For many high school girls, going to the prom is an event anticipated for years—but not going to the prom because the family can’t afford a formal dress can be devastating. 

This year, thanks to the Highline Schools Foundation for Excellence, a number of high school students will be going to the prom in beautiful dresses donated by local organizations and members of the community. They will also have opportunity to select shoes, bags and other accessories contributed by the local community.

The Foundation is currently seeking donations from the public to help these students in need, and is asking people to please donate clean, new or gently used prom dresses, prom jewelry, and prom shoes to the following locations by March 1:

• Puget Sound Skills Center
• Mount Rainier High School
• Highline High School
• Highline Schools Foundation office (located inside ERAC)
• Evergreen High School?Aviation High School
• Tyee High School

They accept all sizes but have a special need for small and large and plus sizes. They also need accessories including shoes, handbags, and jewelry.

Don’t have a dress but would like to help? Donations and sponsorships are welcome and needed! Call the Highline Schools Foundation office at 206-248-5196 or email info@highlineschoolsfoundation.org.

In its 4th Annual Project PROMise™, the Highline Schools Foundation collects beautiful new and gently worn formal dresses and gowns, shoes, and accessories from throughout our community and invites high school students in need to “go shopping” for the perfect dress for their prom.  The dresses are offered to the girls to keep, or they may return them to the Foundation to be used the following year.

The 2011 Toys for Tots Collection is now taking place at the Normandy Park Towne Center through December 14th, where new unwrapped toys can be dropped off daily from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

New owner Tom O’Keefe graciously donated the space in the Towne Center for the use by the US Marines.

Towne Center is located at 19900 1st Avenue South in Normandy Park.

Contact at the donation site is US Marine Christopher Mahoney at 206-304-3043.

Santa John Nielsen follows volunteers to the next delivery during last year

The Burien/Normandy Park Fire Department is seeking donations for their annual “Light Up The Holidays” outreach program for needy families in the area.

Donations of food or toys are being accepted at both the Burien Fire Station (15100 8th Ave SW) and North Highline Fire Station (1243 SW 112th & 1606 S 128th) through Monday, Dec. 19th.

There are also donation barrels located around the area, so look for those as well.

The deadline to give is Monday, Dec. 19th, and all donations will go directly to needy families in the area.

We’re covered this great program before, and here’s a snippet from last year’s story by Michael Brunk:

Organized by firefighter Lt. John Zilke, the fire department works with local businesses and the community to gather food, gifts and cash donations in the months leading up to Christmas. Names of needy families are provided by the Department of Social and Health Services.

The ultimate goal? To make sure that each family on the list has a complete turkey dinner with all the trimmings and gifts for the children in the family.

Here’s a selection of photos I shot throughout the day set to a little holiday music. It’s a pale imitation compared to actually participating in an experience like this, but I hope it contributes something to your own sense of the holiday spirit:

Click to Play the Slideshow

REMINDER: BTB Advertiser HiLine Lanes will host its 20th Annual Burien Merchants Christmas Belles Tournament on Sunday Dec, 11th, and they’re still looking for Sponsors to donate goods and services.

Sponsors receive ads in the ‘Catalog of Sponsoring Merchants,’ along with announcement of the business name during the event, as well as FREE game coupons and more.

The deadline to donate is this Wednesday, Nov. 16th.

If you’re interested in helping out, contact Leah Smith at (206) 244-2272.

Here’s HiLine’s lowdown from a flier:

Last year, 120 local women participated in this tournament. What attracts most of these women are the gifts they will receive and the opportunity to win cash and prizes simply by participating in the tournament. The entire tournament revolves around getting our bowlers to support local businesses like yours when doing their Christmas & holiday shopping.

For the past 19 years, local merchants like yourself have supported our efforts by donating a gift or gifts. In return for your generosity, we will provide each participant with a “Catalog of Sponsoring Merchants” featuring your ad. In addition, your business name will be announced when a lucky bowler receives your gift.

You may donate anything you like, Gift Certificates, Gifts, or Cash. Should you donate cash, we then use that cash to purchase gifts in your name. If you want to donate a Gift Certificate but don’t have one, we will make one for you in your name. Many merchants have told us that their gift certificate has procured new and repeat customers and referrals as well.

