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

July is ‘Park and Recreation Month,’ and with five weekends in it, the City of Burien is challenging families to get outside to celebrate and explore their own B-Town parks – with a Scavenger Hunt (PDF file)!

The Burien Community Center is challenging families to a scavenger hunt that spans 12 city parks, including Arbor Lake Park, Chelsea Park, Dottie Harper Park, Seahurst Park and more.

‘Rock Your Park’ is an entire month celebration of the parks and what they have to offer. Participants will discover random facts about each park with scavenger hunt questions like: What type of animal can you see on a daily basis at Hilltop Park and what is located under the slide at Southern Heights Park?

Families who complete the scavenger hunt can bring their completed form into the Burien Community Center or one of the Music in the Park events by Aug. 1 to enter to win prizes. The winners will be announced at the August Music in the Park events.

Burien Parks is also asking families to submit photos of families using the parks. The best photo will be awarded with a prize and used in displays and publicity.

For more information, click here.

BTB Reader Andrew Ward, a local high school teacher, wants our Readers to know that he’s seeking temporary housing for three exchange students who are flying to Washington from Spain this summer.

Here’s the note from Andrew:

Hi,

I’m a high school teacher in Burien, and I’m looking to place three students from Spain with local families for the month of July.

The program is through Nacel Open-Door (www.nacelopendoor.org). Families only need to provide a separate bed for the student, and a spot at the dinner table.

This is a GREAT way for students to experience some international culture during their summer months off of school, and play “tour guide” for their Spanish guest!

Three more homes are needed where the Spanish teens can learn about life in America and practice their English. They have their own insurance and spending money. They just need to have their own bed to sleep in and a place at the dinner table.

Host families will need to complete an application packet. It’s pretty easy, and it’s a FUN way to get to know another culture and potentially make life‐long, international friends!!!

If you are interested in participating, please email Mr. Andrew Ward, a high school Spanish teacher in Burien, at senorward@yahoo.com as soon as possible. Time is of the essence in getting everything set up in time for them to be able to come to the US. It would be such a shame to have these few kids miss out.

To have more of your questions answered, the following websites will help:  www.nacelopendoor.org or www.nacel.net.

A new feature in this year’s revamped Wild Strawberry Festival will be The B-Town Bike Fair, which will happen on Saturday, June 19th on festival grounds in Burien’s Town Square.

This is an event open to all kids, families and attendees who want to celebrate and learn more about biking in Burien, and it’ll include the following activities:

• A Bicycle Rodeo for children (bicycle safety course, bicycle safety inspections and helmet fittings)
• A Bicycle Scavenger Hunt
• Bicycle helmet sale
• Adaptive cycles
• Preschool tricycle course
• Station for recycling and donation of bicycles
• 2-D and 3-D art opportunities celebrating bikes
• Information on health benefits
• Raising awareness of Burien’s Bike & Pedestrian Plan and perhaps a cycling scavenger hunt!

Organizers are encouraging folks to actually ride their bikes to the Wild Strawberry Festival, in the true spirit of this great mode of transportation.

Here’s more info from the website:

WHAT is the B-Town Bike Fair?
The B-Town Bike Fair promotes cycling in the Burien Community by inspiring and empowering people to (re)discover the positive qualities of pedal-powered movement for everyday trips around town. Activities planned to date include a Bicycle Rodeo for children (bicycle safety course, bicycle safety inspections and helmet fittings), bicycle helmet sale, adaptive cycles, preschool tricycle course, station for recycling and donation of bicycles, 2-D and 3-D art opportunities celebrating bikes, information on health benefits, raising awareness of Burien’s Bike & Pedestrian Plan and perhaps a cycling scavenger hunt!

WHO is it for?
This event is open to ALL kids, families and individuals in the community who want to celebrate and learn more about the opportunities and benefits of biking in Burien.

WHY
We hope to transform community members’ perception of how easy it is to get around town by bicycle and help them gain appreciation for the many personal health and community benefits of cycling through fun, safe and inclusive activities supported by a variety of local groups.

