Mt. Vernon Celebrates Its 2023 Royalty Naming Ron Fitzsimmons and Shirley Short Lord & Lady Fairfax
Alexandria, VA – Kudos to the new Lord and Lady of Mount Vernon. Ron Fitzsimmons and Shirley Short were named Mount Vernon royalty and honored at a meeting of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors in October.
Since 1984, each board member has chosen one Lord and one Lady based on outstanding volunteer efforts, heroism, or other noteworthy accomplishments. There are 20 awardees, two from each magisterial district, annually.
For 2023, Mount Vernon Supervisor Dan Storck chose Fitzsimmons and Short for this special recognition. Shirley Short, Mount Vernon’s Lady, was termed “Volunteer Extraordinaire” by Storck. She is a retired Fairfax County firefighter who played an integral role in helping residents during the devastating 2006 Huntington flood.
A tireless volunteer at Storck’s office, Short spends “thousands of hours” assisting with numerous community events yearly. She helps organize the Ides of Bark Dog Festival every year and single-handedly organized the Taste of Mount Vernon, a popular addition to the annual Mount Vernon town Meeting featuring local Mount Vernon restaurants. “Shirley’s dedication, willingness to jump in at all times, and her can-do attitude makes a difference for all of us,” said Storck.
Storck praises Ron Fitzsimmons for “putting smiles on the faces of thousands of children.” Along with his sister Laura Fitzsimmons Peters, he created the nonprofit Alice’s Kids, named in honor of their mother.
Having lived in poverty as children, they knew that “the public aspect of poverty can be harsher than the private.” Alice’s Kids provides gift cards to teachers and counselors who have identified a child’s needs. The teacher then gives the gift card to a parent or guardian who takes the child shopping or purchases the item as a surprise for the youngster. That way, the child receives exactly what they need or have been wishing for.
