West Seattle, Washington
31 Wednesday
If you’ve been here more than a few years, you might remember WestSide Baby‘s summertime “Stuff the Bus” diaper drives. The White Center-headquartered nonprofit is moving beyond the bus and inviting you to get involved “From the Bottom Up” in June and July:
From the Bottom Up is our community’s largest diaper drive and your opportunity to help ensure babies have the diapers they need to be healthy and happy.
Having enough clean diapers is foundational to a baby’s ability to grow and thrive. From the first precious newborn diaper all the way through the potty-training years, WestSide Baby supplies families with the basics their children need. Caregivers experience tremendous relief, both financially and emotionally, knowing they are able to meet their babies’ needs.
Host a diaper drive, donate dollars for diapers, or simply send a box of diapers to WestSide Baby today!
Go here to find out how to help in any or all of those ways – and to see WS Baby’s current “most needed” list. You’re also welcome to attend the all-ages kickoff event Thursday (June 1st), 5-7 pm at Future Primitive Brewing in White Center (9832 14th SW – same folks who are soon expanding to Alki).
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(WSB file photo from Loop the ‘Lupe)
With relatively few scheduled events this holiday weekend, we’ll be previewing some of what’s ahead in June. First up, Loop the ‘Lupe is just one week away, on Saturday, June 3rd. This fundraiser for Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s social-service community work is the one and only event of its kind – with your participation options including an obstacle course! This time, two options are offered: An “elite wave” for participants 16+, with two extra obstacles, and the “family wave.” Other options: 5K fun run, Senior Saunter, and Youth Dash. It’s one big party, also with live music, BBQ, and a beer garden, at Walt Hundley Playfield (34th/Myrtle, next door to OLG). Event starts are staggered between 11 am and 1 pm. Not registered yet? Go here! (WSB is a community co-sponsor for Loop the ‘Lupe.)
P.S. If you also want to run/walk the July 22nd Float Dodger 5K, you can register for both together right now and get $5 off each event’s registration fee!
(WSB photo)
It’s a Memorial Day weekend tradition – West Seattle VFW Post 2713 is at Admiral Safeway (2622 California SW) with Memorial Day poppies, by donation. The poppies have a century of history. As explained, “The VFW Buddy Poppy program provides compensation to those who assemble the poppies, provides financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans’ rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home.” Post 2713 reps will be at the store until noon, and again 10 am-noon tomorrow (Sunday, May 28th).
One week from tonight, the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association throws a party at its headquarters building, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, the historic Cooper School. This year’s theme is “Connect the Dots” – those dots being art, nature, and neighborhood. DNDA’s reminder explains, “The event will generate proceeds to sustain DNDA’s low-income housing facilities, youth arts and educational programs, and environmental restoration efforts in Southwest Seattle.” It’s happening 6-9 pm Friday, June 2nd, with food and drink by Chef Mulu of Phresh Eats, and entertainment including live music by Blue Wave Band and Benjamin Hunter, live painting by Carolyn Hitt, poetry from Seattle Civic Poet Shin Yu Pai, circus performance from Acrobatic Conundrum, and a dance party with DJ Topspin. You’ll also be able to enjoy games and interactive art. Ready to get your ticket(s)? Go here!
Before school gets out for the three-day Memorial Day weekend, Roxhill Elementary plans a fun(draising) Jog/Walk-A-Thon, and community support is welcome – here’s the announcement we were asked to share with you:
Roxhill Elementary would like to announce we are hosting a Jog/Walk-A-Thon FUNDRAISER this Friday, May 26th! We are raising money for our 5th graders to have the experience of attending NatureBridge, an overnight camp on the Olympic Peninsula, next fall.
(Roxhill students last fall – photo by Geoff Miller)
This trip will build confidence, build community, and connect our young learners to the wonder and science of the natural world. Our goal is to raise at least $6000 to off-set the cost of the trip to the school and families and ensure each student can attend. You can make a pledge on behalf of a Roxhill student, or just make a flat donation. Visit our fundraising page via School Pay to make a donation!
With a little over one month left in the school year, fundraising season is winding down, but you still have opportunities to help local PTAs/PTSAs support their schools. Here’s the latest announcement we’ve received to share with you:
Alki Elementary PTA’s auction is online this year and is now LIVE – Click Here to begin bidding! Online bidding will close at 9:00 pm on Thursday, May 25th.
This year’s auction features artwork created by the K-5th grade classes, a 2-night/3-day stay at Suncadia, roundtrip tickets to Victoria B.C., dance & music classes, and so much more!
