The Burien office of Windermere Real Estate has given a $1,000 grant to Hospitality House, a non-profit homeless shelter for women located in Burien.

Hospitality House has been open every night since 2000, helping women move on to better places.

This grant will fund one woman for 45 days in the programs at Hospitality House.

“It’s greatly appreciated by Hospitality House,” reads an email announcement.

The Windermere Foundation receives money from each Agent when an Agent closes a Real Estate transaction. Windermere’s Burien Office pools money with six other Windermere Offices, two in Federal Way, two in Renton, one in Kent and one in Maple Valley.

Here’s more from an email:

In October the seven offices put on an Oktoberfest Event at Fairwood Golf Course and raised $15,000 to go to the Foundation. At the Oktoberfest is staffed by all volunteers, no one gets paid, so it is all to the Foundation. This was Windermere’s 3rd Event, like this. Windermere started doing the Events 3 years ago because the Foundation has not raised as much money because of the poor real estate market. Windermere needed to do something extra to help out the organizations who receive the grants to. Windermere also do issue spring grants.

Annie and Madeline walked dogs in their neighborhood to earn money, which they donated to Burien CARES to help with 38 recently rescued dogs.

Burien CARES employee Jamie Murray alerted us to this charming story – last week two young girls showed up unannounced and made a “huge donation” of $155.67 to CARES after reading our Oct. 7th post about a dog-hoarding and rescue in Burien.

We mentioned in the story how CARES was looking for donations to cover significant costs for boarding the 38 dogs, which were rescued Oct. 6, along with veterinary expenses for emergency care for four of the animals and euthanizing nine others that were too sick to recover.

“They earned the money by walking neighbor’s dogs and asking around for donation to help the dogs,” Jamie said in an email.

According to Burien CARES’ Facebook Page:

This is Annie & Madeline.

Together they earned $155.67 and donated to our poor dogs from the dog hoarding house!!

We are so touched to have so much help from two young girls.

They where very sweet and very excited for the chance to help these poor dogs.

Thanks again you guys!! ?

We contacted Jacqueline Drumheller, the girls’ Mother, who filled in the rest of the story:

The girls (and several of their friends) have been collecting money by offering dog-walking services and selling lemonade in the neighborhood.

They’d collected about $60 total when they saw the article about the dog-hoarding situation in Burien and they were really moved to step up their collection efforts.

I think they pulled in another $100 just in the past week.

One of their little friends even threw in $20 of their allowance money to help.

If you’re interested in helping CARES, which still needs donations to help with the rescue dogs, click here for more information.

You can also reach them at (206) 81-CARES or (206) 812-2737 or buriencares@gmail.com.

The Port of Seattle's retired fire truck was donated to Puget Sound Skills Center's Fire Services program Tuesday morning (Sept. 6). Photo courtesy Highline School District.

Tuesday morning (Sept. 6), the Port of Seattle donated retired fire truck #713 to the Puget Sound Skills Center (PSSC) at a ceremony at the school’s campus in Burien.

Students from the Fire Services program looked on as Port Battalion Chief Rick Kruckenberg delivered the engine to PSSC Principal Dr. Sue Shields and City of SeaTac Battallion Chief John Madson, Fire Services program administrator at PSCC.

“Donated equipment like this engine provide our students the opportunity to learn and practice skills on fire equipment they will use in their career choice,” said Dr. Shields. “We are grateful for the continuing support and partnership of the Port of Seattle.”

For more information on the Puget Sound Skills Center, visit their website here.

The EP was recorded in just three weeks time, on a zero dollar budget, with musician time and recording facilities graciously donated.

Orphan Relief and Rescue is a small, grassroots organization that delivers aid, construction and training to some of the worst orphanages in West Africa.

Here’s a sample from the album:

You can preview the rest of the five track EP and purchase it in a variety of digital formats for $5 at the Brooke Trisler web site.

Enjoy new Christmas music, and give a little help back to folks that need it. Sounds like a great holiday deal to us!

Join a Burien tradition by donating food, gifts or cash to Fire District #2. First organized by firefighter Lt. John Zilke, Light up the Holidays has been a traditional fundraiser for the district for over 25 years.

Gifts are accepted through December 19.

Santa’s special sleigh will be leaving its not-so-secret location at 151st and 6th Ave SW on Wednesday Dec 22 at 9 a.m. HO HO HO!

