by Dana Vinci, Brambleton Community Association’s Lifestyles Manager

Brambleton is known to have amazing volunteers, and there are many superstars among that pack. When I think about those that have been my solid rocks over the years, a few great names come to mind, such as Travis Creason, Sue Perez, Elizabeth Venafro, Deb Moody, the Harringtons, the Fords, and so many more. These are the people who volunteer so often that they know the events almost better than I do.

That being said, there is one volunteer this year that has completely made a part of my job so easy that I smile when I just see her name: Amber Colatosti! Amber was a key member of our Activities Committee for several years and was also named as Brambleton’s Volunteer of the Year in 2014. She was the brainchild behind such events as “Adult Back to School Night” and “Comedy Night” (Ok, ok, ok, let it go that we won’t be repeating “Adult Back to School Night”).

This year she has taken on the volunteer role of Bram Bus Coordinator. I would say 80% of the bus ideas have come from her and were researched by her. And on the day of the event, she has often been the one managing all the attendees.

As you have probably noticed, the Bram Bus has been out and about more often and going on more exciting adventures. Because of Amber, the bus has taken folks on an Ugly Sweater Brewery Tour and trips to Charlestown and Gold Cup. In the coming weeks and months, it will be making a trip to National Harbor, the Luke Bryan concert at Jiffy Lube Live, a winery and distillery tour, the journey to the upcoming I Love the 90’s concert at Wolf Trap, and more! For those of you that have been on the bus, you know how much fun it is; for those of you who haven’t, you need to sign-up early because it always sells out!

I cannot thank Amber and, many times, her husband, enough for putting in so many volunteer hours for Brambleton. With her help, our community continues to produce unique events and experiences that make Brambleton outshine all other communities. If you are interested in volunteering for Brambleton, we have several different opportunities available. Please visit www.brambletonhoa.com, or you can sign up for the general events volunteer list at brambletonhoa.com/Volunteer. We are also very open to suggestions and ideas and would love to hear from you. Please email us at events@brambleton.org.