WHEN
Saturday – June 19, 2010 in connection with the Wild Strawberry & Arts Festival

WHERE
Burien Town Center – SW 152nd Street

SCHEDULE

10am-1pm – Adaptive Cycles by Outdoors For All

10am-2pm – Bicycle Rodeo for Kids & Preschool Tricycle Course

• Includes Bicycle Safety Inspections, Helmet Fitting & Free Helmets (while supplies last), Bicycle Safety Obstacle Course and Preschool Tricycle Course
• Parent/guardian must accompany child and sign liability waiver to participate

1pm-3pm - Bicycle Scavenger Hunt

• Follow clues to local sights and businesses – recommended for ages 12 and up.  Parents with kids in bike trailers are also encouraged to participate.  Participants enter a drawing to win prizes.
• Parent/guardian must sign liability waiver for minors to participate

10am-3pm – Bicycle Rejuvenation Station

• Bicycle Safety Inspections & Helmet Fitting for Teens/Adults, Accepting Useable Bikes for Donation

Also featuring:

• 2-D and 3-D art celebrating bicycles
• Personal shopping assistance for selecting a bike for you
• Model of Metro bus bike rack
• Info on bikes and health & environment

EVENT ORGANIZERS
Brooks Stanfield, Sustainable Burien – 206-244-0012, huevodelcampo@gmail.com
Anne York, Previous Burien Bicycle Rodeo Organizer – 206-523-5220, kroyenna@comcast.net
Jimmy Schulz, Sustainable Burien – 206-920-7448, jubxie@gmail.com

INFO
More info available at this website: www.btownbikefair.org; you can also “Like” them on Facebook here.

Also be sure to check out the Wild Strawberry Festival’s website here for other great events at this year’s fest.

Chris Ballew is better known as the lead singer of the Seattle-based rock and roll band, The Presidents of the United States of America; however, on Friday, May 21st at 10:30am he will perform for FREE at the Burien Library as his kid-friendly alter-ego “Caspar Babypants.”

This group includes three singers, electric piano, electric guitar and percussion, and the show will feature simple songs families can sing together to reinforce many concepts related to Early Literacy.

Target ages are 2 – 5 with adult.

Please keep in mind though that space is limited, so this will be first come, first seated show.

Here are the full details:

WHAT: Caspar Babypants More Please! FREE show Presented by Chris Ballew and his Band. Ages 2 to 5 with adult.

WHEN: Friday, May 21st at 10:30am.

WHERE: New Burien Library, located at 400 SW 152nd Street, Burien, 98166; 206-243-3490 .

INFO: From the KCLS website:

Chris Ballew is better known as the lead singer of the Seattle based rock and roll band, The Presidents of the United States of America.

This group includes three singers, electric piano, electric guitar and percussion.

The show will feature simple songs families can sing together to reinforce many concepts related to Early Literacy.

Space is limited, first come, first seated.

For more info on Caspar Babypants, check out their website here.

Here are some videos of Chris/Caspar in action:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The “Burst for Prosperity” initiative seeks to reduce poverty in Washington State, and they’re holding their annual meeting on Tuesday, May 4th.

The public is invited.

Burst is currently expanding its work to impact a greater number of people living in poverty and continue to positively affect change in the regional and statewide systems that directly impact low-income individuals and families.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Burst for Prosperity Annual Meeting.

WHEN: Tuesday, May 4th from 6pm to 8:30pm.

WHERE: Renton Community Center, located at 1715 SE Maple Valley Hwy., Renton, 98057.

INFO: Dinner & Highlights of the 2009 Burst for Prosperity Initiatives; an initiative of Children’s Home Society of Washington.

RSVP: Contact Sylvia Villareal at 206.527.3882 or sylviav@chs-wa.org.

From an email:

Come Join Us! Burst for Prosperity Annual Meeting.

