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Keeping Page County Healthy & Drug-Free

HEALTHY  HABITS

Good health makes us feel better and live longer. What you do each and every day impacts your health and quality of life, now and in the future.

Learn more

SUBSTANCE  MISUSE

Substance misuse affects individuals, families – the entire community. The result is often social, physical, mental, and public health problems, particularly in young people.

Learn more

COMMUNITY  PROGRAMS

Substance misuse prevention, physical activities, nutritional education and many other programs support healthy life choices for youth and families and a better community.

Learn more

HEALTHY  HABITS

Good health makes us feel better and live longer. What you do each and every day impacts your health and quality of life, now and in the future.

SUBSTANCE  MISUSE

Substance misuse affects individuals, families – the entire community. The result is often social, physical, mental, and public health problems.

COMMUNITY  PROGRAMS

Substance misuse prevention, physical activities, nutritional education and other programs support youth and families.

Lucky Ducks


July 4th on the Greenway in Luray includes community, food trucks, live music, games, and DUCKS! PACA's Duck Race, in partnership with the Town of Luray, has become an annual tradition. With the addition of the "Day of Sales" Race, PACA sends over 2000 plastic ducks racing down the Hawksbill in two heats: the Presale Race at 6:30 pm and the Day of Sales Race at 8:00 pm. Locals and visitors crowd the banks to cheer on their number one duck!




This year, youth from the West Luray Recreation Center joined the YPACAs in manning the inflatables, handing out prevention materials, and explaining our demo items to visitors. Such participation empowers our youth to share their knowledge and become informed community partners!




Congratulations to our Duck Race winners!

Pre-Sale Race:

1st-961 Christi Baker 

2nd-214 John Lee 

3rd-470 Renee and Casey Bryant 


Day of Race:

1st-970 Dom Coughlin 

2nd-345 Peter Pavco

3rd-85 Mindy Stephens



Picked! in Page


If only there were a central place to locate information about local farmers' markets, community gardens, and programming which supports food sustainability. And, if only this place connected those seeking quality, organic, whole foods, with backyard gardeners, farmers, and community organizations...Dream no more! Such a place DOES exist!

Picked! in Page, is a website created to do, well, all of the above...and then some!  According to the website, "Picked! uses food based programing and entrepreneur activities to bring healthy food to neighborhoods through farm market opportunities, community supported agriculture (CSA), cooperative partnerships, community gardens, and hoping one-day mobile outlets." 

Picked! goals include connecting the community with affordable fresh food options and establishing itself as a hub for food education and support. The site includes information about upcoming events within the community gardens, garden locations, and even recipes for using the specific produce grown within our community gardens.

Exciting, right? Fresh food should be accessible to everyone. Picked! is working to make this possible. To learn more, visit: https://www.pickedinpage.com .






Community Run: Earth Day Fun!

On Saturday, April 22nd, the community convened on the Greenway for the annual Earth Day 1K and 5K races. Families, local running clubs, running enthusiasts, and first timers filled the greenspace. In total, over 140 participants ran or walked in celebration of Earth Day and in support of PACA.


Funding from Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth allows all all elementary and middle school age students to run for free. We thank our volunteers, participants, and supporters, the Town of Luray Parks & Rec and the Luray Police Department, and our sponsors: Valley Eye Clinic, Holsinger Investments, LD&B Insurance, K3 Kares, Valley Health, VA Med, PCEA, Cancer Support Community, Quit Now VA, MasonitePage One, and A Moment of Magic from JMU.


Landon Horn was the first runner to complete the 1K with a time of 1:44. Addilyn Monger received recognition as the first place female runner. Additional times for the 1K can be found HERE.

Jadon Huffman, overall winner of the 5K, finished with a time of 19:34. Additional times can be found HERE.





A Moment of Magic, a group from JMU, provided the special guest characters.
Photos courtesy of Wendy Johnson


Polar Burst Polar Plunge


The 2023 PACA Polar Bear Plunge include a new attraction, the Polar Burst, our pitch burst contraption, loaded with ice cold water balloons that, with the perfect pitch, sent freezing cold water raining on our gracious volunteers including Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan Cave and Page County Treasurer Penny Gray. Local officials took the "cold seat" in good fun while spectators paid to try their luck.