For your generous support of our tournament we would like to offer you a free gift from HiLine Lanes. For contributions with a retail value of:

• $25.00 to $39.00 – Your business will receive a quarter page ad in the “Catalog of Sponsoring Merchants” and 20 FREE game coupons valid anytime lanes are available (a retail value of $80.00). Use them as incentive for your employees or give them to your favorite customers as a way of saying thank you for your patronage.
• $40.00 to $74.00 – Your business will receive a half page ad in the “Catalog of Sponsoring Merchants”, the 20 FREE game coupons, and 6 FREE Colorama or Rock-n-Bowl passes, rental shoes included (a retail value of $200.00). Reservations are required for either event. Just call us and let us know when you’ll be in.
• $75.00 and up – Your business will receive a full page ad in our “Catalog of Sponsoring Merchants”, 30 FREE game coupons, and 10 FREE Colorama or Rock-n-Bowl passes, rental shoes included (a retail value of $300.00).

If you have any questions or would like to donate, feel free to contact us. We will come pick up your donation or you may mail us your gift certificate and we will contact you for your thank you gifts and ad copy. You can reach me, Leah Smith, by calling the center at (206) 244-2272. We would like to thank you in advance for your contribution and wish you a wonderful and prosperous Holiday Season. Let’s get everybody shopping in our local community!!

On Sunday Dec, 11th, 2011, BTB Advertiser HiLine Lanes will host its 20th Annual Burien Merchants Christmas Belles Tournament, and they’re looking for Sponsors to donate goods and services.

Sponsors receive ads in the ‘Catalog of Sponsoring Merchants,’ along with announcement of the business name during the event, as well as FREE game coupons and more.

The deadline to donate is Nov. 19th.

If you’re interested in helping out, contact Leah Smith at (206) 244-2272.

Here’s HiLine’s lowdown from a flier:

Last year, 120 local women participated in this tournament. What attracts most of these women are the gifts they will receive and the opportunity to win cash and prizes simply by participating in the tournament. The entire tournament revolves around getting our bowlers to support local businesses like yours when doing their Christmas & holiday shopping.

For the past 19 years, local merchants like yourself have supported our efforts by donating a gift or gifts. In return for your generosity, we will provide each participant with a “Catalog of Sponsoring Merchants” featuring your ad. In addition, your business name will be announced when a lucky bowler receives your gift.

You may donate anything you like, Gift Certificates, Gifts, or Cash. Should you donate cash, we then use that cash to purchase gifts in your name. If you want to donate a Gift Certificate but don’t have one, we will make one for you in your name. Many merchants have told us that their gift certificate has procured new and repeat customers and referrals as well.

For your generous support of our tournament we would like to offer you a free gift from HiLine Lanes. For contributions with a retail value of:

• $25.00 to $39.00 – Your business will receive a quarter page ad in the “Catalog of Sponsoring Merchants” and 20 FREE game coupons valid anytime lanes are available (a retail value of $80.00). Use them as incentive for your employees or give them to your favorite customers as a way of saying thank you for your patronage.
• $40.00 to $74.00 – Your business will receive a half page ad in the “Catalog of Sponsoring Merchants”, the 20 FREE game coupons, and 6 FREE Colorama or Rock-n-Bowl passes, rental shoes included (a retail value of $200.00). Reservations are required for either event. Just call us and let us know when you’ll be in.
• $75.00 and up – Your business will receive a full page ad in our “Catalog of Sponsoring Merchants”, 30 FREE game coupons, and 10 FREE Colorama or Rock-n-Bowl passes, rental shoes included (a retail value of $300.00).

If you have any questions or would like to donate, feel free to contact us. We will come pick up your donation or you may mail us your gift certificate and we will contact you for your thank you gifts and ad copy. You can reach me, Leah Smith, by calling the center at (206) 244-2272. We would like to thank you in advance for your contribution and wish you a wonderful and prosperous Holiday Season. Let’s get everybody shopping in our local community!!

On Wednesday, Oct. 5th, if you stop by a Starbucks store and pickup a FREE $10 DonorsChoose gift card, you can then spend that money on your favorite Highline school.

But please note – “free gift cards will be distributed to customers on a first-come, first-served basis, so get to Starbucks early on October 5!” reads the eHighlights website.

The gift cards can be used at www.donorschoose.org, where teachers across Highline have posted over 400 requests for support for classroom materials and special projects – to review the Highline-specific projects in need, click here.

“You’ll get photos of your project taking place, a thank-you letter from the teacher, and a cost report showing how each dollar was spent,” reads the DonorsChoose website. “If you give over $100, you’ll also receive hand-written thank-you letters from the students.”

Here’s a list of some local Starbucks (find locations here):

• Burien DT
  15838 1st Avenue South
  Burien, WA 98148
  206-243-1545
• QFC-Seattle #805 (Manhattan)
  17847 1st Ave S
  Seattle, WA 98148
  206-243-9340
• Normandy Park
  17829 1st Ave South
  Normandy Park, WA 98148
  206-988-6912
• Safeway – Burien #1664
  138 SW 148th St
  Burien, WA 98166
  206-243-3043
• Burien Plaza
  116 SW 148th Street, D-210
  Burien, WA 98166
  206-901-0238

Here’s more info on DonorsChoose from their website:

DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need.

