Graduation party honors foster kids’ hard work

Those who took the toughest road will be rewarded tonight in Everett.

Snohomish County Foster Teens will be honored for finishing high school.

Social workers and supervisors of the teens are working very hard to put together a great party for those who reached the milestone, says Julie Frauenholtz, with Region 3 Children’s Administration children and family services,

Sadly, she says, many foster kids don’t make it through high school.

Lombardi’s Neighborhood Italian Restaurant hosts the event in Everett. Sponsors are Kids Dream of Snohomish County; Yen Lui photography; First Presbyterian Church in Everett; nonprofit Project Linus; Starbucks at Thrashers Corner; Costco; Fred Meyer; Radia, a physician’s group; and Youth Net, which works with teens on independent living skills.

They all get a hand for supporting foster teens.

Those honored include Governors’ Scholarship recipients Renee Hemingway, Garrett Nadeau, Supriya Patel, Reginald Reese and Dion Webb.

Kyla Faltin is receiving a $64,000 scholarship from the Gates Foundation.

It’s a private party, so we simply send good thoughts for bright futures.

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Most official get-togethers don’t include hot showers for participants, but this one features soap and towels.

They’ll be coming out of the woods Friday in Sultan.

WorkSource Snohomish County Veterans Unit offers a Veterans Stand Down from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Camp Volasuca, 617 First Street.

It’s for honorably discharged veterans, including homeless, active duty, National Guard, reserve, retirees and their families. Find free clothing, food, haircuts, showers, community service agencies and employers.

“This is such an important event for helping homeless veterans realize they are not forgotten,” says Lenny Simpson of Workforce Development Council Snohomish County. “If we can get the word out to homeless and other veterans that there will be a good meal and showers available, they’ll come.”

A van will pick up homeless vets.

For more information, call 425-921-3491 or e-mail Lenny.Simpson@wdcsc.org.

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Pink Blossom Events in Snohomish and Benjamin DiCaprio Wedding Photography are giving away a $12,000 destination wedding package.

One couple will win approximately $12,000 worth of photography and wedding planning for an overseas wedding in 2010.

“As wedding season is up in full bloom around the area, there is also a group of couples who are planning a destination wedding, says Pink Blossom owner BreeAnn Gale. “With all the details involved in planning a destination wedding, it is often hard for a couple to know where to begin.”

To apply for a chance to win, e-mail BreeAnn@PinkBlossom Events. Tell her why you should win the contest. Send it in by June 30.

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Thanks to organizers who put on a free “Touch a Truck” Saturday outside Comcast Arena at Everett. Kids could climb on and in a fire truck, dump truck, tow truck and Monster trucks that performed Saturday night inside the arena.

There was also a free bouncy house and concession food.

More than one parent was heard to say “What more could a kid want?”

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Folks are getting together, beginning Wednesday, to learn about making slipcovers. It’s the first time in nine years the Slipcover Summit has been in the Northwest. It’s planned at Designs by Mara in Mountlake Terrace.

At the Slipcover Summit, learn how to refurbish old furniture by covering it with fabric.

Sew your own, take it off and wash it, and change colors with the seasons.

For more information, go to www.slipcoveramerica.com.

Organizer Karen Erickson, who lives in Snohomish and is with Slipcover America, says there will be teachers at the Mountlake Terrace summit and small-class sizes.

“Be close up to view the demonstration in each workshop,” Erickson says. “In many workshops participants will make or take home samples.”

Instructors will share knowledge they learned the hard way — through actual experience.

Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451, oharran@heraldnet.com.

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