These Fairfax community block parties are about more than connecting with neighbors | Love Where You Live

FAIRFAX, Va. — Fairfax, Virginia is an area that continues to grow with new homes, businesses and more. Tucked away from all the hustle and bustle, is a peaceful suburban setting. A quiet community with lots of trees. But what makes this neighborhood truly special is the people.

"Everybody waves in this neighborhood. Everybody is so friendly and so willing to help others," said neighbor John Fraser.

It's a community that shows up for each other. Kids play together, and neighbors regularly get together for gatherings and block parties. The block parties aren't just about catching up with your neighbors. They have a larger purpose, and an effort to save lives.

Earlier this year, Joe DePalma and his family learned that their loved one Kyle had stage 2 pancreatic cancer. It's a disease that is all too familiar for their families. Both Joe's father and his mother-in-law, Lindsay and Kyle's mom, passed away from pancreatic cancer.

"Unfortunately, we got the news about Kyle and it was so obvious that that was what we had o do this year: Raise money for the Pancreatic Action Network. That's what we're doing," Joe said.

For Kyle's part, she is staying positive. 

"It's been a bit of a journey but it's been incredibly different from my mom's experience... It's a lot more hopeful. Obviously it was a shock, but I have an incredible support system and they jumped right into gear," Kyle said.

Last year, the close-knit community helped raise nearly $10,000 for Ellie's Hats — benefiting children battling cancer. Once again, they are rallying together so that others might have an easier time.

Joe says his neighbors, like the Barkers and the Frasers, have been really supportive, and the community has a lot of overlap because the kids are involved in the same activities. 

"We've built communities outside of the immediate neighborhood, and all these people have come together. Having everybody for live music, food trucks, bounce houses, it's kid friendly... If you give people a good environment, people will open up their checkbooks. Or Venmo," Joe said.

The community is coming together to help their neighbors.

"I'm not helping out Joe's family member, I'm helping out our own family member," Shruti Baker said. 

"Coming together for a good cause, nothing is better than that," said neighbor Cari Fischer. "We want to do everything we can to help her and others."

Lindsay DePalma says the community has had a huge impact on her family.

"We've been very lucky and we're so grateful for everyone. It's quite the community and we've never experienced that. We never want to leave," she said.

Kyle is currently halfway through her continued chemotherapy treatment, and will undergo a procedure this fall to remove the tumor. If you would like to donate to the fight against pancreatic cancer, you can do so here.