In January 2006, Dodi Myers, Kathy Elder and Sherry Baer met at Dodi's kitchen table several times a week. They had pots of coffee and a stack of brochures from similar clubs in other communities. They printed flyers and brought the idea to "Ladies Night Out" at Dominion Valley Country Club on January 17, 2006, to see if anyone was interested. On March 7, thirty-three women came to an organizational meeting in the Bayhill model home.
The group timed its first luncheon to the Regency Club's grand opening. On April 6, 2006, nearly 100 Regency women filled the new clubhouse dining room for the first large event held there.
Twenty years later, the Regency Women's Club still runs much of its year from that clubhouse. Its fall 2026 calendar works like a delivery route. Each date moves something specific, such as snack packs, coats, blood or cash, from Championship Drive to a named organization a few miles away.
The First-Year Plan Is Still the Fall Schedule
In the club's first year, the women ran a Haymarket bake sale in September, a fashion show in October and a Holiday Home Tour in December. Their community service work included a blood drive with Inova Blood Donor Services and support for SERVE.
All three of those threads are on the calendar again this fall. Inova is bringing its bloodmobile to the clubhouse lot, the coat drive sends donations to SERVE, and the Holiday Home Tour returns on a Sunday in December.
The scale is different now. At the 20th-anniversary luncheon on April 2, 2026, the club said it had grown from 30 members to a high of 220. It also said it had raised nearly $1,000,000 for charities and scholarships over two decades. At the anniversary, eight of the club's ten past presidents received rose bouquets. Sherry Baer, a founder and the second president, sent her appreciation from Arizona.
Enriched by Friendship, Dedicated to Service
That motto came up again at the anniversary. This year's schedule shows what it means in practice.
October, Date by Date
The season started on September 3. More than 100 new and returning members came to the first luncheon of the year. October is the busiest stretch so far, and nearly every event happens at or next to the clubhouse.
| Date | Event | Where | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu., Oct. 1, 11:30 a.m. | RWC Luncheon with Decorating Den designer Maria Loveless | Regency clubhouse | Snack collection for Crossroads Connection |
| Tue., Oct. 20, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. | Fall Blood Drive with Inova Blood Donor Services | Bloodmobile in the Regency Clubhouse parking lot, 15351 Championship Dr. | Inova's blood supply |
| Oct. 24 to 30 | Coats for Kids drive | Regency community | SERVE and Boxes of Basics |
| Mon., Oct. 26, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. | Bingo | Club fundraiser | 2026–27 fundraising, which benefits Women Giving Back |
The October 1 luncheon is tomorrow. Reservations have closed, but the club's site says members are still welcome at the 1:00 p.m. program and the 1:30 p.m. business meeting. Social time starts at 11:30 a.m. and lunch at noon. The program is home decor tips from Maria Loveless. The site also reminds members to wear name tags and to bring their Club card if they plan to buy a drink at the bar.
Each luncheon also has a raffle, and those proceeds go to the Dodi Myers Scholarship Fund. The fund is named for the woman whose kitchen table started the club. In its June 4, 2026 year-end report, the club listed four $2,500 awards. Two went to Battlefield High School seniors and two went to second-year nursing students at Northern Virginia Community College.
The coat drive asks for new coats, scarves, hats and gloves for both children and adults, despite the "Coats for Kids" name. The club's homepage still shows an old banner for an October 24–30, 2020 coat drive. The 2026 flyer has this year's dates.
Who Is on the Receiving End
The October 1 snack request is very specific because the snacks have a specific use. Hattie Thurman, the club's community services chair, asked members for individual packets of:
- Goldfish
- Ramen noodles
- Fruit cups
- Microwavable macaroni and cheese
These go to Crossroads Connection, which sends weekend food home with food-insecure students in Gainesville and Haymarket. Its impact panel lists 470 children at 20 schools for the 2025–2026 program. Crossroads Connection is a 501(c)(3) ministry of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church at 14241 John Marshall Highway in Gainesville. Single-serving items fit a program that packs food for a child to take home for the weekend.
This year's fundraisers support Women Giving Back. The club describes the charity as providing free, quality clothing for women and children in crisis. According to Women Giving Back's own site, case managers and social workers qualify the clients, and many of them live in shelters or transitional programs. They receive donated clothing, shoes, accessories and other essentials at no cost. The organization is based at 20 Export Drive in Sterling. At the September 3 luncheon, Women Giving Back development coordinator Hailey Joyce told members about the group's work with women in crisis across the DMV.
The last club year shows how big these checks get. The June 4, 2026 report says Gracing Spaces and Northern Virginia Family Services each received $10,000 from 2025–2026 fundraising. On July 22, 2026, the club's back-to-school project brought Northern Virginia Family Services $16,750 in checks and supplies, including 158 backpacks. The summer backpack project gave more than either of last year's main fundraising checks.
The December Date That Still Needs Homes
The Holiday Home Tour first appeared in December 2006, the club's first year. This year, the Holiday Home Tour and Sweet Shop is on Sunday, December 13, 2026.
The club is still looking for homes. It has asked Regency residents who are willing to open their homes to come forward, and it welcomes displays of Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa traditions. Hours, ticket prices and the route have not been posted yet. Anyone planning to attend or host should check with the club directly.
The tour is the one fall event that depends on private homes instead of the clubhouse. Every other date on the calendar happens in a shared space. The tour only works if enough households agree to host, and the club's notice says it does not have enough yet.
Joining for the 2026–27 Season
Membership is open to all women in the Regency at Dominion Valley community. Annual dues are $30. Print the 2026–2027 form from the club's site and bring it with a check payable to "Regency Women's Club" to a luncheon, or mail it to RWC, PO Box 145, Haymarket, VA 20168. The membership table is open at luncheon social time, including tomorrow's.
Committees meet in the clubhouse on a regular schedule. Community Service meets at 1 p.m. on the second Monday, Programs at 2 p.m. on the first Tuesday, and the board at 3 p.m. on the third Wednesday. The club's site says new ideas are welcome at any of them.
The next date is the 11:30 a.m. luncheon at the Regency clubhouse on Thursday, October 1. Bring a few packets of Goldfish or fruit cups for Crossroads Connection.
If you're thinking about opening your home for the December 13 tour and want a second opinion on how a room will look to guests walking through, the team at Washington Street Realty prepares homes to be shown every week, and we're happy to share what we know. Schedule a consultation, and we'll walk through it with you.
