Friday, November 13, 2026
Gordon Springs
14276 Gordon Inn Ln, Purcellville, VA 20132
5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Cocktails | Dinner | Celebratory Awards | Auction
*Cocktail attire recommended

Sponsorships & Event Program Ads Available - contact Nicole at nicole@communityfoundationlf.org or click here.

In celebration of our mission to grow community giving, we present this year's honorees: Philanthropist of the Year, Changemaker of the Year, and Nonprofit Achievement Award. Each will have the opportunity to establish a $10,000 charitable endowment and recommend its charitable purpose. These funds will be stewarded by the Community Foundation with the generous support of our 2026 Endowment Sponsors.

Philanthropists of the Year | Mike and Teresa Wheeler

Michael and Teresa Wheeler have been named the Community Foundation’s 2026 Philanthropists of the Year in recognition of their extraordinary commitment to strengthening healthcare and enriching the lives of individuals and families throughout Loudoun County and Northern Virginia.

Successful entrepreneurs and dedicated community leaders, the Wheelers have made philanthropy a defining part of their legacy. Together, they have championed initiatives that expand access to healthcare, behavioral health services, education, and essential community resources while inspiring others to invest alongside them.

For more than a decade, the Wheelers have been among Inova’s most dedicated champions. Their philanthropy has supported transformative projects across the health system, including the Wheeler Family Emergency Department at Inova Loudoun Hospital, the expansion of the Mark and Brenda Moore Patient Tower at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, the Inova Virts Miller Family Emergency and Trauma Center, and Inova Cares for Behavioral Health at the Cornwall Campus, providing critical mental health services for uninsured, underinsured, and Medicaid patients. 

Their leadership has extended beyond philanthropy through service on the Inova Loudoun Hospital Board and the Inova Health Foundation. Mike served as a Trustee of the Inova Health Foundation from 2021 to 2023, helping prepare for the launch of Inova’s largest-ever fundraising campaign, Do. More. Together. Together, the Wheelers have also inspired others to invest in community health through matching challenges that accelerated support for lifesaving healthcare initiatives.

Teresa’s leadership with the Inova Loudoun Hospital Foundation included serving as trustee and vice chair while helping lead the successful Loudoun Rising campaign, which raised $21 million to advance community health. She also helped launch Inova’s Medical Music Therapy Program, now a systemwide initiative that has touched thousands of patients—from newborns in the NICU to those receiving end-of-life care. Her advocacy also expanded services for survivors of violence and abuse, helped establish Different Strokes for Different Folks, a choir for stroke survivors, and contributed to research demonstrating the benefits of music therapy in reducing pain.

Beyond healthcare, the Wheelers have quietly strengthened the region through the Wheeler Family Foundation and donor-advised philanthropy as a fund of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, supporting organizations focused on food insecurity, youth development, mental health, services for individuals with disabilities, veterans, education, and assistance for vulnerable families. 

Teresa also serves as a trustee of Morven Park and is an active member of 100WomenStrong, the Loudoun Impact Fund, the Loudoun Community Cabinet, and The HUB. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she founded LoCo Mask Makers, coordinating volunteers who produced more than 7,000 masks for frontline workers.

Together, Michael and Teresa have built a legacy defined by visionary leadership, generosity, and service. Their philanthropy has not only transformed healthcare but has also inspired a spirit of generosity throughout Loudoun County, encouraging others to invest in the well-being of their community. Their unwavering commitment to improving lives and strengthening the nonprofit community continues to create opportunities, foster hope, and leave a lasting impact for generations to come.

Changemaker of the Year | Al Van Huyck

Al Van Huyck has been active for more than 35 years as a volunteer, advocate, philanthropist, and changemaker. As a professional planner, Al contributed his knowledge, experience, and vision while serving on the Loudoun Planning Commission for six years, including as Chairman during the drafting of the 2002 General Plan for Loudoun County. Al served as a member of the of the Envision Loudoun Stakeholders Committee in the preparation of the Loudoun 2019 Comprehensive Plan. 

Al has been an active community leader and advocate for historic and environmental preservation in Loudoun County. He co-founded the Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition, whose members now include more than 50 organizations that share information, issues, and ideas while working together to find new ways to preserve and protect Loudoun’s unique history, scenic beauty, and natural resources. In 2024, Al organized the Loudoun Cemetery Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring historic cemeteries and graves through public information, training, research, and restoration grants.

In 2020, Al and his wife, Betty, established the Van Huyck Chockley Family Foundation, a donor advised fund of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties that provides grants to Loudoun nonprofits working to preserve history and protect the environment. Additionally, its grantmaking invites the extended Van Huyck and Chockley family members to each select grants annually for a charity of their choice, giving as a family. Overall, the Foundation specializes in grants for small nonprofits to assist them in achieving their mission. The Foundation has granted more than $480,000 since its inception.