We want to personally invite you to the Burst for Prosperity 3rd Annual Meeting to highlight our 2009 accomplishments and partnerships to the community. We will be reporting on many of the exciting strategic initiatives that are changing systems to provide greater opportunity for people in our communities to move out of poverty permanently. The meeting will feature residents and organizational partners who have worked closely with us and are the reason for our success. We want to take this opportunity to share these stories with you!

The Burst for Prosperity Initiative seeks to reduce poverty in Washington State by researching and testing innovative models informed by the community that transform systems to help people achieve financial independence.

In a recent poll, more than half of Washington State residents reported a permanent downward change in spending habits, and nearly a third of households have experienced unemployment or have difficulty paying for necessities like rent and heat.

Burst is currently expanding its work to impact a greater number of people living in poverty and continue to positively affect change in the regional and statewide systems that directly impact low-income individuals and families.

More information available at the Burst for Prosperity website.

The Highline School District will be holding a food drive the week of April 26 – 30, with donations going to both the White Center and Des Moines Food Banks.

According to a release, each school will set a goal, in pounds, for their individual food drive.

With the Feinstein Foundation Challenge still active, donations could effectively be doubled through April 30th.

“This is an exciting opportunity to make an impact on the needs of our community members,” said Audrey Zemke of the White Center Food Bank. ”The Alan Feinstein Foundation splits one million dollars in matching funds for all monetary and food donations through April 30.”

Here are the details:

WHAT: Highline School District food drive.

WHEN: The week of April 26 – 30 (Mon-Fri).

WHERE: All Highline Public Schools.

INFO: From a release:

Help fight hunger! Did you know one in five families with children in our region does not have enough money to buy food?

During the week of April 26 – 30, you have a chance to help change that! Highline Public Schools will partner with the Des Moines and White Center Food Banks to raise food and funds for the hungry.

Each school will set a goal, in pounds, for their individual food drive.

We can do this!  Stamp out hunger in our community!

Bring non-perishable items…

OR

CASH!   ($1 = $4 buying power!)

You can also donate online:

• www.myfoodbank.org (Des Moines)
• www.whitecenterfoodbank.org

Or send donations to:

Highline Food Bank
P.O. Box 66427
Burien, WA  98166

The future of New Futures, a non-profit educational center for low-income children, youth and family, is now in the hands of Mario Paredes (pictured, left), its new Executive Director, who will start June 1st.

“I greatly look forward to working together with New Futures’ families and with schools, along with New Futures’ many other community partners, to reduce educational disparities and ensure that all children and youth are able to thrive,” Paredes said in a statement.

Paredes is a “longtime, highly respected community leader in Washington State,” according to a press release, and currently serves as the executive director of Consejo Counseling and Referral Service, an agency that provides culturally competent services to underserved Latino communities, especially families with children. Under Mario’s leadership over the past 12 years, Consejo has grown from a local agency with a $2.2 million annual budget to a statewide agency with a $6 million annual budget. In addition, Mario has led two successful multi-million-dollar capital campaigns during his tenure there. As a result, Consejo has been able to greatly expand its programming and extend its reach to better serve hundreds of low-income, immigrant families in our region.

Paredes will have his coming out party at New Futures’ Get Inspired! Benefit Breakfast on Wednesday, May 5, at the Washington State Convention Center (see poster below). For tickets, or for more information, click here.

According to their website:

New Futures’ mission is to partner with families to create communities where children thrive. Our integrated, culturally relevant programs build skills, foster connectedness, and promote strengths. We operate vibrant community learning centers at four low-income apartment complexes in South King County, providing on-site children and youth, family, and community-building programs for nearly 1,600 people, and positively impacting all of the approximately 4,000 people who live in these communities.

New Futures’ sites include:

• Arbor Heights in White Center
• The Heights at Burien (formerly Vintage Park) in Burien
• Windsor Heights in SeaTac
• Woodridge Park in Boulevard Park

More info on New Futures is available at their website.

Here’s the press release in its entirety:

It is with great pleasure that the New Futures Board of Directors announces that Mario Paredes will join New Futures as our new executive director on June 1, 2010.

