Applause
Published 6:12 pm Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Stockings show vets they’re not forgotten
Heartbeat Serving Wounded Warriors, a Snohomish nonprofit led by Janice Buckley, gathered volunteers Dec. 5 for its annual Christmas Stocking program. Everett Project Linus volunteers led by Diane Campbell donated over 500 oversized, homemade stockings to be filled. Volunteers led by “head elf” Helen Smythe then filled the stockings with “goodies and gadgets,” including iTunes gift cards and Xbox games, all donated by the community.
Dan O’Brien of the Bothell Knights of Columbus Hall offered the lodge’s space for the effort, while Knights Bill and Donna Paulsen provided brunch for volunteers.
The filled stockings were then delivered to servicemen and women in the Warrior Transition Battalion, Madigan Army Medical Center and other units who have suffered traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and other effects of war.
Learn more at www.heartbeatforwarriors.org.
More than $8K for storm victim’s family
A Dec. 2 fundraiser at Tuscano’s Italian Kitchen in Monroe raised nearly $8,500 for Ronicka Messner and her daughter. Messner’s fiance, Grant Strinden, was killed in the Nov. 17 windstorm. The restaurant, where Messner is a waitress, wanted to do something to help her pay some bills.
Her co-workers donated wages and tips that night, while the restaurant donated one-quarter of dinner sales. Donations also were accepted from customers throughout the week.
“We are so proud to be part of this wonderful community,” owner Scott Perry said.
Night Out cities kudos
The cities of Mountlake Terrace and Mukilteo were selected as a National Award Winners for their outstanding participation in the annual National Night Out crime, drug and violence prevention program by the National Association of Town Watch. They were among 161 cities in the nation recognized.
Warmth provided for 300 local kids
More than 300 local children will get warm coats, hats, gloves and other winter apparel thanks to the Marysville Police Officers Association warm clothing drive.
During the three-day drive, the association collected more than 200 coats, 290 winter hats, 375 pairs of gloves, 40 scarves and 104 pairs of socks. Community members also donated more than $890, which the officers used to purchase additional coats.
Families with the Stilly Venom Baseball Club and Marysville Select eighth-grade basketball teams helped with the drive. Bikers Against Child Abuse made a significant contribution. Marysville Parks and Recreation Services Manager Tara Mizell helped coordinate the event, and the Marysville Walmart hosted the drive.
Cocoon House adds to board
Cocoon House announced the addition of six professionals to its board of directors. The new board members include Rebekah Couper-Noles, chief operations officer at Providence Medical Group; Mike Tibbits, senior relationship manager at KeyBank; Jeanne Willard, on-time graduation director for the Everett Public School District; Regent Brown, lead consultant with Fostering Real Opportunities; Dr. Michael Lee, surgeon at Edmonds Orthopedic Center; and attorney Cory Rein, partner at Cogdill Nichols Rein Wartelle.
“With backgrounds in education, human services, law, healthcare, and finance, the new board members will bring new ideas, views and solutions to a rapidly growing organization,” said Julio Cortes, public relations manager for Cocoon House.
Clothes For Kids get a boost
Ten Edmonds churches collected more than $3,000 and 155 new items of clothing for Clothes For Kids at a combined Thanksgiving service held Nov. 25 at the Edmonds Center for the Arts. Participating churches were Community Christian Fellowship, Calvary Chapel Edmonds, Edgewood Baptist Church, Edmonds Open Bible Church, Faith Community Church, Holy Trinity Edmonds, Iglesia El Camino, Mosaic Community Church, North Sound Church and Westgate Chapel.
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