Here’s where you can drop-off much needed gifts, food and cash donations:

• Burien Fire Department – 15100 8th Ave SW & 135 S Normandy Rd.
• North Highline Fire Department – 1243 SW 112th & 1606 S 128th
• Highline Medical Center – 16251 Sylvester Rd SW * 12844 Military Rd S * 13030 Military Rd S
• Burien Toyota – 15025 1st Ave S & 139 SW 150th
• Burien Chevrolet – 14400 1st Ave S
• Albertsons – 15840 1st Ave S & 12725 1st Ave S
• YB Tubless/Economy Wiring – 633 SW 148th
• Frenzi – 218 SW 153rd
• Boulevard Park Place Seniors Center – 2805 S 125th
• Curves – 17824 1st Ave S
• Burien Discount Store – 911 SW 151st St

Janice Hammond of Sunrise Financial Services wants our Readers to know that they are sponsoring a Charity Event this Sunday, Aug. 22nd from 10am – 3pm at their parking lot, located at 2108 SW 152nd Street in Seahurst.

Additional activities will be happening in The Bean parking lot as well.

According to Janice:

The idea is to have people clean out their cupboards and closets and drop off items and food they are not using anymore and we will get the items directly to local charities that need them.

We will have restaurants on site giving out food to donators (The Bean, Primos, Grand Central Bakery, The Mark Restaurant and Bar, B-Town Burgers and Shakes, and The Tin Room) as well as other freebies, like hair products from Dempsey’s, free belly dance lessons from Abyssinian Dance, coupons from Advanced massage.

There will also be a band playing.

Here’s more info:

******BURIEN CHARITY EVENT AND CAR WASH******
Been looking for a way to help out your community? Here is a very easy and/or FREE way to do it! You know what everybody has?? TOO MUCH STUFF!!!! So go clean out your CUPBOARDS AND CLOSETS and bring any usable items to 2108 SW 152nd street on Sunday August 22nd from 10-3.

~~BONUS~~
There will be generous treats from local restaurants on site f…or each donator!! Sponsors include: The Bean, Osteria Da Primo, Grand Central Bakery, The Mark, B-town Burgers and Shakes, and the Tin Room.

I’m sure if you looked through your kitchen and house you would be surprised at how many items you will find that you know your family will never use! So, clean out your closets and cupboards and don’t let all those usable goods go to waste!

What we need: NON PERISHABLE FOOD, SHEETS, BLANKETS, PILLOWS, TOWELS, CLEANING SUPPLIES, TOOTHBRUSHES, TOILETRIES, CLOTHES, PET SUPPLIES, FOOD and KITCHEN ITEMS.

All of the items donated will go to support LOCAL charities: Animals First Foundation, Highline Food Bank, Jubilee, Treehouse, St. Martin de Porres Shelter, and Hope for Robin.

Hope for Robin will be holding a car wash and The Brambles will be playing too!

PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD BY FORWARDING THIS OUT TO OTHERS!!!!

Help us make this a great success! If you have any questions feel free to email them to me at janice@sunrisefinancialservices.net.

On Wednesday night (Aug. 18th), Burien’s Tin Room hosted the opening party for sponsors of the 2010 “Brat Trot” 5K race, which will be on Sunday, Sept. 19th.

This year’s all-day event will benefit WestSide Baby and Safe Kids of South King County, as well as Multicare at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital and Health Center.

Last year’s race brought in nearly $25,000 for local charities, and this year’s will include even more activities, including a German Oompah Band, a “Seize the Sausage” race, beer garden, and a block party emceed by none other than Burien’s own inimitable “Yodeling Dominatrix” Manuela Horn.

The brainchild of Tin Room owner Danny House (aka “Dan the Sausageman“), the original race drew more than 700 people together for a day of fun and festivities, and most important, fundraising. Of course this year, Danny wants to do more.

Here’s how YOU can help:

• If you’re a local businessperson and you’d like to chip in to sponsor (we’re already one!), click here to download a PDF Sponsorship Packet.
• If you’re a Runner who’d like to register for the race, click here.
• If you’d like to serve as a Volunteer, click here to email Deb Will.
  

Deb Will (center), celebrates a sponsorship check from Chuck Tuman (left) and Lisa Tuman (right) at The Tin Room Wednesday night.

Here’s info on this year’s race from the website:

This year’s 5K race begins in Olde Burien on SW 152nd, widely circling Lake Burien before finishing to cheering crowds around the corner of 10th SW and back onto SW 152nd.

2010 brings the addition of a 1 mile+ “Seize the Sausage” race, perfect for kids and adults alike looking for a shorter venue. Runners can dash out, grab their Bratton and race back to the same finish line as those in the 5K.

5K Individual Race
This 5K course is generally flat with few even slight grades. Runners will be primarily on blacktop with a bit of gravel and grass. Race is clearly marked with live hand wavers to keep you on the course and trained flaggers and police officers at busy intersections. Runners can expect a nice run through neighborhoods with glimpses of beautiful Lake Burien and other parts of our charming city. Timing is chip-driven and provided by BuDu Racing.

The Burien Brat Trot starts and finishes nestled into one of greatest festivals of the fall — Octoberfest. Beginning at 10:30 am on September 19th the band strikes up and begins to play in Old Burien. All day event goers can enjoy brats, the beer garden, a german oompah band,water weenie races, booths and of course the Chicken Dance. Local restaurants and shops will be open for business with drink and event specials. Entertaining again this year is the Austrian Yodeler Manuela Horn.