Your generosity will support vital programs and community-building events that enrich the lives of our students and make Alki Elementary the thriving community that it is! Funds will support purchasing library books, class field trips/supplies, all-school assemblies (guest speakers), ensuring all students have access to yearbooks, school supplies and recess equipment to name a few.
Thank You in advance for supporting Alki PTA’s largest fundraiser of the year!
Additional details can be found on the Alki PTA Auction website. Contact: Auction@alkipta.com
Shown after a practice earlier this week are some of the players you’ll see at this Sunday’s “Battle for West Seattle” softball game between the West Seattle Junction Association and West Seattle Chamber of Commerce. We asked for their rosters – the grids below are what they sent. First, WSJA:
Next, the Chamber:
Proceeds from the game go to the West Seattle Food Bank and White Center Food Bank (whose coverage area includes south WS). They’ll be playing at 12:05 pm Sunday (May 21st) at Mel Olson Stadium in Steve Cox Memorial Park (1321 SW 102nd), and you can buy tickets right now online – just go here.
P.S. Shortly after publishing this, we received the Chamber’s announcement of one business’s extra boost:
Mission Cantina Seattle is MATCHING all ticket sales for the Battle for West Seattle, so get your tickets now to support the West Seattle Food Bank and White Center Food Bank! Tickets are $12 — even if you can’t attend the game, you can still support our local food banks by purchasing a ticket.
The fun doesn’t stop there – get a Battle for West Seattle ticket to take 10% Off Your Mission Cantina Seattle Tab! Bring your digital ticket for the Battle for West Seattle into Mission Cantina for 10% off your bill from now until June 30th.
Mission Cantina is at 2325 California SW.
If you’re going to get coffee and/or baked goods tomorrow, Genesee Hill Elementary PTA suggests you consider Hotwire Coffee. Here’s why:
Get your Foxy Latte or any other drink on Friday, May 19th, 2023. Hotwire Coffeehouse has supported Genesee Hill Elementary School all year by donating 20% of proceeds to our PTA on the 3rd Friday of each month. This month, we are donating it back to them. Hotwire was recently hit (for the 3rd time in a year) with a break-in where their safe and baked goods were stolen. Let’s support our beloved local coffeehouse by giving them your business – buy coffee for your office mates, significant other, teachers, or a coffee gift card to last throughout the summer!!
Hotwire is at 4426 California SW, open 6:30 am-6 pm.
Our weekend previews are starting early this week, because of multiple big events! First, just four days are left until the first West Seattle 5K since 2019. Sunday morning’s race is presented by the West Seattle High School PTSA as a fundraiser. As such, it’s volunteer-powered, and that’s the first update we have:
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Road guards for street closures, water-table helpers, set-up and tear-down supporters are all needed. If you might be able to help, please email organizers ASAP at westseattle5k@westseattle5k.com.
REGISTRATION, PACKET PICKUP, RACE-DAY SCHEDULE: Here’s the latest:
Packet Pickup – this Saturday, May 20, 12-5 pm
You may pick up your bib, shirt and timing chip on Saturday at West Seattle Runner, 2743 California Avenue SWLast-Minute Registration – Packet pick-up and registration are also available on the day of the event, starting at 8:30 AM near the Alki Bathhouse. Cash or check accepted but using the registration website with your credit card is preferred – you can do that now here.
Race Day Schedule:
8:30-9:15 am: Day-of-event registration
9:10 am: Pre-race warm-up
9:30 am: 5K Run/Walk starts
8:30 to 11:30 am: Visit our sponsor booths and enjoy student music
STREET CLOSURES: A reminder that Alki/Harbor Avenues along the race route – 61st/Alki to Anchor/Luna Park and back – will be closed to vehicle traffic as early as 8 am on Sunday, and will reopen once the course clears (historically, by 11 am).
(WSB photo from 2019 Loop the ‘Lupe)
We’re now entering the three-month heart of major spring/summer event season. Right now, a quick reminder that Loop the ‘Lupe is now less than three weeks away, on Saturday, June 3rd. The centerpiece of this benefit for Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s social-service work in the community is an obstacle course – and this year, you have two options. An “elite wave” is for participants 16+ and will have two extra obstacles; then comes the “family wave.” The day is rounded out with a fun run, Senior Saunter, and Youth Dash. All the activities, plus live music, BBQ, and a beer garden, are happening on Walt Hundley Playfield (34th/Myrtle). If you’re not already registered for one or more of the events, today’s a great day to do it – here’s how. (WSB is a community co-sponsor for Loop the ‘Lupe.)
(Photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“We really count on community support – this community comes through.”