Over 40 participants took the plunge into the 42 degree lake, vying to grab a coveted snowflake from one of the two floating icebergs. Air temperatures remained in the low 40s with delightful sunshine and only a slight breeze. Prizes included a free round of golf, gift cards from local shops, and a family four pack of tickets to a Washington Nationals' game. A "Best Costume" prize was also awarded with Chucky slaying the competition (but only figuratively, of course).



 

This was the 5th annual Polar Bear Plunge which continued virtually during the pandemic. PACA friends and guests will return to Lake Arrowhead in August for the 2nd annual Cardboard Boat Regatta. See you there!

Thank you to our dedicated sponsors:

  • Blue Ridge Education Association
  • Cancer Support Community
  • Holsinger Investment Advisors, LLC
  • K3 Kares
  • LD&B Insurance and Financial Services
  • Main Street Bakery & Catering
  • Masonite
  • Page County Education Association
  • Quit Now Virginia
  • The Rotary Club of Luray
  • Turner's Body Shop, Inc.
  • VAMed
  • Valley Health






Quinones Returns for Dreamland


On February 7th, journalist and bestselling author, Sam Quinones returned to Page County to discuss the Young Adult Adaptation of Dreamland with Luray and Page County High School students. Dreamland discusses the nation's opioid crisis and the science of addiction through stories of those with lived experience. 

Students read the book as part of their Advisory curriculum this year. Books were provided by Page County Public Schools. Quinones' visit was funded by a Virginia ABC Education and Prevention Grant. 


photo by Amanda Loman, 2022. Used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 License.





Community Spirit Floats Our Boat!




Cardboard, duct tape, spray paint and a whole lot of hope went into the 9 entries at the first ever PACA Cardboard Boat Regatta. The "Float Your Boat" cardboard boat race drew 100 spectators and 18 crew members to the warms sands of Lake Arrowhead beach on Saturday, August 6th. Several of the boats were built by Page County Public Schools' students in the Summer Environmental Science Enrichment Camp. 

While some boats rounded the buoys with little difficulty, others, including  the Banana Boat (winner of the Titanic "Most Epic Sink" award) experienced some engineering malfunctions.

Logan Atkins, Town of Luray employee, won his race and returned to win the championship heat as well. He and his dad spent seven hours over three days perfecting his boat the "Lake Arrowhead." Logan attributed the design's success to three layers of cardboard coated in spray-paint. Rumor has it that the "Lake Arrowhead" will return next year to face its new competition. 




Race and category winners received a $50 cash prize. "The Lunch Lady," Jonna McFadden, won "The Pride of the Regatta" award for her Lunch Lady costume and Watermelon pontoon style boat. "Mr. Duck" won both its heat and the "Team Spirit Award." "SS Minnow" won its heat, and the "SS Jesse J" earned "Best Costume" for her sailor inspired style.




Proceeds benefitted PACA and community partner, Town of Luray offered free swimming in the lake for the remainder of a most perfect weather day. Spectators also enjoyed lunch for purchase from El Amigo food truck.

The event proved that a bit of ingenuity and creativity can create a whole lot of fun. Thanks to our participants, spectators, prize sponsors: Skyline Paint and Hardware, Pettit Paving, and Syntelligent Analytic Solutions; Town of Luray, the Parks & Recreation Staff, and The Luray Rescue Squad!






Page County Porch Visits: A Best Practice


Page County's Porch Visitors program, funded by No Kid Hungry, a collaboration between PACA and PCPS’ Nutrition Services provides almost 70 families with youth under 18 with food and additional resources. The community partners learned about the program through No Kid Hungry’s Program Innovation team.  Virginia Jeffries explains, "We were an existing grantee at the time and they knew we were doing door-to-door deliveries. They reached out to share this concept and asked if we were interested." 




According to Center For Best Practices and Nokidhungry.org, "Porch Visits is a No Kid Hungry pilot program that pairs meal delivery with home visits to holistically meet families’ needs. The program began during COVID as a way to understand and address the challenges families experiencing economic insecurity faced with children home from school, but has turned out to be a highly successful model for meeting the needs of families, even as in-person learning has returned and the effects of the pandemic have waned. Through conversations and relationships developed during weekly visits, Porch Visitors are able to identify and respond to the needs of each family, providing one-on-one assistance." 




