Volunteers from the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties will build 15 free wheelchair ramps for low-income disabled homeowners on May 19 as part of their 19^th annual Rampathon event.  Since 1993, teams from the Master Builders Association have constructed 320 wheelchair ramps.

Ramp captain Kara Macias, of Chown Hardware, will build a free wheelchair access ramp for Guonei Liang of Renton.

Art Castilleja, the 2012 Rampathon chair explains, “Builder captains will lead their teams in constructing access ramps giving recipients the ability to get in and out of their homes with greater ease and flexibility.  For many of them, it will be the first time in years they have not had to rely on family or friends just to get in and out of their homes.”  According to Castilleja, each ramp represents a unique challenge for the team as they adapt design and construction to the existing landscape and the recipient’s needs.

The Master Builders Care Foundation is the philanthropic non-profit arm of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties.    Founded in 1909, the Master Builders Association is a trade association comprised of nearly 3,000 companies involved in the residential and light commercial construction industry. It is the nation’s oldest and largest local home building association affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders.

“We’ve evolved over the years and wanted a new name to reflect who we are now,” said Barbara Langdon, LifeWire Executive Director. “We’re not just on the Eastside. We provide comprehensive services and programs all around the community, and LifeWire is like a ‘lifeline’ for a lot of people who are in an abusive relationship.”

LifeWire is an innovator of highly successful programs, including a 24-hour crisis line, shelters that provide safe housing, advocacy services, groups for children and teens, a Latina outreach program, counseling, and women’s support groups. These programs are critical when you consider that last year, LifeWire answered nearly 11,000 crisis line calls and worked with almost 5,200 local victims of domestic violence. Since 1982, LifeWire has served more than 115,000 victims and their children, helping them escape from abusive homes and relationships.

“This agency literally saved my life,” said Stacy, a LifeWire client who experienced domestic violence.  “Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to move into a safe place, find a new job, and help my children heal. It’s made the difference for me from being desperate, to starting a new life and having hope.”

“This is what we do,” said Langdon. “We’ve been providing this full spectrum of comprehensive care all along, and now, with our new name LifeWire, we know that people will better understand the range of services and prevention that we provide.”

LifeWire drives prevention through community-based initiatives to cause change in behaviors and attitudes about domestic violence. LifeWire’s recent World of Hope dinner and auction provided a platform to educate the community about ways to prevent domestic violence and highlighted the continuum of care, raising $400,000 for agency programs.

“We are thrilled with the response from our community, and the generosity of our donors,” said Kelly Becker, LifeWire Development Director. “This is a time for all of us to come together and celebrate the progress we’ve made over the past 30 years. As we move forward as LifeWire, we will continue to look for new and innovative ways to address domestic violence.”

For more information, please visit www.lifewire.org. You can also contact Kelly Becker at kellypb@lifewire.org or call 425-562-8840, ext. 253.

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LifeWire (formerly Eastside Domestic Violence Program) is one of the largest domestic violence service providers in Washington state. For over 30 years, we have provided safety to victims of domestic violence, offering a comprehensive range of programs and services that help people regain strength and courage. As an ally, problem-solver and an advocate, we not only assist victims in crisis, we also partner with our communities to educate our citizens so we can prevent abuse before it happens. Our goal is to create a safe environment for everyone. If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, call LifeWire’s 24 hour Crisis Line at 425-746-1940 or 1-800-827-8840. Visit LifeWire at www.lifewire.org. 

Eileen Cho, president of the chapter and a student at Bellevue College, said: “It’s a huge honor. This award really capped a hugely successful year, where we helped a lot of people.” Rotaract, part of Rotary International, is a leadership and community service organization for students and young professionals.

The 40 active members of BC’s chapter organized several projects to benefit communities in foreign countries. Most recently, they collected 300 pounds of donations, including school and art supplies, clothes, soccer balls and other items, which were handed out to needy Peruvian children by six members who traveled to the country. They also spent time on the trip painting buildings at schools and orphanages.

Earlier this year, club members staged a bake sale that raised money for “End Polio Now,” Rotary’s polio eradication program. The money, which was matched by the Bellevue Rotary Club, went to vaccinate children. Also this past year, members collected food for local food banks and volunteered to help athletes train for the Special Olympics.

On May 8 and 10, the club will hold another bake sale to raise money for mosquito nets for several villages in Papua New Guinea, helping to prevent malaria. Another upcoming fundraiser hopes to raise $750 to purchase backpacks, walking sticks, school supplies, vitamin supplements and textbooks for blind children in Nepal. And the club organized an event called “The Ability Experience,” to be held May 17-18 on campus, that seeks to educate students and the public about global health and disability issues.

For more information, check out the club’s latest video at http://vimeo.com/39957928, or visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/rotaractatbc.