That’s what longtime West Seattle Food Bank executive director Fran Yeatts told the nearly 200 community members who gathered last night at The Hall at Fauntleroy to celebrate and support WSFB.
On one hand, it was a classic fundraising gala – dinner, drinks, dessert, donations. On the other, it marked a milestone – 40 years of “neighbors helping neighbors,” as emcee Matthew DiLoreto declared early on. The food bank’s work goes far beyond food – since merging with the West Seattle Helpline three years ago, it also provides emergency assistance to help people stay housed. That is an extra-sizable challenge in Seattle where the cost of living is 49 percent above the national average, DiLoreto said.
Also taking the microphone was WSFB board president David Weld, who observed that the organization provides help that is much-needed in a world where “random” trouble can land people in need, from job loss to illness to family tragedy.
“Because fate delivers these things, there will always be those who through no fault of their own need help. We deliver that help without judgment, and reflexively.” And community help is needed to keep that work going because “the greatest source of (WSFB) funding is individual cash contributions.”
Weld also recounted a proud moment just weeks ago, when rock superstar Bruce Springsteen came to Seattle and for the third time exhorted fans to support WSFB (which had volunteers at the arena and collected almost $20,000 in donations).
That video is from John L. Scott Real Estate – Westwood (WSB sponsor), recapping their successful shredding event and food drive last Saturday at Westwood Village. They also sent the numbers and words of gratitude:
We would like to thank the West Seattle community for their support of the 5th annual Shred Event. On behalf of John L. Scott Westwood, Evergreen Home Loans (Luke Zender), and White Center Food Bank, we thank you for the generous donations! We shredded over 5,000 pounds of paper and our community donated $2,000 and 1,250 pounds of food to the White Center Food Bank. We look forward to serving our community next year.
If you didn’t get to the Westwood event, you can still support WCFB – which also serves southernmost West Seattle – by going here.
Thanks to generous donors, including many local businesses, the West Seattle Food Bank has a fun collection of items on which you can bid today and/or tomorrow even if you’re not going to the WSFB’s gala Saturday night.
The West Seattle Food Bank’s 16th Annual Instruments of Change Gala & Auction will be held tomorrow, May 6th, at The Hall at Fauntleroy. The event aims to raise funds to support the organization’s mission of providing necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter to individuals and families in need. The gala will feature a happy hour, silent and live auction along with a sit-down dinner. Attendees will also have the opportunity to learn more about the work of the West Seattle Food Bank and its impact on the community.
If you did not register for the in-person event, but would still like to support, West Seattle Food Bank is hosting its silent auction online and anyone is welcome to participate. Many items are available for bid, all donated by generous local businesses and individuals. This is a great opportunity to support the organization and its mission. The auction opened this morning and will close Saturday, May 6 at 7 pm.
In addition to the online auction, donations are being accepted to support the West Seattle Food Bank. Every contribution, no matter how big or small, can make a difference in the lives of those struggling with food insecurity.
For more information about the West Seattle Food Bank gala, online auction, or to make a donation, go here!
WSB is among the community sponsors of the WS Food Bank fundraiser.
Fundraising season is reaching a crescendo, and this announcement is for local businesses – a way to promote themselves while supporting students. From Friends of Roxhill Elementary:
Roxhill Elementary is a Title 1 public school, meaning that a high percentage of students live in low-income households. This year, we are working with 5th graders to produce a high-quality yearbook that will be distributed to every student regardless of their family’s ability to pay for one.
You can help support your local school and students in your community by buying an ad to promote your business in our yearbook. This helps offset the cost of yearbooks for families who cannot pay for one themselves and introduces families to local businesses they can support. Best of all, it ensures that ALL students can keep this memento of their elementary school days.
Ads are affordable and help build awareness in your immediate community. Roxhill Elementary is made up of ~245 students and 50 teachers and staff members. All ads are printed in color and yearbooks will be distributed at the end of June 2023.
Ad Pricing:
⅛ page (2.75”x 4.25”): $40
¼ page (4.25” x 5.5”): $75
½ page (8.5” x 5.5”): $150Fill out this form by Tuesday, May 9 or email us at friendsofroxhill@gmail.com. Thanks for supporting our Roxhill RoxStars!
