By Linda Salisbury

The unlikely combination of Roosters & Foxes offers Lake Anna residents and weekenders a great opportunity to socialize and sometimes raise money for local charities. No, the group of more than 1,340 as of January 2023 is not a gathering of feathered and furry friends!

It is instead the brainchild of Lake Anna resident Mark Strauss, an area man who built a house at the lake more than 23 years ago. When the pandemic began and many places closed because of Covid, Strauss decided to move to his lake house and work remotely. Like many other folks in the area, he felt isolated and bored as closures dragged on.

At the time, Strauss had a text group of about ten friends who were looking for things to do. So, one cold night in November 2020, they agreed to meet at the Lake Anna Taphouse near New Bridge (SR 208). “It was the only place we could go,” said Strauss, who retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant colonel and works for the National Guard Bureau as a contractor. 

While the outside fire pits were providing warmth during that chilly night for those enjoying craft beer and wine, Strauss and others in the original text group approached others about joining them. As the numbers grew, Strauss realized it was unwieldy to communicate solely by text. Friends “requested I make a Facebook page so they could join in, and I did it hesitantly,” he said.

Randy Thomas suggested calling the new group “Roosters,” but the women present were  not to be left out. Kim Dragum suggested adding “Foxes.” (Think Foxy ladies!) Thus, the private Lake Anna Roosters & Foxes Social Club came to life.

“This has been a learning experience for me,” Strauss explained. “I’ve never done a Facebook page before. Most people are very appreciative since they have met so many people at the lake that they would have never met.”

Members, including businesses, post events in the main group. There are also private groups in a separate section of the page (much like Strauss’ initial texting friends) who post where they are going to be for the evening and invite friends to join them.

“There are no meetings,” Strauss added. “We just discuss things at social events or call when necessary.”

There are also no officers, although he is known as the Rooster in Charge. Other members have titles such as R&F Foodies (Jack Chandler and Cindy Chandler), R&F Birthdays (Tiffany Hazelwood), and R&F Jet Ski Brigade (Tiffany Hazelwood and Tom Raup). And there is a Motivation Fox (Marie Snyder), a Recipe Fox (Tammy Boxley), and a Travel Fox (Rhonda Reinhardt).

There are also no dues. Membership is through the private Facebook group and a simple “application” that establishes the person’s relationship to the lake area. Money is raised by the annual calendar (which is paid for by sponsors) and corn hole revenue. These funds are distributed to three local charities.

Once a member, the Facebook page provides enticing recipes (provided mostly by Strauss) and notification of events in the area. These include trivia night at Coyote Hole Cidery, corn hole at Cooling Pond Brewery, and karaoke at The Cove. The page also promotes where to go to listen to live bands, such as at Callie Opie’s Orchard Restaurant.

The Facebook page highlights for residents and visitors that there is plenty to do at the lake and in Louisa County during both the summer season and winter months.

And then there are the parties for Roosters & Foxes members including St. Patrick’s Day, Mardi Gras, Cinco de Mayo, and Christmas. Some are at restaurants, but others are potlucks. And the Facebook page also publishes other planned social gatherings at pubs or local eateries. One popular gathering spot so far for R&F members has become El Gran Patron at Pleasants Landing Marina, a twelve-acre lakefront recreational park situated at the southeastern end of Lake Anna near the dam. 

Lake residents Carol and Enrique Nunez are among the locals who have thoroughly enjoyed their membership. They learned about Roosters & Foxes about a year ago when they stopped at the Lake Anna Taphouse for a beer. There they met Stauss and other R&F members, so they joined the Facebook page. They like to see the notifications members post about going to a trivia game at Coyote Hole Cidery and the invitation to join them, so they go.

Carol said R&F and other social groups at the lake have helped create a community where everybody knows everybody. “It’s been wonderful; meet us here, meet us there.” she said. “It’s a fantastic way to meet new people.” Carol added that they have also gone to special potlucks and Christmas parties they learned about on the page.

Members involved with various activities can post community events on the site. For example, those reading about upcoming activities can join in drives such as picking up trash. Jody Korman of Commonwealth Referrals, who started Lake Anna Beautification Friends, posts clean-up times and places on a variety of social media sites, including R&F.

Korman’s group started in March 2022 with three volunteers, and R&F members joined others in the community to pick  up more than 442 bags of trash by the end of the year. She said that the number of volunteers continues to grow, thanks in large part to social media, including Roosters & Foxes.

For a social group that enjoys gathering at local restaurants or sharing jokes and recipes, the amount of money R&F donates to the community is significant. Kristin Barmoy heads the charity committee, which reviews suggestions and makes recommendations for various groups that they can support financially or in other ways. R&F has thus far shown support for the drive to build the New Bridge Fire and Rescue Station, backpacks for kids, the American Red Cross blood drive, the Santa Council, and Louisa County High School football.

Groups that have received $1,500 from Roosters & Foxes are The Journey Home, the 516 Project, and Giving Words. Also, in 2022 The Journey Home received another $500 for Christmas presents for its families.

Debby Read, who with her husband Ed founded The Journey Home in Mineral, said that Roosters & Foxes has been very generous to them. “[R&F] is a fun group of people with a big heart for our community,” she explained. “They contacted The Journey Home over a year ago to invite us to a gathering where they wanted to support TJH. They not only gave us a generous donation but provided Christmas gifts of toys and clothes to the children of the home.

“The families of TJH were very grateful for the gifts, and the donation was helpful to the budget for operating the home. In October, we again attended the annual gathering where they gave another generous check to TJH and two other non-profits. TJH has been blessed by this group and their hearts to help those in need.”

Those in need of The Journey Home’s assistance with obtaining life skills are usually women, often with children, who are learning to rebuild their lives.

The two other groups include Giving Words and the 516 Project based in Fredericksburg. Read said that The Journey Home is involved with Giving Words. “They are a great organization, and we partner with them,” she explained, “especially in helping single moms with vehicles or repairs.”

The non-profit 516 Project helps with construction and disaster relief after events such as a storm. Spokesperson Courtney Williams said that the organization includes unskilled volunteers (who do painting, yard work, and cleaning) and skilled volunteers such as plumbers and electricians. Volunteers also step in with projects that benefit veterans or those who are handicapped and need to make their homes more accessible.

Roosters & Foxes is also useful for businesses such as realtors to alert customers to what’s happening in Louisa County.

Realtor Libby Sandridge of Dockside Realty said R&F is one of several groups she mentions to buyers. This helps new residents know where to find information about the lake and what they might want to join to meet people or have a fun night out.

Although the donations they give are beneficial to community groups, social life is the mainstay of R&F’s presence. One of his biggest achievements, Strauss said, is to have built these social connections at the lake. And Lake Anna residents like Carol and Enrique Nunez enjoy the social life the site promotes.

“If you don’t go, then you don’t know what all the Roosters & Foxes are doing at the lake,” Strauss said. Although he started R&F, he said, “The bottom line is that it’s not my group. It’s your group.”

And the Facebook group keeps gaining in numbers and spreading the word about activities at Lake Anna. It’s definitely something for the Rooster in Charge to crow about.