Al has been recognized for his many contributions to Loudoun County. With his trademark sense of humor, Al notes that “the one exception has been the voters of Loudoun County who have twice said no to my election to the Board of Supervisors.” His recognitions include the Heritage Heroes Award from the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association; the Loudoun History Award from the Friends of Thomas Balch Library; the Friend of the Mountain Award from the Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains; Preservationist of the Year in 2013 by the Loudoun Preservation Society; and Loudoun Laureate in 2018.

Al and his wife and children bought their farm in Loudoun County in 1969 and became residents in 1990 when he retired from his international consulting firm. He attended Dartmouth College, where he majored in sociology, and earned a master’s degree in urban and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina. He served in the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps.

Nonprofit Achievement Award | Loudoun Education Foundation

The Loudoun Education Foundation is a nonprofit that helps Loudoun County Public Schools students and educators do their best work. Working alongside LCPS, local businesses, community organizations and donors, Loudoun Education brings resources and opportunities to public schools that strengthen classrooms and help every student thrive. 

Since 1991, Loudoun Education Foundation has served as a vital bridge between Loudoun's schools and the broader community, investing in programs that meet real needs and open doors for students. From classroom grants that empower teachers to bring creative lessons to life, to expanded access to STEM and hands-on learning, Loudoun Education Foundation helps students learn, explore and prepare for what comes next. 

The past five years have brought some of Loudoun Education Foundation's most significant growth. It reimagined its student food security program, Fueled, with a focus on giving families dignity and choice. In addition to providing weekend meal bags for students at 40 schools, Loudoun Education Foundation opened 20 in-school pantries stocked with food and hygiene essentials, partnered with a local organic farm to add fresh produce, and began providing snacks for school-wide tutoring sessions, an effort that has been linked to improved test scores. 

In that same time, Loudoun Education Foundation has become a recognized leader in workforce development. Its team brings industry leaders to the table early to talk with educators about where careers are headed, insight that shapes curriculum and helps LCPS match student interests with the jobs Loudoun's workforce needs. Loudoun Education Foundation has helped launch career-focused programs such as the Health and Medical Science Academy and Summer in the Trades, and it prepares younger learners for tougher coursework through after-school programs like PROPEL and Level Up. 

At the heart of Loudoun Education Foundation's work is a simple belief: when a community invests in its schools, everyone benefits. As Loudoun County continues to grow, LEF remains committed to building stronger schools and a brighter future for the whole community.

Each year, the Community Foundation features an auction of local tourism and hospitality experiences unique to Loudoun and Northern Fauquier, to raise funds for our work supporting local nonprofits, grantmaking to address community needs, and building permanent endowment for the benefit of our community, forever.

To donate a local experience package or learn more, contact Joanne Trimmer at joanne@communityfoundationlf.org.

Investor Sponsors

Claude Moore Charitable Foundation

Cerity Partners 

Amazon

Impact Sponsors

Lark Brewing Co.

Toth Financial 

Gordon Springs

Moon Bounce Media

Simply Fresh Events 

Endowment Sponsors

Backflow Technology 

Major Family Foundation 

Tony Nerantzis and Associates of Raymond James

President's Sponsors

Loudoun Now

May Family Foundation 

Sustainer Sponsors

Arundel Enterprises

The Curtis Group

Empower Charitable 

Potomac Bank

StoneSprings Hospital Center, HCAVa Health System

Loudoun Times-Mirror

Gordon Springs

Supporter Sponsors

The Adgate Family

ARM Consulting 

Inova

Loudoun Chamber of Commerce

You've Got Maids of Northern Virginia

Country Zest & Style 

Wine Sponsor

Walsh Family Wine

Interested in sponsoring Roots & Legacies 2026? Contact Nicole at nicole@communityfoundationlf.org or view our Corporate Sponsor Package here.

About the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties

Founded in 1999 by local volunteers, the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the mission to grow community giving in Loudoun and northern Fauquier counties through grantmaking, partnerships, and leadership work. Since its inception, the Community Foundation has granted more than $23 million into the community through 150+ unique grantmaking funds. Last year, the Community Foundation granted more than $4.48 million to more than 300 nonprofit organizations, and provided training and capacity building opportunities to more than 230 local nonprofit leaders serving organizations in our footprint. Donors who include the Community Foundation in their philanthropic vision benefit from personalized donor fund services, low fees, knowledgeable staff, and assurance that legal and accounting issues are managed under one cost-effective banner: the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.  Learn more about our mission:  www.communityfoundationlf.org

About Roots & Legacies

Established as our signature event in 2023, the Community Foundation invites the community to join in Roots & Legacies each year during National Philanthropy Week to celebrate local philanthropy, giving back, and our nonprofit community.

Past Roots & Legacies Honorees

2025

Philanthropists of the Year | Jim and Rebecca McDermott

Changemaker of the Year |  Fr. Daniel Vélez-Rivera

Nonprofit Achievement Award |  Morven Park

2024

Philanthropist of the Year | Carol Barbe

Changemaker of the Year |  J Hamilton Lambert

Nonprofit Achievement Award |  Women Giving Back

2023

Philanthropist of the Year | Karen Schaufeld

Changemaker of the Year | Angela Mitchell

Nonprofit Achievement Award | Loudoun Hunger Relief