PACA Program Director Megan Gordon explains, “The school system is a huge community partner. We also partner with Healthy Families, a local organization working with households that have children 0 to 5, as well as the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and Page One Food Bank where we receive food at lower or no cost." Meals are prepared by PCPS Nutrition Services Staff.  The program also provides other necessities such as diapers, and, as Gordon explains, “for the holidays, we purchase special items such as turkeys and ham to supplement what was donated.”





Lucky Ducks


July 4th on the Greenway in Luray includes community, food trucks, live music, games, and DUCKS! PACA's Duck Race, in partnership with the Town of Luray, has become an annual tradition. With the addition of the "Day of Sales" Race, PACA sends over 2000 plastic ducks racing down the Hawksbill in two heats: the Presale Race at 6:30 pm and the Day of Sales Race at 8:00 pm. Locals and visitors crowd the banks to cheer on their number one duck!




This year, youth from the West Luray Recreation Center joined the YPACAs in manning the inflatables, handing out prevention materials, and explaining our demo items to visitors. Such participation empowers our youth to share their knowledge and become informed community partners!




Congratulations to our Duck Race winners!

Pre-Sale Race:

1st-961 Christi Baker 

2nd-214 John Lee 

3rd-470 Renee and Casey Bryant 


Day of Race:

1st-970 Dom Coughlin 

2nd-345 Peter Pavco

3rd-85 Mindy Stephens



Picked! in Page


If only there were a central place to locate information about local farmers' markets, community gardens, and programming which supports food sustainability. And, if only this place connected those seeking quality, organic, whole foods, with backyard gardeners, farmers, and community organizations...Dream no more! Such a place DOES exist!

Picked! in Page, is a website created to do, well, all of the above...and then some!  According to the website, "Picked! uses food based programing and entrepreneur activities to bring healthy food to neighborhoods through farm market opportunities, community supported agriculture (CSA), cooperative partnerships, community gardens, and hoping one-day mobile outlets." 

Picked! goals include connecting the community with affordable fresh food options and establishing itself as a hub for food education and support. The site includes information about upcoming events within the community gardens, garden locations, and even recipes for using the specific produce grown within our community gardens.

Exciting, right? Fresh food should be accessible to everyone. Picked! is working to make this possible. To learn more, visit: https://www.pickedinpage.com .






Community Run: Earth Day Fun!

On Saturday, April 22nd, the community convened on the Greenway for the annual Earth Day 1K and 5K races. Families, local running clubs, running enthusiasts, and first timers filled the greenspace. In total, over 140 participants ran or walked in celebration of Earth Day and in support of PACA.


Funding from Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth allows all all elementary and middle school age students to run for free. We thank our volunteers, participants, and supporters, the Town of Luray Parks & Rec and the Luray Police Department, and our sponsors: Valley Eye Clinic, Holsinger Investments, LD&B Insurance, K3 Kares, Valley Health, VA Med, PCEA, Cancer Support Community, Quit Now VA, MasonitePage One, and A Moment of Magic from JMU.


Landon Horn was the first runner to complete the 1K with a time of 1:44. Addilyn Monger received recognition as the first place female runner. Additional times for the 1K can be found HERE.

Jadon Huffman, overall winner of the 5K, finished with a time of 19:34. Additional times can be found HERE.





A Moment of Magic, a group from JMU, provided the special guest characters.
Photos courtesy of Wendy Johnson


Polar Burst Polar Plunge


The 2023 PACA Polar Bear Plunge include a new attraction, the Polar Burst, our pitch burst contraption, loaded with ice cold water balloons that, with the perfect pitch, sent freezing cold water raining on our gracious volunteers including Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan Cave and Page County Treasurer Penny Gray. Local officials took the "cold seat" in good fun while spectators paid to try their luck.




Over 40 participants took the plunge into the 42 degree lake, vying to grab a coveted snowflake from one of the two floating icebergs. Air temperatures remained in the low 40s with delightful sunshine and only a slight breeze. Prizes included a free round of golf, gift cards from local shops, and a family four pack of tickets to a Washington Nationals' game. A "Best Costume" prize was also awarded with Chucky slaying the competition (but only figuratively, of course).



 

This was the 5th annual Polar Bear Plunge which continued virtually during the pandemic. PACA friends and guests will return to Lake Arrowhead in August for the 2nd annual Cardboard Boat Regatta. See you there!