Here’s how it works: public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org. Requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class.

Then, you can browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires you. Once a project reaches its funding goal, we deliver the materials to the school.

At DonorsChoose.org, you can give as little as $1 and get the same level of choice, transparency, and feedback that is traditionally reserved for someone who gives millions. We call it citizen philanthropy.

by Lori A. Alden
Prudential Northwest Realty

This Saturday, Oct. 1st, across the country and around the world Prudential Affiliates and their friends and families will be volunteering to make our communities a better place to live.

We at Prudential Northwest Realty are once again electing to have a food drive to help fill the shelves of our local food banks for the coming winter. This is the 8th Annual food drive Prudential has hosted. Raising over $100,000 in cash donations and 100,000 pounds of food.

Please join us Saturday, October 1st from 10 – 2 at the following locations to collect food and donations:

• Albertsons: 15840 1st Avenue South, Burien
• Grocery Outlet: 236 SW 152nd Street, Burien

As a convenience, you may also drop off your donations at our office between September 26th and October 1st from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Prudential Northwest Realty, 930 SW 152nd Street, Burien. Or, if you would like to send a check (made payable to YOUR local food bank), we will make sure they receive it.

Lori A. Alden can be reached at 206-244-6400. Prudential Northwest Realty is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential Financial company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

One of Normandy Park's finest on a Harley Davidson motorcycle that needs to be replaced.

On Friday (July 15), the City of Normandy Park announced that they are seeking $6,000 in donations to help fund the replacement costs for a new police motorcycle – projected to cost $30,000.

The motorcycle in need of replacement was on lease from Harley Davidson; however, the city says that Harley is no longer leasing motorcycles to police.

“The lack of grant money and budget constraints due to the current economy leaves the City with no funds to replace the motorcycle,” reads the statement. “The City is therefore seeking donations totaling $6,000 to support the purchase of the police motorcycle.”

The city says that it has found a well maintained, used police motorcycle at a very attractive wholesale price – a fully-equipped Honda ST1300 ABS which is ready to go from a neighboring jurisdiction. To purchase this motorcycle new, along with its equipment, would cost around $30,000. The Normandy Park Police expect to get another eight years of service from this used motorcycle.

Longtime Normandy Park resident and Arts Commissioner Robert Frey has stepped forward with the first donation. In addition, he has offered to match equally all other donations, so if you are feeling civic-minded, this is a great opportunity.

“In February 2001 the Normandy Park Police created a Motorcycle Traffic Unit, which was very successful in calming the traffic complaint areas throughout the City of Normandy Park, especially in school zones,” reads the statement.

“The City appreciates your donations to help keep our neighborhoods and thoroughfares safe for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists,” reads the announcement.

“We have been without a motorcycle program for about 1.5 years and we would really like to see it come back,” added Chris L. Gaddis, Assistant Chief of Police. “This is a great opportunity and we are hoping it doesn’t slip away.”

If you are interested in helping fund the purchase of the police motorcycle please contact:

Chief Rick Kieffer
206 248-8255
rickk@ci.normandy-park.wa.us

You may also stop by the Normandy Park Police Department, located at 801 SW 174 St in Normandy Park from 9-5 M-F.

“Thank you for supporting your community!”

Photographer Michael Brunk was on the scene, and in-between dropping his own touch o’green (as in cash) into a bucket, he took the following pics:

Bartell Drugs is holding a “Bear Hugs” campaign for the Annual Warm 106.9 FM Teddy Bear Patrol, where people are asked to purchase Teddy Bears to be donated to children in stressful or emergency situations.

Teddy Bears are $7 each, and with each purchase Bartells will donate a second bear to the campaign. Donors can also give their own new or gently-used bears as long as they are under 12-inches.

The drive continues through March 31st, and the Burien Bartells is located at 14901 4th Ave SW. There are also two in Des Moines (21615 Pacific Highway South and 27055 Pacific Highway South), and another in Tukwila (14277 Pacific Highway South).

“Designed to help bridge the communication gap between a frightened child and an adult stranger, the program puts a teddy bear in the hands of community police departments, hospitals and emergency response teams so they may give the bear to a child involved in a stressful situation,” reads a press release.

A number of donation options are available at all 59 Bartell stores in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, including:

• Purchase the Bartell Teddy Bear for $7.00 and Bartell Drugs will donate a second bear to the campaign.
• Make a monetary donation towards the purchase of a bear.
• Donate a new or gently used bear, under 12″.

For more information on Bartell Drugs locations, visit www.bartelldrugs.com.