West Seattle’s only emergency shelter – which is entirely volunteer- and donation-powered – could use some “resupplying.” Here’s the message from Keith Hughes, who runs the shelter from the West Seattle Veteran Center/American Legion Post 160 building in The Triangle:
My sincere thanks to the West Seattle Community for your continued and generous support for the Homeless Shelter at the American Legion Hall here in West Seattle. We made it through the winter and extended cold weather this spring, but the need has been great and our food and clothing supplies have been depleted. The overnight operation has ended for this season, but we are still operating the Warm-Up Center 7 day a week from 7:30 m till 10 am including a hot breakfast every morning. This is our current need list:
Ground coffee, powered coffee creamer, 12 oz Hot cups (no lids)
Instant Oatmeal packets, Instant Hot Chocolate packets
Old Fashion or 1-minute oatmeal
Pancake mix, pancake syrup, butter, peanut butter
Cup-O-Noodles, single-serving instant soups
Safeway/QFC gift cards so we can get perishables like milk, eggs, orange juice, butter
Clothing items needed: men’s socks (9 – 12), underwear L & XL, tee shirts L & XL, cotton gloves, stocking caps. NOTE: We partner with the Clothesline for outerwear so we don’t need to stock shirts, pants, and coats this time of year.
To learn more about the Shelter or make a monetary donation, you can go to our website. www.westsideneighborsshelter.org
Thank you again for your continued support. This is an all-volunteer operation supported only by the Community. We do not receive monetary aid from any governmental entities.
The shelter is at 3618 SW Alaska.
Another online auction open to the entire community is taking bids right now – this one’s for Gatewood Elementary and bidding runs until Friday night. Here’s the announcement we received:
Gatewood Elementary’s annual auction is this Friday, May 5th – but you can get in on the silent auction now!
The silent auction is open to everyone – no ticket needed!
All funds raised go to our Gatewood school needs, teacher & staff support, and back into the West Seattle community.
Check out specific Teacher Experiences, Favorite Books, and of course preview the art! Support big and get some cool stuff and experiences in the process.
Silent Auction closes at 7 PM on Friday, May 5th.
This week brought the annual GiveBIG campaign encouraging you to support local nonprofits. Mode Music and Performing Arts, based in North Delridge, is making a special request to help build its scholarship fund, to provide music lessons to students who otherwise couldn’t afford them. Received today from MMPA:
Meet Harper, one of Mode Music and Performing Arts’ students! She has been taking private vocal lessons through our scholarship program.
For Harper, singing is part of life; ask her a question, she’ll sing her answer! Harper’s moms, Krystal and Kim, told us that “Harper has literally been singing since the time she could make noise.”
Kim added, “I’m just excited to be able to encourage her to just do whatever she wants to do, and to be able to offer that experience to her, you know? It’s just so great to see her learning and becoming whatever she wants to become with doing it.”
MMPA is dedicating 25% of our GiveBIG donation total toward our private lesson scholarship program, so students like Harper can achieve their musical dreams.
That means, if we reach our GiveBIG goal of $10,000, we can allocate $2,500 to music lesson scholarships.
The remainder of what we raise for GiveBIG goes toward making our pay-what-you-can programming possible, helping to cover the operating costs of our programs so that we can continue to offer free and discounted arts education.
Harper is one of the many students we reach through our arts programs. In 2022 alone, we served 234 kids and offered over $15,000 in scholarships to our group classes and camps at our location in Delridge! We also served nearly 100 students in our after-school arts programs in Fall 2022.
Your support for MMPA on GiveBIG matters so much! You will make a difference for our after-school programs, group camps and classes, and private music lesson scholarships. Take a moment today to make a gift to support accessible arts education in West Seattle. Click here to donate! Thank you for giving big and supporting accessible arts education today!
May 13th is not only West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, it’s also the day for Stamp Out Hunger, the annual door-to-door food drive led by the National Association of Letter Carriers. Partnering with NALC, the U.S. Postal Service sent a reminder today, including:
Donating is easy – customers should leave their non-perishable food donations in a bag near their mailbox on Saturday, May 13, before their letter carrier arrives. Food collected during the drive will be delivered to local Washington community churches, food banks and food pantries for distribution.
Customers can also donate online directly to their local food bank. [Our area is served by the West Seattle Food Bank and White Center Food Bank.]
While all non-perishable donations are welcome, foods that are high in protein such as canned tuna, salmon, beans, and peanut butter are most needed. Canned fruits and vegetables, whole grain, low-sugar cereals, macaroni and cheese dinners, and 100% fruit juice also top the list of most-needed items.
The food drive is held annually in late spring because most of the food banks’ donations are received and distributed between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
This will be the 31st year for Stamp Out Hunger, which resumed last year after a pandemic hiatus.
(Photo courtesy SWSHS)
A “music tour of West Seattle” in that classic car is just one of many “unique local experiences” that’s being auctioned as a benefit for the only organization devoted to local history – not just to remember the past, but also to learn lessons for the future. Some bidding starts online tomorrow! Here’s how to be part of it:
Each year, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society auction brings together the best of West Seattle business, art and experiences to raise funds to meet its mission to preserve local history through education, preservation, and advocacy.