Click image to see larger version of Brat Trot Sponsorship Levels.

In addition to marking your calendars for the race day, you might also want to pencil in Friday, Sept. 17th as well – that’s the night of the Brat Trot Pub Crawl, which, if it’s anything like last year’s, will be amazingly fun.

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The challenge set for Burienites is 50,000 diapers, and all donations made this week will still count towards that total. Heck, we donated over 100 ourselves, all for under $20. And they don’t need expensive ones either – but please, if you’re reading this, take a few minutes to go out, buy some diapers and drop them off.

All diapers and donations go towards helping needy local babies.

DVDs for “B-Town: How Burien Came Into Its Own,” the documentary film shot last summer that’s all about Burien, will be available for purchase at The B-Town Blog’s booth at today’s Farmers Market for just $15.

All proceeds from sales will be donated to Hospitality House, a Burien-based shelter which has helped hundreds of homeless women “get their groove back.”

But you’d best act fast – we only have 10 copies today, and we’ll be at our booth from 11am – 3pm.

Featuring interviews with local dignitaries like founding City Councilmember Sally Nelson, first Mayor Arun Jhaveri, current Mayor Joan McGilton, as well as businesspeople like Dan “The Sausageman” House and many others, this film has very high production values and is a great tribute to our city.

Here’s a 4:55 preview of the finished product, hosted by former Seattle Times travel editor Terry Tazioli:

Click here to view the embedded video.

And here’s more info from the film’s website, where you can also purchase the DVD online:

What does it take to have the health and resilience to rebound from an economic downturn by putting up art in an unfinished section of your Town Square and throwing a party?

The documentary tells the City of Burien’s story about what to pay attention to as we struggle to live well . . . right where we live!

It’s a great story – and much needed right now! It is the story of a vision people had for their city and how they made it come true – how, even in hard times, they are still making it come true.

Last year, Burien artists and city officials did something inspired. They created an Interim Art Space in a potential eyesore when the city center was at a standstill. That marked yet another evidence of the buoyancy and changeability of this place. Featured are artists; the Town Square developers and other business people; new arrivals; old timers, and the government officials that help make it all happen.

The Burien stories fulfill and dramatically illustrate German Urban Planner Thomas Sieverts thesis that: Our choices matter; the landscape in which we live now is the result of countless choices; and that much of it now is an in-between space, neither urban nor rural, but a mingling of both.

The crew behind this production includes many well-known Northwest video folks, such as:

• Executive Producer: Anne Stadler, community leadership consultant, formerly KING-TV5 documentaries and specials Producer
• Co-Producers and Writers: Terry Tazioli, writer/on-air Host, formerly with The Seattle Times, KING-TV5
• Lucy Mohl, formerly Senior Manager, Microsoft (and previously KING-TV, Film.com and RealNetworks)
• Production Manager, Videographer, Editor: Aaron Stadler, www.fatcatVDO.com
• Videographers: Bill Fenster, www.billfensterproductions.com, Diana Wilmar, www.foxwilmar.com/bios/bios; Videographer/Editor: Rowan North, LinkedIn
• Still Photographer: Kimi Milo
• Audio: Stevan Smith, Scott MacLaughlin, Robin Sarmento

Our booth is mid-way down 5th Place SW on the east (library/city hall) side near the Burien Town Square– just look for a big ol’ LCD monitor and The B-Town Blog banner.

Oh, and we only have 10 to sell today, and we take cash only please, so come on down, get a DVD and help out Hospitality House!

A Burien-based Relay for Life group called “Cruisin4TheCure” is holding a fundraiser car wash this Friday and Saturday, from Noon – 5pm at B&E Meats and Seafood, located at 15003 Ambaum Blvd. SW (206-243-1900).

All proceeds will go towards their fundraising efforts for the American Cancer Society.

This is the second year this teen team has participated in the Relay For Life fundraiser, and according to an email:

With the support of families this energetic, helpful, and creative group of teens has been raising money to help find a cure for cancer.

Last year the team raised $539 and this year they are excited to overcome that amount with a current goal of $1,500.

These team members are highly active and participate in all our events. Our current team consists of:

• Brandi Reints (Team Leader)
• Holly LeMay
• Blaine Chadwick
• J.D. Beaird
• Kirsten Mayer
• Zane
• Dustin Dransfield
• Vanessa Stern
• D.J.
• Rilie Rae Nelson

Here’s more info on Relay for Life:

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.

Relay began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington, ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay has grown from a single man’s passion to fight cancer into the world’s largest movement to end the disease. Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 19 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer. Thanks to Relay participants, we are creating a world with more birthdays a world where cancer can’t claim another year of anyone’s life.