Thank you to our dedicated sponsors:

  • Blue Ridge Education Association
  • Cancer Support Community
  • Holsinger Investment Advisors, LLC
  • K3 Kares
  • LD&B Insurance and Financial Services
  • Main Street Bakery & Catering
  • Masonite
  • Page County Education Association
  • Quit Now Virginia
  • The Rotary Club of Luray
  • Turner's Body Shop, Inc.
  • VAMed
  • Valley Health






Quinones Returns for Dreamland


On February 7th, journalist and bestselling author, Sam Quinones returned to Page County to discuss the Young Adult Adaptation of Dreamland with Luray and Page County High School students. Dreamland discusses the nation's opioid crisis and the science of addiction through stories of those with lived experience. 

Students read the book as part of their Advisory curriculum this year. Books were provided by Page County Public Schools. Quinones' visit was funded by a Virginia ABC Education and Prevention Grant. 


photo by Amanda Loman, 2022. Used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 License.





Community Spirit Floats Our Boat!




Cardboard, duct tape, spray paint and a whole lot of hope went into the 9 entries at the first ever PACA Cardboard Boat Regatta. The "Float Your Boat" cardboard boat race drew 100 spectators and 18 crew members to the warms sands of Lake Arrowhead beach on Saturday, August 6th. Several of the boats were built by Page County Public Schools' students in the Summer Environmental Science Enrichment Camp. 

While some boats rounded the buoys with little difficulty, others, including  the Banana Boat (winner of the Titanic "Most Epic Sink" award) experienced some engineering malfunctions.

Logan Atkins, Town of Luray employee, won his race and returned to win the championship heat as well. He and his dad spent seven hours over three days perfecting his boat the "Lake Arrowhead." Logan attributed the design's success to three layers of cardboard coated in spray-paint. Rumor has it that the "Lake Arrowhead" will return next year to face its new competition. 




Race and category winners received a $50 cash prize. "The Lunch Lady," Jonna McFadden, won "The Pride of the Regatta" award for her Lunch Lady costume and Watermelon pontoon style boat. "Mr. Duck" won both its heat and the "Team Spirit Award." "SS Minnow" won its heat, and the "SS Jesse J" earned "Best Costume" for her sailor inspired style.




Proceeds benefitted PACA and community partner, Town of Luray offered free swimming in the lake for the remainder of a most perfect weather day. Spectators also enjoyed lunch for purchase from El Amigo food truck.

The event proved that a bit of ingenuity and creativity can create a whole lot of fun. Thanks to our participants, spectators, prize sponsors: Skyline Paint and Hardware, Pettit Paving, and Syntelligent Analytic Solutions; Town of Luray, the Parks & Recreation Staff, and The Luray Rescue Squad!






Page County Porch Visits: A Best Practice


Page County's Porch Visitors program, funded by No Kid Hungry, a collaboration between PACA and PCPS’ Nutrition Services provides almost 70 families with youth under 18 with food and additional resources. The community partners learned about the program through No Kid Hungry’s Program Innovation team.  Virginia Jeffries explains, "We were an existing grantee at the time and they knew we were doing door-to-door deliveries. They reached out to share this concept and asked if we were interested." 




According to Center For Best Practices and Nokidhungry.org, "Porch Visits is a No Kid Hungry pilot program that pairs meal delivery with home visits to holistically meet families’ needs. The program began during COVID as a way to understand and address the challenges families experiencing economic insecurity faced with children home from school, but has turned out to be a highly successful model for meeting the needs of families, even as in-person learning has returned and the effects of the pandemic have waned. Through conversations and relationships developed during weekly visits, Porch Visitors are able to identify and respond to the needs of each family, providing one-on-one assistance." 




PACA Program Director Megan Gordon explains, “The school system is a huge community partner. We also partner with Healthy Families, a local organization working with households that have children 0 to 5, as well as the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and Page One Food Bank where we receive food at lower or no cost." Meals are prepared by PCPS Nutrition Services Staff.  The program also provides other necessities such as diapers, and, as Gordon explains, “for the holidays, we purchase special items such as turkeys and ham to supplement what was donated.”





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Shenandoah Valley Productions LLC

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Shenandoah Valley Productions LLC