This year, the Historical Society’s online auction opens on Monday, May 1 and closes Thursday, May 4. The auction is open to the public and features West Seattle gifts, experiences, and art. All funds raised go directly to the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and the Log House Museum. Bidders can register for free online at loghousemuseum.org.
The auction, which was previously held in-person during the SWSHS Annual Gala, moved online in 2020. As the organization began to meet in person again, SWSHS board and staff wanted to keep most of the items available through the online auction so it could reach a wider audience.
Available items include walking tours with local historians, a private viewing of Doc Maynard’s letters with historian Phil Hoffman, tickets to local events including the West Seattle Garden Tour, Wine Walk, and Rainbow Bingo, overnight stays at the famous Easy Street Beach House, original art, and gift certificates for dozens of local businesses, restaurants, salons, and more.
Select items will be offered during a Live Auction at the society’s Spring Gala on May 5 at Salty’s on Alki. Priceless experiences, including an opportunity to create your own Husky Deli Ice Cream Flavor, a Music History Tour of West Seattle (in a vintage Cadillac no less!), a private tour of the West Duwamish Greenbelt with Duwamish Tribe Council member Ken Workman, and more are available only during this event.
The Spring Gala and the auction are the organization’s biggest fundraising events of the year, bringing in critical income to support both the operations of the Log House Museum, but also its historical collection – including two recent acquisitions, signage from the Original Bakery that closed in March and bound volumes of the West Seattle Herald from the 1920s-1940s.
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society preserves local history through education, preservation, and advocacy. The Historical Society owns and operates the Log House Museum, a landmarked building located off of Alki Beach. The Historical Society’s service area includes communities across the Duwamish Peninsula.
You can bid online starting tomorrow even if you’re not going to Friday’s gala (more on that event here).
Sale season is on! Not only are we two weeks from West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day, you can shop right now at a big sale raising money to help a local school. This is the Highland Park Elementary PTA‘s sale, happening at the school until 2 pm. The merchandise includes lots of kid stuff and family-fun items, of course:
HPE is at 1012 SW Trenton.
Less than two months before graduation, the West Seattle High School Class of 2023 is looking for a little community help. Sophia from the ASB emailed us to explain, “As the class of 2023 is wrapping up our senior year, we’ve made a way for members of the community to help donate to and support the different activities and events we want to be able to put on for our classmates. These include prom, senior sunset, graduation, and several others!” Here’s the link to use if you’re interested in donating; on that page, the ASB adds, “Our class was unable to fundraise for all of our sophomore year and half of our junior year due to Covid restrictions, so we really appreciate the generous contributions of parents and community members towards making the end of our time together in high school as wonderful as it can possibly be!”
Fundraiser season continues, and here’s one you can jump into right now if you have a few minutes – the Arbor Heights Elementary PTSA auction. Online bidding is open to all until Saturday night (when the PTSA hosts its in-person auction gala). The PTSA says money they raise “supports Arbor Heights Elementary students and staff through PTSA funding of classroom supplies, teacher trainings, school assembly funding, music instruction for all students, arts enrichment, literacy programs, IDEA STEM lab equipment, transportation for field trips and much more.” You can browse what’s up for bidding – including food, beverages, getaways, art, music, more – by going here.=
School fundraising parties are back in full force this year, and we’ve been asked to make sure you know about these two, starting with one looking for community volunteer assistance:
GATEWOOD ELEMENTARY VOLUNTEER SEARCH: You can help make this party happen, with some perks:
Gatewood Elementary is holding their annual auction at the Hall at Fauntleroy on Friday, May 5th, 5:30 pm-10 pm. We are looking for volunteers from our community to help out with this year’s event! We specifically need help with facilitating the games during the cocktail hour, recording drink ticket sales, and live auction spotters and recorders. Gatewood auction committee will provide volunteers with a light dinner, soda/water, and our gratitude. Volunteers will also have the option to bid on live auction items. Your participation allows Gatewood parents to relax and enjoy the Auction! Thank you for your consideration! Sign up here.
MADISON BEACHY BULLDOG BASH: This party is happening 6-10 pm next Saturday (April 29) at the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon). The Madison Middle School PTSA says tickets are available here. But also: “Even if you can’t make the event, you can still support our students, staff, and community by bidding on items or making a donation here.” They also have warm words of thanks for private donors and businesses who have already contributed – more than 100 have donated auction items.
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