. They were all a very talented group of students representing the ages of 9 through 18.

THE WINNERS

Pictured from Left to Right: 1st Place Instrumentalist:  Jessica Chen: 1st Place Vocalist:  Kala J Greene; Sterling Lions Bland Contest Chairman: Lion Michael Winthrop; Sterling Lions Club President: Lion Cindy Berg; 2nd Place Vocalist:  Ani P Dykes; and 2nd Place Instrumentalist:  Anna Elizabeth Bray

More about our winners: 

The 1^st Place Instrumentalist; Jessica Chen is a student at Thomas Jefferson School for Science & Technology and is a music student of Ms. Lisa Emanheiser Sarratt.  She performed Freidrich Chopin’s Piano “Ballade No. 1 in G Minor Opus 23”.  She went on to take 2nd Place at the State Level in May 2023.  

Our 1^st Place Vocalist ; Kala J Greene, a Soprano, is a student at Rock Ridge High School and studies music under Choral Director Jordan Markwood.  She performed “I don’t need a roof, from Big Fish, the Musical” by Andrew Lippa.  She was accompanied on the piano by Mr. Arjun Tarafdar.  

Our 2^nd Place Vocalist, Alto, Ani P Dykes is a student at Potomac High School and studies under Ms. Tina Smothers.  The composition she performed was “Love in the Dark” by Adele. 

The 2^nd Place Instrumentalist, Pianist, Anna Elizabeth Bray, a student at the Trinity Schoolat Meadowview, and studies under Mr. Alexander Shtarkman.  She performed Maurice Ravel’s “Gaspard de la Muit, I: Ondine”. 

The 2^nd place contestants will serve as understudies, and step in, should the 1^st Place Winners not be able to perform at the next level of this progressive competition.  At this entry level contest, our first place winners each received a $100 prize, and the 2^nd place contestants each received $50.00. Prizes continue to increase as the contestants progress up into the competition towards the State Championship. 

OUR OTHER CONTESTANTS

Our Contestants and Contest Organizers, from Left to Right:  Alto Ani P Dykes (2^nd Place Vocalist), Pianist Ellin Kwak, Pianist Sophia Lin, Soprano Kala J Greene (1^st Place Vocalist), Mezza-Soprano Karis Young, Pianist Derek Nguyen, Bland Contest Chairman Lion Michael Winthrop, Soprano Sloane E White, Sterling Lions President Lion Cindy Berg, Pianist Karissa Lin, Pianist Anna Elizabeth Bray (2^nd Place Instrumentalist), Pianist Jessica Chin (1^st Place Instrumentalist), Alto Angelina Rubi Cisneros, Violinist Geoffrey R Yuan, and Pianist Ethan Min-Woo Chung. 

JUDGES

Katie Katinas is a lyric soprano, who has been singing professionally in the Washington area since 1993. She received her Bachelor of Music at Catholic University and her Master of Music at the University of Maryland. Ms. Katinas has sang with The Washington Singers, an 18 member professional singing ensemble under the baton of Paul Hill. She toured with The Creative Opera Ensemble performing operas in local schools and other venues including The National Theater and Wolf Trap. Ms. Katinas was a member of the Washington National Opera for 18 years and has been a soloist with The Alexandria Chorale, The New Dominion Chorale and The Washington Choral Ensemble. Ms. Katinas has a private voice studio in Bethesda. She is delighted to participate as a judge in this competition

Steve Lovecchio, originally from Rochester, NY, received his Bachelors of Music Education and Masters of Education at George Mason University where he studied classical saxophone with Navy Band principle saxophonist, Dale Underwood.  He has also studied jazz saxophone with Mike Tomaro and Jim Carroll during his time at George Mason University.  For over 25 years he has and performed in various ensembles in the DC/Northern Virginia including the Capitol Wind Symphony, The Doc Dikeman Big Band, The Hot Lanes Big Band, Jazzworxx, and Doc Scantlin and the Imperial Palms Orchestra.  His performances have taken him all over the United States as well as Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico. He is currently a band director for Fairfax County Public Schools. 

THE 2023 STERLING LIONS CLUB'S JAMES A BLAND MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION WAS HELD ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2023 AT 1:00 PM IN THE SANTUARY OF THE COMMUNITY LUTHERAN CHURCH IN STERLING, VA.  

 For more information:  contact Lion Mike Winthrop at:  SterlingLions@verizon.net or call and leave a message on our Help Line:  (703)723-0077

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Contestants were judged in two categories:  INSTRUMENTAL & VOCAL

As in the Past, The Winners of each category of the Club Level Competition will advance to the next level competition to compete against the winners of other Lions Clubs Entry Level Contests being held in other areas of Northern Virginia.  Winners of the second and subsequent levels will face off at the District Competition at the Lyceum in Alexandria on April 16, 2023 followed by the State Competition in Bristol, Virginia on Friday, April 28, 2023. 

If for some reason, the First Place Contestant at any level cannot perform on the date of the subsequent Contests, the Second Place Contestant will fill that slot.  The Club Level Contest is the first stage and entry point of the Annual Competition.  The Contest was open to all School Aged Students who are Virginia Residents, in K through 12 grade levels at Public and Private Schools or being Home Schooled. 

CONTESTANTS MAY ENTER ONLY ONE CLUB LEVEL CONTEST EACH YEAR, AND PREVIOUS STATE LEVEL WINNERS ARE NOT ELEGIBLE TO COMPETE AGAIN. 

THE RULES AND PRIZE LEVELS CAN BE FOUND ON THE BLAND FOUNDATION'S WEB-PAGE BY CLICKING BELOW  

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