Jack Fox retired from medicine in 2002 and became a volunteer physician in 2003 for Capital Caring in Leesburg. One afternoon, he came home and asked his wife Janet if they could host a dinner party to raise money for the organization. Janet was already a big fan of the organization; after her mother’s death, she moved her father to Leesburg, and in time, he was taken care of by Capital Caring. Janet knew that living in a community as wonderful as River Creek, they would have no trouble finding people eager to attend the fundraising party. But she thought they could raise a lot more money if it didn’t involve asking people to pay to eat her cooking!

Jack and Janet asked some friends if they’d like to help with the effort, and the Daffodil Ball Committee was born. In late October 2004, the committee held its first meeting.  At each subsequent meeting more and more people joined in. Friends brought friends who brought even more friends — each with their respective talents and desire to be a part of something important and the desire to make a difference. By the time the first Daffodil Ball was held in 2005, there were more than 100 committee members, most from River Creek, each one more excited than the next about what they had created. Some people designed and made decorations for the ball. Others were “angels” and “worker bees” doing whatever was needed, whenever it was needed, to move everything forward. The best part was that everyone had a lot of fun and made many, many new friends.

Early in the Daffodil Ball’s history, the committee determined that proceeds from the annual ball would go toward the construction of a new hospice inpatient center in Loudoun County. In 10 years, the Daffodil Ball raised more than $3 million for the Capital Caring Adler Center on the Van Metre Campus. In 2014, their grassroots dream became a reality and the doors were opened at The Adler Center.

In 2013, Jack and Janet received the Outstanding Fundraising Volunteers Award, and constantly mention that this effort was bigger than the two of them. That is their nature. They and Capital Caring are forever indebted to the hundreds of volunteers who have followed their lead and to all the supporters of The Daffodil Ball. They are a true inspiration to us all.