Jeannie is a busy woman.  She has teenage grandkids, loves to sew, and spends quite a bit of her time traveling.  But her two great loves are training guide dogs, like Webster, and driving with Senior Services’ Volunteer Transportation Program.

Jeannie was shopping for fabric when she noticed a flyer announcing the need for volunteer drivers.  She decided that since she couldn’t take her own mother to the doctor, this opportunity would be the perfect fit.  Sixteen years later, Jeannie’s still hooked.  Once per week, she picks up seniors at their homes, waits with them at their appointments, and then takes them home again.

“The people I meet are so grateful for a ride, and I’ve never had a senior say to a dog on a ride,” Jeannie says.  “You really feel like you’re making a difference right then, not sometime down the line.  You can see it on their faces.”

Transportation is one of the top problems facing the Eastside’s elderly population.  For seniors who no longer drive and have no families or friends to help out, getting to medical appointments can be very difficult.   More and more seniors are turning to Volunteer Transportation for help.

Unfortunately, the program doesn’t have enough drivers to meet this demand.  This past week, the program had to turn away 45 seniors who called and asked for rides.  Volunteer Transportation needs more drivers like Jeannie to help people get to their medical appointments.

Volunteers use their own vehicles and choose the weekdays, times and areas in which they want to drive. No special license is required, and Senior Services provides supplemental liability insurance.

For more information, please contact Melissa Tribelhornat (206) 748-7588 or melissat@seniorservices.org, or visit our website at www.seniorservices.org.

“On behalf of everyone at the college and the Foundation, we sincerely thank all those who gave so generously, making this year’s luncheon a huge success. The support we received will have a tangible and beneficial impact by helping many deserving students complete their education, giving them a shot at better-paying jobs and a better quality of life for themselves and their families,” said Bill Kent, an executive with Mortenson Construction and president of the Foundation’s board.

A roster of 30 businesses, led by primary corporate sponsor Columbia Athletic Clubs, underwrote the luncheon’s entire cost, allowing every dollar given by guests to support Bellevue College students.

Ronan Farrow, special advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State for Global Youth Issues and director of the State Department’s Global Youth Issues office, and son of director Woody Allen and actress Mia Farrow, gave the keynote address. Additionally, several Bellevue College students in difficult financial circumstances spoke about how scholarships, made possible by generous donors, enabled them to stay in school and flourish in their classes.

Directed by a board of 30 community volunteers, the Bellevue College Foundation is a non-profit organization that receives and manages individual and corporate support on behalf of Bellevue College. It awards more than $100,000 annually in merit- and need-based scholarships and, since its inception in 1978, has raised more than $20 million to support scholarships and program enhancements at the college.

About Bellevue College: Chosen by 38,000 students last year, Bellevue College (BC) is one of the largest educational institutions in Washington State. BC offers associate degree programs covering the first two years of a college education as well as four-year bachelor’s degrees, certificates and continuing education programs in more than 90 professional and technical fields, such as information technology, telecommunications, business, education, health and public safety.

HearthLight Project Presents “Home is Where the Bills Are” preview. This video will introduce you to the need for energy efficiency among low-income families. We can deliver it — with your help. Donate online at www.indiegogo.com/HearthLight.

“We have such amazing support from the community, and this is one of our largest fundraisers to support our programs,” said Barbara Langdon, EDVP Executive Director. “Not only do we want to fill the Meydenbauer Center to celebrate 30 years of service, but we are making a major announcement that signifies where our agency has been, and where we are headed in the future.”

In fact, Honorary Co-Chairs for the “World of Hope” dinner and auction are no less than Gov. Chris Gregoire and First Gentleman Mike Gregoire.  “As Governor, I have seen a dramatic increase in the need for domestic violence services,” said Gov. Chris Gregoire.  “I have met with victims, children and families living in fear and hopelessness. For many, even the most basic safety net can mean the difference between life and death.”

     EDVP answered 10,716 crisis line calls and worked with 5,179 local victims of domestic violence last year. Since 1982, EDVP has served more than 115,000 victims and their children, helping them escape from abusive homes and relationships.

“We’ve seen an increase in traumatic cases, where families are barely holding on,” said Langdon. “The 2012 World of Hope dinner and auction will raise funds that provide critical services to families in desperate need.”

One of EDVP’s clients, Stacy, will share her story during the dinner about domestic violence in her family. After years of physical and emotional abuse, Stacy reached a new low when her husband kidnapped her oldest son, and took him to another state. The mother of three, and now a college student, gives EDVP credit for literally saving her life and those of her children.

“Without the services of Eastside Domestic Violence Program, I don’t know how I would have survived or kept my family together,” said Stacy. “This program has forever changed my life.”

