By Sharon Salyer Herald Writer
What a year for a local charity to offer a steal of a deal — an Adirondack chair signed by Seahawks team members, fresh from the Super Bowl.
The chair is handmade by Tom Sage, a shop teacher at Langley Middle School. It includes the distinctive Seahawks logo and is painted in team colors by graphic artist Randy Lindahl, of Snohomish. The chair includes a replica of the Super Bowl’s Lombardi trophy.
The 19 Seahawks autographs found on the chair include those from quarterback Russell Wilson, Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith and tight end Zach Miller.
The chair is just one of 30 that will auctioned off during the annual Chairs for Charity event May 7, which benefits the Homeless Endowment Fund. The auction is scheduled from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Rosehill Community Center in Mukilteo.
Other items up for auction include a garden bench built into a wheelbarrow and a chair, painting and lamp shade donated by a woman who formerly was homeless and now is working to establish herself as an artist, said Kay Frederickson, a member of the Snohomish County Camano Association of Realtors, which sponsors the event.
“We try to raise $20,000 to $30,000 a year,” Frederickson said.
The money goes toward providing individuals and families living in homeless shelters with money for deposits to allow them to move into more permanent housing. “We typically are helping about 20 families or individuals per year,” she said.
“It’s hard for people in shelters to put down the first month’s and last month’s rent and a damage deposit,” Frederickson said. “So we make a loan available of up to $1,000 to get them into their own, permanent residence.”
The loans are paid back in monthly payments with the specific amount determined by their household income.
The business group partners with Volunteers of America, which helps identify people living in shelters who would be good candidates for the program, Frederickson said.
A recipient of one of last year’s loans will speak at this year’s event.
The real estate organization has been holding fundraising for community causes since 1997. This is the third year of the Chairs for Charity event.
The hor d’ oeuvres and desserts will be prepared by an instructor with the culinary arts program at Edmonds Community College.
“And, it’s at the Rosehill Community Center and you can’t get much better than that for the view,” Frederickson said.
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.
The event
Chairs for Charity, an event to benefit the Homeless Endowment Fund, is scheduled from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. May 7 at the Rosehill Community Center, 304 Lincoln Ave. in Mukilteo. Tickets may be purchased at the door for $35 and includes hor d’ oeuvres and refreshments.