A longtime, highly respected community leader in Washington State, Mario is currently the executive director of Consejo Counseling and Referral Service, an award-winning agency that provides culturally competent services to underserved Latino communities, especially families with children. Under Mario’s leadership over the past 12 years, Consejo has grown from a local agency with a $2.2 million annual budget to a statewide agency with a $6 million annual budget. In addition, Mario has led two successful multi-million-dollar capital campaigns during his tenure there. As a result, Consejo has been able to greatly expand its programming and extend its reach to better serve hundreds of low-income, immigrant families in our region.

Mario brings to New Futures a proven track record of successful management, effective advocacy, and strategic coalition building. In recognition of his leadership, both Mario and Consejo have received numerous honors. Mario currently serves on the boards of the Minority Executive Directors Coalition, Washington Community Action Network, and the Casa de Esperanza National Advisory Board, and is a former board president of the King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence. He earned a masters degree in Non-Profit Management from Seattle University and a bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Western Washington University. As an immigrant to the United States from El Salvador, Mario brings a deep understanding of the challenges facing the children, youth and families in New Futures’ programs.

We are thrilled to welcome Mario to New Futures, and he is excited to join our team as well.

“I greatly look forward to working together with New Futures’ families and with schools, along with New Futures’ many other community partners, to reduce educational disparities and ensure that all children and youth are able to thrive.”

You will have an opportunity to meet Mario at New Futures’ Get Inspired! Benefit Breakfast on Wednesday, May 5, at the Washington State Convention Center. If you haven’t already made your breakfast reservation, please do join us that day in welcoming Mario to New Futures. And if you have made your reservation, please forward this great news to others and encourage them to join us on May 5 to welcome Mario.

The Burien / Normandy Park Fire Department has done a holiday outreach program for over 25 years, and Tuesday morning (Dec. 22nd), they set out with Santa in their shiny fire trucks to make their annual delivery to 59 local families in need.

Local firefighters receive family names from the Washington Department of Social and Health Services office, then provide each one with a nice turkey dinner as well as stuffing, pies and other assorted food.

Each family also receives several toys and gifts for each child, as well as gift cards to Fred Meyer for each teenager 13-17.

One hundred percent of all donations are returned to the community and all donations are distributed locally.

“Contributions were down a bit this year,” said Doug Leudeman of Fire District #2. “And while we had enough gifts to give out, we could certainly use more cash donations to help offset some of the costs.”

Cash donations are still being accepted at the Burien/Normandy Park Fire Department Headquarters Station, located at 15100 8th Ave SW; phone: (206) 242-2040; website: www.burienfire.org.

Photographer Michael Brunk was there to capture this Photo Slideshow:

Click to View Michael Brunk’s Photo Slideshow

On Tuesday (Dec. 8th) and Wednesday (Dec. 9th), all Papa John’s Pizza Restaurants between Seattle and Tacoma, including the nearest one in Normandy Park, will donate 100% of their profits to the families of the four slain Lakewood police officers.

You read that right – if you make a purchase from any Papa John’s in King, Pierce or Kitsap Counties on Tuesday (12/8) or Wednesday (12/9), you’ll not only get some slices, but a 100% slice of profits will go directly to the families of the fallen officers, including the family of Mark Renninger, who served eight years nearby in the Tukwila Police Department (read our coverage here).

The nearest Papa John’s locations are (see map below):

Papa John’s – Normandy Park
19893 1st Avenue South
Normandy Park, WA 98148-2412
(206) 248-3333

Papa John’s – West Seattle
5252 California Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98136
(206) 938-3000

Papa John’s – Kent
1432 West Meeker Street
Kent, WA 98032-4320
(253) 893-1111

Papa John’s – Federal Way
112 Southwest 312th Street
Federal Way, WA 98023
(253) 945-7575

It appears that you may also be able to order online as well – click here to go to the Papa John’s website.

We also encourage you to call and make sure the PJ’s you’re going to will be participating in this fundraiser.

Papa John’s has a Facebook page that may have more updated info – click here.

Here’s a map of area Papa John’s: