West Seattle, Washington
16 Sunday
In the photo with Stu Hennessey of Alki Bike and Board (WSB sponsor), you might recognize Cal Prinster and dad Gordon Prinster, who stopped by ABB Thursday to pick up “the last couple things” for their next adventure. Last summer, they shared the news here as they wrapped up a 1,732-mile bike trip to the Mexican border, raising money for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Tomorrow, Cal and dad head out on another bicycle odyssey – this time, aiming to reach New York City by summer’s end! Here’s a one-minute preview produced by Cal (who’s going into 7th grade at Madison Middle School next year), showing their planned route:
We asked Gordon if they’re having any kind of sendoff. He says no – “We’ll just quietly roll out into the rain Saturday.”
TO DONATE: Go to this page on the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation site – and be sure to enter “Cal Prinster” as the “honoree” so PBTF will know he inspired you!
(WSB photo from June 2010 volunteer cleanup @ the museum)
Inspired by recent stories of community cleanups, both spontaneous and planned? Here’s one you can join in. Just received from Marcy Johnsen at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society:
Calling Volunteers! Your community museum needs you!
This Saturday, June 23rd, come help clean up at the Log House Museum. 3003 61st Avenue SW – corner of 61st and Stevens.
All sorts of chores to be done so no talent will go unneeded! Come ready to pitch in 9 am to 12 noon. No prior experience needed.
That would still leave plenty of time to check out Saturday’s big events, including the Morgan Junction Community Festival (10:30 am-7 pm) and “Celebrate Springer“ at the Alki Bathhouse (11 am-3 pm, not far from the Log House Museum).
Here’s a 5K you may not have heard much about – but your support can save lives. At West Seattle Stadium this Saturday afternoon, big steps will be taken for the most tiny and endangered among us – drug-exposed and medically fragile newborn babies. The event is “Walk for the Babies,” a 5K (twelve and a half times around the track) to benefit the Pediatric Interim Care Center, a 22-year-old facility/program which takes care of those tiny patients “at an interim level between hospital and home … at a savings to the taxpayers of Washington State.” Here’s a video about it:
PICC is described as “the only specialized, 24-hour facility available for the safe withdrawal of drug-exposed newborns” in our state.
The Walk for the Babies idea hatched, we’re told, when West Seattleite Phoebi Crawford called PICC to ask what they needed – blankets? diapers? etc.? – and found out they just need money, because they have lost $400,000 in funding. The walk, which has more than 70 people signed up so far, is hoping to raise $100,000. You can donate by going here; if you want to participate in the walk, call Phoebi at 206-707-6220.
Out of the WSB inbox:
A group of people in Southwest Seattle would like to get a Timebank started and are hosting an informational meeting to explain how it works and determine if there is enough interest.
Timebanks use a low overhead, self-organizing internet based system to help people exchange their talents, passions, and resources with other members so that they enjoy the necessities and the niceties of life. At its simplest, an hour you spend doing something for a SWEL Timebank member goes into the bank as a time hour. Then you have a time hour to spend having another SWEL member do something for you. People of all ages are welcome.Timebank Informational Meeting
Wednesday, June 27th 7-8 pm
Senior Center of West Seattle
4217 SW OregonThere are more than 100 timebanks in the United States, including one in East King County, called Eastside Timebank, which serves the cities of Kirkland, Redmond and Bellevue. There is also one in North King County called SWEL Timebank, which serves Shoreline, Woodway, Edmonds and Lake Forest Park. Timebanking is a great way to get to know members in your community. Representatives from Eastside and SWEL Timebanks will be at the meeting.
(WSB photo from 2011 Relay for Life, after participants had been going all night)
Just two days now till the cancer-fighting all-night fundraising Relay for Life at West Seattle Stadium. This morning, Jilyan Perry shares a reminder – and also a request for some volunteer help to set up on Friday afternoon, before it all begins:
West Seattle’s Relay for Life is taking place this Friday at the West Seattle Stadium starting at 6 pm. Relay for Life is an overnight, community based fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. West Seattle’s Relay raised nearly $60,000 last year to help in the fight against cancer. Please come join us for an evening of celebration and remembrance.
Remember – we always need day of volunteers and we welcome anyone in the community to come down and help. Committee members will be arriving at the stadium at 12 pm on Friday. Anyone willing to help is encouraged to just show up.
For more information regarding Relay for Life contact Jilyan.Perry@yahoo.com or visit relayforlife.org
The official West Seattle webpage says more than 240 people are signed up to participate this year. Even if you’re not among them, you’re welcome to stop by the stadium and cheer them on; the event always begins with a “survivors’ lap” on Friday night, and a few hours later, around 10 pm, luminarias are lit around the track in honor of both cancer survivors and those who are being remembered.
Got room? A quick announcement:
Pathfinder K-8 School continues to seek host families for 5th grade students from Chengdu China. The students will arrive on July 3rd and depart on July 14th. During weekdays students will attend a special program at Pathfinder School. Evenings and weekends are free for you to explore our culture with your Chinese students. Students come with their own spending money, insurance and a thirst for American experiences. Please contact Lisa Clayton, lclayton@seattleschools.org, ASAP if you are interested.
BENEFIT YOGA CLASS: 5 pm on Sunday, Bikram Yoga Seattle (WSB sponsor) invites you to a special class to benefit Run of Hope, fighting childhood brain tumors. (4747 California SW)
SHOE DRIVE: Sunday is day 1 of a week-long shoe drive at Clementine (4447 California SW). Bring in “gently used” women’s shoes to donate to Jubilee Women’s Center. Here’s the Facebook event page. Donors get a discount on new shoes if interested, as pointed out in this update on the Clementine website.
When the charity beer Hi-Yu Brü launched earlier this year, as part of an ongoing West Seattle/White Center series of locally brewed beer benefiting charities, some suggested its proceeds should have benefited its namesake festival. Now, the most popular charity beer in the series is re-launching, and its proceeds WILL benefit the West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival. Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor) proprietor Jeff Gilbert sends word that Löwman Bräu is relaunching today at his bar and eight other local venues – in West Seattle, West 5, Shadowland, Mission, The Bridge, Löcöl, Beveridge Place Pub, and in White Center, Big Al Brewing and Company. Jeff says it should be available at all nine places as soon as they open today.
Just received from the White Center Food Bank, which serves part of West Seattle too:
Volunteers Needed ASAP!
We are currently in need of volunteers that are available for daytime distribution hours including Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 am until 1 pm. Duties include: set-up of the distribution line and assisting clients with food selections. Groups and individuals are welcome. If available, please contact Audrey Zemke our Volunteer & Resource Coordinator at 206-762-2848 or email her at audrey@whitecenterfoodbank.org. Thank you!
“I’m not a veteran, but I value their contribution and want to do something that helps them out,” local entrepreneur PJ Glassey explained, when we asked him about an upcoming benefit he’s promoting for a new veterans-assistance group. “Veterans are the reason we are still a free country. While we all may not agree with all the various wars we get involved with, we can all agree that our soldiers are serving us to the point of risking their lives and that means a lot to me.”
The show Glassey – son of a Vietnam veteran as well as owner of X-Gym on Harbor Avenue- is promoting is coming up June 16th at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in North Delridge, a “hypnosis/comedy” performance by Joe Black. Glassey says, “This event is kind of a ‘kickoff’ for the brand-new organization One Less Mountain, which helps veterans when they get home so they can cope, make the transition to civilian life and find the resources needed to make that switch.”
There’s no website for OLM yet, but board member Mark Pollek, a Vietnam veteran, explains that OLM is inspired by Hope for Heroism, a veterans’ peer-helping-peer group based in Israel. Pollek and others including Governor Gregoire’s husband Mike visited Israel to see how it works, and have since been talking with veterans’ and military groups to “see how we could best benefit vets recently discharged from the military.”
Pollek says OLM is starting with a “veteran-transition case-management program” and a “veteran connect program” involving activities “to bring vets together to tell their stories, hear what each other may be going through, validate each other’s concerns, and share methods of success.” The organization also is developing an education program to help corporate human resources people deal with “fear, concern, cultural differences” that may keep them from hiring veterans.
You can find out more at the June 16th comedy/hypnosis show. Tickets are $20, available through Brown Paper Tickets; the show is at 6:45 pm.
This Friday night, West Seattle High School senior Fatuma Ali would love to see you at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center – where she is presenting a benefit to help people in need, half a world away. Fatuma has organized an evening of food, entertainment, and storytelling to raise money to help provide clean water and food for East African refugees. She tells her story in this interview on the Power of Hope website – explaining that the region is facing its worst drought in more than half a century, threatening water and food supplies, yet it’s not getting much attention. You can help her make up for that by coming to Youngstown (4408 Delridge Way SW) 6-9 pm Friday (June 8th), admission $5 youth/students, $10 adults.
Three hours and 61 laps around the Pathfinder K-8 field on Pigeon Point are in the books for the school’s PE teacher, Lou Cutler, in his annual fundraising run for Make-A-Wish (donation link here), for which he’s also a volunteer (2 years ago, we photographed him as a little boy’s wish came true here in West Seattle). One of the remarkable things we’ve noticed while covering this the past few years is that it’s not even remotely all about Lou – we heard shouts of “WE did it!” from some of his young running partners. Our video above captured the last part of the last lap, and the celebration afterward. Next thing Lou did? Got some of the students to pose for a photo, waving their bright green slips (on which laps were checked off). Only THEN did he pose too.
Big event at Pathfinder K-8 this morning – PE teacher Lou Cutler‘s annual run to raise money for Make-A-Wish, for which he’s been volunteering for 16 years. Every year for 8 years, he’s been doing this to mark his birthday, running one lap for each year he’s been on the planet – 61 of them, this time around. The money goes to help Make-A-Wish make life-threateningly ill children’s wishes come true; last year, we interviewed Lou a few days before his run, and if you could hear him talk about some of the “wishes” he’s been involved in fulfilling … you’d want to be on the sidelines cheering him on today. Or maybe even running with him, as many of the Pathfinder students and staff will do during the course of the morning, once he gets going around 8:45 am. At the very least, you can donate to help him reach his goal – just go here. (WSB photo from June 2011)
Besides the upcoming celestial events mentioned in the preceding WSB story, the Summer Solstice is approaching, too. It’s on Wednesday, June 20th, this year – but hold your celebrating a few days till Saturday, June 23rd, because THAT is the night of the White Center Food Bank-benefiting Summer Solstice Cocktail Party. Ann Kendall from WCFB says you can still get your ticket(s) if you haven’t already. It’s in West Seattle, at the Puget Sound view home of two longtime WC Food Bank supporters, Lynne Ingalls and Mike Wald; guests will include County Councilmember Joe McDermott as well as the West Seattle/White Center area’s entire legislative delegation, Sen. Sharon Nelson and Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon. Suggested donation $50 – which will help the WC Food Bank in what can be a slow time for donations, amid warm-weather distractions. Save your ticket by calling Ann at 206-762-2848 or 206-713-0031; via e=mail, ann@whitecenterfoodbank.org.
They help thousands of local families … but they can’t do it without help from you … and tonight, WestSide Baby has a new call for volunteers “ages 8-108”:
Come Volunteer at WestSide Baby – Our Community’s Children Need You More Than Ever!
WestSide Baby is increasing our Volunteer hours and we need your help! The need is growing and our ability to respond to that is also growing. We are offering more volunteer opportunities than ever before and we hope you will consider helping out, either regularly or by dropping in when it’s convenient for you.
After a jarring day – here’s a heartening story we had intended to publish much earlier, till breaking news swept that plan away. A Holy Rosary School 7th grader named Kyle Joyce is reaching out to help, once again. We heard from him about a different charity effort last fall – and now he, friends, and schoolmates are joining forces to help a former baseball coach that Kyle says has been recalled to active-duty military service. They are having a garage sale on Saturday to raise money, and they are also collecting items. Read on:Read More
(WSB photo of the Metropolitan Market [WSB sponsor] team at Taste of West Seattle 2012)
One week after the well-attended Taste of West Seattle (WSB coverage here), we have the tally from Tara Byrne, executive director of West Seattle Helpline, which organizes and benefits from the ever-bigger event:
At the Taste of West Seattle we net profited about $21,500.
Aside from funds raised by the Taste of West Seattle, Metropolitan Market presented a check for $7,500 and West Seattle Cellars presented a check for $775. Those proceed all came from the generosity of their customers. The West Seattle Helpline feels truly blessed that West Seattle business community and West Seattle residents believe in supporting their fellow neighbor during times of need. Thank you, West Seattle!
Overall, we brought in close to $30,000 on May 17th. These proceeds will help approximately 190 families stay in their homes or keep their utilities on while regaining self-sufficiency after facing an emergency.
You can, of course, help the Helpline any time – here’s how.
Another school fundraiser to mention tonight – a car wash to raise money for those who need scholarships to join in West Seattle High School‘s Grad Night celebration (less than a month away!) is coming up on Saturday. The announcement we received via e-mail notes, “With several graduation ceremonies occurring in the area on June 16, the Grad Night committee believes that it is extremely important to offer as many WSHS students as possible, a safe and chaperoned event to celebrate their HS accomplishments.” The car wash is planned for 10:30 am-3 pm this sun-forecast Saturday (May 26) at West Seattle Autoworks (WSB sponsor), 7501 35th SW.
(WS Baby executive director Nancy Woodland and board member Amy Daly-Donovan)
Another night, another big party at The Hall at Fauntleroy! One night after The Taste of West Seattle, The Hall rocked Friday night with “Shake, Rattle, & Roll,” the cocktail-party benefit for WestSide Baby, held last year just hours after WS Baby’s big benefit tea, this year moved to a few months later. Another difference: While the tea moved to a big airport-area conference center, this bash was West Seattle through and through. West Seattle-residing radio star Marty Riemer emceed:
West Seattle band Not Dead Yet provided the music – including their signature “West Seattle Hey”:
We had to grab a separate pic of them once we heard their story, courtesy of Sherri Chun, a founding member of the “47th Ave Bookclub,” a moms’ group that gave birth to Not Dead Yet when the members’ husbands “learned they all have something in common – musical talent! … They write their own music, much of it about family, kids, and famous local landmarks.”
If you missed them at last night’s party, Not Dead Yet will be playing Seattle Summer Streets on Alki this Sunday. Back to the Friday night party – click ahead for more photos, and video!
Tomorrow you have at least three chances to get out and help clean up local neighborhoods! Spring Clean events are planned in Puget Ridge, Highland Park, and White Center. And we’ve just received a request to put out the call for volunteers on behalf of Puget Ridge – from Tasha Mosher:
Residents of Puget Ridge will be cleaning up the neighborhood as part of the City’s annual Spring Clean campaign tomorrow from 10 am to noon. Neighbors will meet at 5644 17th Ave SW to pick up supplies and form work teams at 9:30 am.
Other neighbors will be meeting at 10 am at Sanislo Elementary, including the team that will be cleaning and restoring the natural area at the school. There will also be a team cleaning the Myrtle steps as a combined effort with volunteers from the North Delridge Neighborhood Council.
If you can help tomorrow, just show up in one of those spots! As for the other two = White Center Spring Clean has ended registration for participants, but Highland Park is welcoming help, and you can get details here. Anybody else spring cleaning tomorrow?
This isn’t your usual “call for artists” – this is a request for artists to show their work where it’ll be seen by people who can’t go out to enjoy it elsewhere any more. The announcement:
Providence Mount St. Vincent is looking for Artists to display their work in our McAllister Hall Art Gallery.
The art gallery at Providence Mount St. Vincent displays local art on a monthly basis featuring a different artist each month. The main goal of this program is to provide enjoyment and artistic culture for our residents, since many of them are no longer physically able to visit art galleries. We offer artist the ability to sell her or his art with the request that 20 percent be donated to our Foundation. The gallery is located on the second floor entrance on the west side of the building–a high traffic area within the Mount. The art is viewed by residents, staff, families of residents, volunteers, and visitors. We insure the art while it’s on display to protect it from any possible damage and offer a reception in the artist’s honor.
The months of June, August, October, November and December are currently open in 2012. Please contact Anna Cronin at anna.cronin@providence.org or 206.938.6242 for more information.
Summer starts Sunday! 9 am by the Alki Bathhouse, hundreds of people will be off running and walking for the West Seattle 5K. If you’re not planning to walk/run with them, event organizers would love to have your help for at least part of the time:
West Seattle High School is looking for adult volunteers this coming Sunday (May 20th) to help with the 5K race. If you are able to help Sunday morning between 7:30 am and 12:00, or anytime inbetween, it would be much appreciated. Please send an e-mail with your name and time you are available to wshs5kvolunteers@gmail.com – Any and all help will be much appreciated.
The run is followed by the Seattle Summer Streets street party till 5 pm – the activity/entertainment list is taking shape here.
Two midday notes:
COOLMOM/SUSTAINABLE WEST SEATTLE BENEFIT TEA: This Saturday afternoon at 2 pm, you’re invited to a benefit tea to help “make West Seattle more sustainable and resilient,” as Bill Reiswig put it in his note, by supporting two groups: CoolMom and Sustainable West Seattle. From local food to transportation to toxic runoff to recycling, both groups have led a variety of creative sustainability campaigns in the community, with small budgets and tireless volunteer energy, and this is your chance to help them keep the work going. Tickets are $30; get yours here.
NORTHWEST HOPE AND HEALING’S ‘STYLE ’12’ TALLY: A week and a half after another annual edition of Northwest Hope and Healing‘s triumphant fashion show raising money to help breast-cancer patients (WSB coverage here) – with survivors wowing the crowd from the runway – the tally is in, and NWHH says its $100,000 goal was exceeded, with a total of $114,000 raised. As explained in today’s announcement:
Proceeds from the event benefits the Northwest Hope & Healing (NWHH) Patient Assistance Fund, which provides financial assistance for every day expenses like child care, groceries, gasoline, utilities & emergency rent to women in need who are receiving breast and gynecological cancer treatment at Swedish Medical Center, as well as for Signature Healing Baskets which are given free of charge to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.
You can also help NWHH by registering for the annual Alki Beach 5K – it’s on August 26th, and online registration is open now.
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