This year’s dinner and live auction on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at the Meydenbauer Center, 11100 NE 6^th St. in Bellevue, will be hosted by KOMO news anchor Molly Shen. Auction Chair Brinette Rounds promises a sensational evening, beginning with a VIP reception, then a gourmet dinner paired with fine wines, followed by dancing. “We will be encouraging high-energy bidding on fantastic travel destination packages, unique getaways, and other items not otherwise available for purchase,” said Rounds. “We give special thanks to our supporters whose generosity will create a World of Hope for victims and families in need.  Join us for this memorable evening!”

To register for the ‘World of Hope,’ please visit edvp.maestroweb.com, or call Tiffany

Solack at 425-562-8840, ext. 249. Tickets are $150 per person, or a table of 10 is $1500.

For more information, please contact Kelly Becker, EDVP Development Director, at kellyb@edvp.org, or call 425-562-8840, ext. 253.

EDVP is the largest provider of domestic violence services and confidential shelter in North and East King County, Washington, and is a nationally recognized leader in the field. Since 1982, EDVP has provided safety, support and access to education and training for more than 115,000 victims and their children. To learn more about domestic violence, visit EDVP at www.edvp.org. If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, call EDVP’s 24 hour Crisis Line at 425-746-1940 or 1-800-827-8840.

 On April 21 – Earth Day Weekend – one of the greenest clubs in major league baseball teams up with BASF, The Chemical Company, to inspire its fans to follow its lead and start striking out landfills at home. Well on their way to batting 1.000 in their zero-waste program, the Seattle Mariners currently divert more than 80 percent of their waste stream away from landfills into composting and recycling centers.

The Saturday, April 21 Mariners-Chicago White Sox matchup marks the launch of “Sustainable Saturdays, a season-long program at Safeco Field to promote the kind of environmentally-conscious practices that have earned the club the prized position of number one in energy efficiency and number two in recycling in Major League Baseball.

The first 10,000 fans to arrive at the ballpark on Earth Day Weekend will receive a free “Kitchen Catcher” compost kit compliments of BASF, Ecosafe, and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU).  Inside are five compostable bags produced with BASF’s Ecovio^® biodegradable polymers.

This weekend’s game also marks the launch of the BASF Kid Compost Trivia game where fans compete for a chance to win an Amazon Kindle Fire and appear live on the centerfield video board at the end of the seventh inning.

“When we realized that the bulk of what we were sending to the landfill was organic matter, the answer was obvious,” says Scott Jenkins, Vice President of Ballpark Operations for the Seattle Mariners. “Turn it back into topsoil. Our zero-waste program has gone from batting .120 just five years ago to .810 today. To help fans follow our lead this Earth Day Weekend, we’re giving away 10,000 kitchen compost kits including everything they need to get going.  With the help of our fans, we aim to make 2012 the most sustainable Mariners’ season ever.”

The Kitchen Catcher will include a countertop container, five Ecosafe compostable liners, SPU coupons for Cedar Grove compost and savings towards the purchase of Ecosafe bags — plus simple steps to help fans follow the team’s green lead.

At each of the 10 Sustainable Saturday games, at the end of the first inning, the public address announcer will invite fans to play the BASF Kid Compost Trivia Game and test their knowledge about sustainability at Safeco field and the Seattle area. Trivia questions will be broadcast on the centerfield video board. Fans do not have to be eco-experts to win because all of the answers are provided at 16 zero-waste stations throughout the concourse, where they will also find the short code to text their answer for their chance to win. The winner will be drawn at random from all the correct answers.

At each zero waste station, volunteers from Camp Fire USA’s Teen Leadership Program will be standing by to teach fans how to strike out the landfill on their visit to Safeco Field and encourage them to do the same at home.  Then, in the bottom of the seventh inning, Kid Compost, one of the Mariners’ eco-mascots, will present the winning fan with a Kindle Fire broadcast live on the centerfield screen.

“Sustainable Saturdays at Safeco are about showing Mariners’ fans how we can all live more sustainably,” said Chris Bradlee, Biodegradable Polymers – Market Development Manager, North America, BASF, who will be on hand to throw out the first pitch at this Saturday’s Earth Day Weekend game.  “The Mariners are already doing a great job conserving water, natural gas, and electricity, recycling waste, and using renewable energy at Safeco Field.  Now, we’re helping them engage their fans to do the same at home.”

Mariners – Safeco Field, a green ballpark

81 percent recycling rate

Since 2006:

• 45 percent reduction in natural gas usage
• 30 percent reduction in electricity usage over 5 years
• 25 percent reduction in water usage over 5 years

All office copy paper is 100 % post-consumer.

All restroom paper is 100% recycled and minimum of 65% post-consumer.

Utilize green cleaning practices including 98% of cleaning products purchased green certified.

168 solar panels generating 40,000 kW hours per year.

Cut electrical use in garage in half via a relighting project.

Installed 4 electric vehicle recharging stations.

