April 10

Book party for Read Write Own at Café Riggs

 

April 17

La Grande Boucherie preview celebration

 

April 17

All In Together’s tenth-anniversary celebration at the Conrad Washington, DC

 

April 26

The Washington AI Network’s TGAIFriday Lunch at the House at 1229

 

April 26

Comcast NBCUniversal/Motion Picture Association reception at the Motion Picture Association

 

April 26

Creative Artists Agency White House Correspondents’ Dinner kickoff party at La Grande Boucherie / April 26

 

April 27

31st Annual White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch at Beall-Washington House

 

April 27

Time/Amazon MGM Studios WHCD after-party at the Swiss ambassador’s residence

 

April 27

Comcast NBCUniversal News Group WHCD after-party at the French ambassador’s residence

 

April 28

CNN’s “Our Cup of Tea” WHCD Weekend Finale reception at the residence and gardens of the British ambassador

 April 10

Book party for Read Write Own at Café Riggs

 

 April 17

La Grande Boucherie preview celebration

 

 April 17

All In Together’s tenth-anniversary celebration at the Conrad Washington, DC

 

April 26

The Washington AI Network’s TGAIFriday Lunch at the House at 1229

 

April 26

Comcast NBCUniversal/Motion Picture Association reception at the Motion Picture Association

 

April 26

Creative Artists Agency White House Correspondents’ Dinner kickoff party at La Grande Boucherie

 

April 27

31st Annual White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch at Beall-Washington House

 

April 27

Time/Amazon MGM Studios WHCD after-party at the Swiss ambassador’s residence

 

April 27

Comcast NBCUniversal News Group WHCD after-party at the French ambassador’s residence

 

April 28

CNN’s “Our Cup of Tea” WHCD Weekend Finale reception at the residence and gardens of the British ambassador

This article appears in the June 2024 issue of Washingtonian.

Veterans taking part in an anti-war walk from Maine to Washington, D.C., stopped in Philadelphia on June 14-15.

The Peace Walk 2024 began May 7 in Ogunquit, Maine, and will conclude around July 4 or 5 at the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. Under the general theme “Silence the Drums of War,” participants are calling for an end to the threat of nuclear war and all wars.

After crossing the Benjamin Franklin Bridge from New Jersey on June 14, walkers held a press conference at Independence Park near the Liberty Bell. The next day, in their first “direct actions event,” they rallied outside Day & Zimmermann, makers of bombs, shells and missiles, including many used by the Israeli Occupation Forces against Palestinians in Gaza.

The veterans were joined by local anti-war activists, including Tina Sheldenm, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; Betsey Piette, Workers World Party; and Joe Piette, who read a statement from Puerto Rican activist Fermin Morales, a member of IBEW (electricians) Local 98 who previously did work for Day & Zimmermann.

Morales said: “Day & Zimmermann is a partner in crime with the settler-colonial state of Israel in perpetration of genocide against the Palestinian people, because it is providing ammunition to the Israel Defense Forces. Day & Zimmermann needs to divest itself from the apartheid state of Israel and the military-industrial complex.”

Following the rally at Day & Zimmermann, marchers gathered outside Israel Bonds seller Development Corporation for Israel where they protested the purchase of these bonds by state and municipal governments.

Peace March protests purchase of Israel Bonds, Philadelphia, June 15, 2024. (WW Photo: Joe Piette)

Their flier noted: “State and local treasuries across the U.S. invest hundreds of millions in the state of Israel. A record-setting $2 billion in sales was made in 2023 with $1 billion raised since Oct. 7 while Israel bombed hospitals and laid waste to infrastructure in Gaza. Under Stacy Garrity, the Pennsylvania Treasury Department invested $20 million in 2023. We will encourage Pennsylvania to divest until Israel agrees to end the occupation of Palestine.”

The day ended with a “Merchants of Death Tour” where walkers delivered “Cease and Desist” orders to 10 U.S. weapons profiteers with offices at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. These companies included Advanced Integrated Technologies, American Systems Corporation, AMSEC/Hll, Continental Tide Defense Systems, Inc., GBS Group, Naval Surface Warfare Center, NOBLIS MSD, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Paramount Enterprises International and Peraton.

Giráldez will transition into the Head Coach role in the coming weeks, while Andrés González and Toni Gordo join Spirit Staff

Washington, D.C. (06/20/2024) – Five months after the Washington Spirit announced Jonatan Giráldez as its new Head Coach, Giráldez has arrived in Washington, D.C., the club announced today. The arrival comes shortly after Giráldez led FC Barcelona Femení to an historic continental Quadruple in his final season with the side, winning Liga F, the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Copa de la Reina and Supercopa de España Femenina.

Since his hiring by the Spirit, Giráldez’s plan has always been to integrate with the club following the 2023-24 FC Barcelona Femení season. During this time, Adrián González has served as the Spirit’s Interim Head Coach, leading the team to a 9-3-1 (28 points) record through 13 matches.

“I’m thrilled to join the Spirit and begin this next chapter with the club,” said Giráldez. “To be part of the vision Michele Kang has for the Spirit and women’s soccer globally is an exciting opportunity.”

Giráldez is set to assimilate into the Spirit staff, slowly taking over head coaching responsibilities to ensure the smoothest transition possible. Accordingly, Interim Head Coach Adrián González will remain in the acting position during this time. Once Giráldez fully assumes the Head Coach role, González will remain on the technical staff as an assistant coach.

Giráldez’s arrival has been much anticipated. He most recently led FC Barcelona Femení to its second consecutive UEFA Women’s Champions League victory, helping secure the team’s first-ever Quadruple in the same season, winning the Liga F, Copa de la Reina, Supercopa, and Champions League titles.

Giráldez began his tenure at FC Barcelona Femení in 2019 as an assistant before being promoted to be the club’s Head Coach in 2021 after just two and a half seasons. He went on to win Liga F in each of his three seasons. Additionally, Giráldez led Barcelona to 58 consecutive Liga F wins to start his head coaching tenure, including a perfect 30-0-0 record in his first season at the helm.

For his stellar coaching, Giráldez was named the IFFHS World’s Best Club Coach in 2023. He was also named a finalist for the UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year Award in 2023 and FIFA’s The Best Women’s Coach award in early 2024.

Giráldez is originally from Vigo in the Galicia community of northwest Spain. He and his partner Olaya welcomed their first child, a son, in 2023, just eight days before winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Giráldez is joined by Andrés González and Toni Gordo, who were integral parts of his championship-winning staff at Barcelona. They will serve as Fitness Coach and Club Analyst, respectively, effective immediately.

Andrés González will serve as a Fitness Coach for the Washington Spirit, joining Dawn Scott’s Performance, Medical, and Innovation team. He also comes from FC Barcelona Femení where he served as the Strength and Conditioning coach since July 2022. Additionally, González served as an assistant Strength and Conditioning coach at Real Sociedad in Spain. He also has coaching experience at the youth level in Spain. He is from Ourense, Spain.

Toni Gordo will join the team as a Club Analyst after serving in a similar role at FC Barcelona Femení since 2016. He served in various analyst and video roles at FC Barcelona during this term, including stints with the Barcelona Femení B team and, most recently, six years with the first team Barcelona Femení squad. Prior to his time with FC Barcelona, Gordo served as the Sports Coordinator at CD Palafolls and a coach for CE Mataró in Catalonia. Gordo is from Mataró, Catalonia, Spain.

About The Washington Spirit

The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. In 2024, the Spirit drafted an epic class of rookies who are already breaking records and wowing fans. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.