BASF – The Chemical Company

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,000 employees in North America, and had sales of $19.9 billion in 2011. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

Start making a difference by joining the international Earth Day celebration one day early, Saturday, April 21st. Bring your environmentally conscious family, friends and neighbors to a special afternoon gathering and potluck community dinner at 21 Acres  to meet like-minded locals, gather helpful resources and galvanize people here to the environmental movement. Activities begin at 3:00 pm with dinner starting at 5:30 pm.

Presented by 21 Acres Center for Local food and Sustainable Living, Transition Woodinville, Sammamish Valley Alliance and Sammamish Valley Grange, you can take part in one or all of the activities.

• 3:00 p.m. –  Indigenous Ceremony at the Woodinville Heritage Garden; tree planting, drumming and fire ceremony
• Tracks and Tales Nature School Children’s Activities; outdoor exploration, creative expression, academics and  personal growth with games, songs, movement, stories, art projects and nature skills
• Tours of the new 21 Acres green building
• Resource and Information tables
• 5:30 – Community Potluck Dinner; bring a dish to share that features at least one (hopefully more) local, organic, seasonal ingredients

The event is free and open to the public. Bring your dish to share along with your own tableware and beverage. We encourage everyone to “pack it in, take it out.” Rain or shine.

Then after the Earth Day celebration, continue the conversation with your children and friends, whether over the dinner table or at the coffee shop. Try something new to lessen your impact on the Earth or to make a positive contribution to the environment; even if it is just one thing a week for a couple of weeks, you will discover even the simplest things can make a difference. Scientists have indicated that climate change and global warming can be slowed, and perhaps even reversed if each of us do our part to conserve energy, limit green house gas emissions and source products more sustainably.

The community organizations planning the local Earth Day event are encouraging people to take each of the ten steps below to help address climate change during the coming month.

1.     Take a family pledge to walk someplace instead of taking the car once each week during the month.
2.     Consider carpooling at least one day during the month.
3.     Start a compost bin in the kitchen and a compost pile someplace in the yard.
4.     Make a concerted effort to buy products with less packaging during each trip to the store.
5.     Try buying breakfast cereal, or some other product in bulk, to limit buying packaged goods.
6.     Pledge to use reusable grocery bags for every trip to the store during the month.
7.    Set your thermostat to 68 degrees or less during the daytime, and 55 degrees before going to sleep (or when you’re away for the day).
8.     Make sure every bulb in the house is switched to a compact fluorescent.
9.     Unplug all family members’ phone chargers when not in use every day of the month.
10.  Reuse bath towels or other slightly used items to limit wash loads and to conserve water

21 Acres is located in the lower Sammamish River Valley at 13701 NE 171st Street, Woodinville, Washington. For more information on the 21 Acres School visit 21acres.org or find them on Facebook and Twitter @21acres.

The Jim Mora Celebrity Golf Classic brings together friends from the sports and entertainment industries to “tee it up” for charity. The Golf Classic matches foursomes with a celebrity for a day of golf on the picturesque Golf Club at Newcastle. Golfers will compete for prizes from start to finish, enjoy great food and beverages on the course and be treated to the BackSwing Bash Happy Hour and Dinner Auction that evening. The BackSwing Bash will include a live auction featuring unique sports memorabilia; one-of-a-kind experiences, like golf for four at POTUS’ country club and amazing trips to Super Bowl XLVII and the 2013 Pro Bowl. A celebrity-studded VIP Appreciation Party will be held at Joey Restaurants in Bellevue the night before the tournament, on Sunday, June 24.

Celebrities that have participated in prior Golf Classics include:

Bill Russell, Marshall Faulk, Lenny Wilkens, Jay Buhner, Roy Jones, Jr., Jeff Foxworthy, Detlef Schrempf, Slick Watts, Rich Eisen, Lawyer Milloy, Matt Hasselbeck, Michael Irvin, Hugh Millen, Jordan Babineaux, John Carlson, Sonny Sixkiller, and Ray Pinney.

Sponsorships are still available at most levels for this exclusive event. Please contact Casey Kennedy at (206) 396-4441 for more information.

The Jim Mora Count On Me Family Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization created in 2005 to support children in need, primarily in three target areas: children from low socio-economic backgrounds, mentally and/or physically challenged children and children at risk. The Foundation affords young individuals the opportunity to realize their potential and achieve their dreams. The Jim Mora Count On Me Family Foundation strives to lend support to charities and children’s organizations through monetary grants and increased community awareness, empowering organizations to help children improve their lives by: building and instilling confidence; encouraging health, wellness and safety; fostering learning opportunities; and using the sport of football as a springboard to talk about life and life lessons.  Since 2005, the Foundation has raised over 1.3 million dollars for over 50 children’s organizations in need. For more information, please visit countonmefoundation.org.