The Burien/White Center Rotary Club is holding a Food Bank Benefit concert featuring the Boeing Employees Choir on Friday, Dec. 4th at 7:30pm at the Highline Performing Arts Center.

All proceeds from this show will benefit both the Highline and White Center Food Banks.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Burien/White Center Rotary fundraiser concert featuring the Boeing Employees Choir

WHEN: Friday, Dec. 4th beginning at 7:30pm

WHERE: Highline Performing Arts Center, located next to Highline High School at 401 S. 152nd St., Burien.

COST: Please bring non-perishable food donations to help feed your hungry neighbors during the holidays!

INFO: From the Boeing Employees Choir website:

A good cause, and a great venue, the Burien/White Center Rotary Club has asked us to put on a concert for the Burien community in order to collect non-perishable food items for the local Food Banks.

Bring a food donation and bring a friend!

And forward this invite so we can pack the house and the food bank!

The Boeing Employees Choir is a concert choral group serving as The Boeing Company’s ambassador in song, sharing the gift of music with audiences in the Puget Sound Region of Washington State – as well as throughout the world. The choir has existed since the early 1940s. Today, we make about 25 appearances each year.

Composed primarily of Boeing employees, retirees and their families, our choir is a 501c(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization.

The Burien/White Center Rotary Club, founded in 1955, has a long and rich history of service to the community.

Over this 50+ year duration, club members have volunteered countless hours of service and generated hundreds of thousands of dollars which have been distributed back into the community.

For more information, visit their website here.

by Mark Neuman

All of us at The B-Town and White Center Blogs would like to offer a huge Turkey Day “thank you” to everyone who donated this past weekend at our 2nd Annual Turkey ‘N’ Diapers Drive at Albertsons in White Center.

Over $800 in donations was collected!

The food items will be distributed to those in need by the White Center Food Bank.

Baby related items will go to WestSide Baby, located in White Center.

Team leader Bart Bryan, who often hosts “Whaddaya Think?” on our six neighborhood blogs said “It was very, very cold weatherwise, but the hearts of our neighbors were warm.”

Example: two men, both fighting cancer, arrived three hours apart and, not knowing each other, donated food. Each did so with giving smiles.

One of the most touching moments of the day was when an elderly man donated all he could – 24 cents.

A Sarah Palin look-alike stopped by and contributed food.

A casino dealer set his 52 cards down and gave away a box of 168 diapers.

A grandmother waved and left a grocery bag of pasta and sauce.

A man named “Joe,” who did not want his picture taken, gave four bags of Top Ramen for “starving college students.”

Darla Green, from Skin Perfect Aesthetics in Burien, was the first donor of the day, bringing in a paper bag full of canned goods.

Mike, from an up and coming spot in White Center called Proletariat Pizza, donated three pizzas for the volunteers.

We’d also like to give a big shout out to the good folks at the White Center Albertsons!

Thanks, everyone!

WestSide Baby is a nonprofit organization that collects previously-owned items for children and babies and distributes them free of charge to South King County families in need.

In 2008 WestSide Baby served more than 12,000 children.

In any given month the White Center Food Bank serves over 1,500 families.

Here’s contact information:

White Center Food Bank
10829 8th Ave SW
Seattle WA 98146
www.whitecenterfoodbank.org
Phone: 206-762-2848

And:

WestSide Baby
10032 15th Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98146
(206) 767-1662
www.westsidebaby.org

Here’s a Photo Slideshow shot by Mark Neuman and Scott Schaefer of the day:

Click to View Our Photo Slideshow

The B-Town Blog, along with our sister site The White Center Blog, look forward to seeing as many of our Readers and Neighbors as possible this coming Saturday, Nov. 14th, at the White Center Albertsons for a special Thanksgiving-related food drive: our 2nd Annual Turkeys N’ Diapers Fundraiser!

It’ll run from 10am to 4pm, and all donations will go to the White Center Food Bank (food) and WestSide Baby (diapers & baby stuff).

Albertsons is located at 16th Avenue SW and SW 106th Street in White Center.

We’ll be collecting turkeys and diapers (yes, that’s correct: turkeys and diapers!).

Important note about the diapers – says Nancy Woodland, Executive Director of WestSide Baby:

“We only need diapers in large sizes, Size 5 or 6 or Pull-ups in size 4T. Thanks!”

Stuffing and canned vegetables and other Thanksgiving-related food items would be greatly appreciated.

Donations in the form of cash and checks (made out to “White Center Food Bank”) will also be gratefully accepted.

The crew will be lead again this year by the blog’s own Bart Bryan, host of the recurring interview segments “Whaddaya Think?”

“We raised over $1,100 last year. Let’s double that this year!” said Bart. “Folks around here can really use the help!”

The  White Center Food Bank will make available the food, as they do year-round, to nearby families in need.

The Food Bank works hand-in-hand with WestSide Baby, a nonprofit organization that collects previously-owned items for children and babies and distributes them free of charge to South King County families in need.

In 2008 WestSide Baby served more than 12,000 children.

“See you all Saturday at the White Center Albertsons!” says Bart.

Here’s year-round contact information:

White Center Food Bank
10829 8th Ave SW
Seattle WA  98146
www.whitecenterfoodbank.org
Phone: 206-762-2848

And:

WestSide Baby
10032 15th Ave SW
Seattle, WA  98146
(206) 767-1662
www.westsidebaby.org

Click image (or here) to download a printable PDF poster (feel free to print & post!)

The Burien/White Center Rotary Club will host their 2nd Annual Casino Night & Auction at the Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College (map below) on Saturday, February 7th at 4:30pm.

Tickets are $65 per person or $600 for a table of 10.

This event is the organization’s primary fundraiser for the year and helps them support several local nonprofit organizations such as:

• Highline Area Food Bank
  
• White Center Food Bank
• Westside Baby
• The Hi-Liners
• Miss Burien Pageant
• Highline Hospital Foundation
• YMCA
• New Futures
• Many others

To donate an auction item or to purchase a ticket please call Rick Jump at 206.351.6739.

To be included in the catalog items must be received by January 29th.

View Larger Map

West Seattle’s Lafayette Elementary School, where the BTB’s own Mark Neuman attended school, recently held a very successful food drive for the White Center Food Bank (which serves parts of Burien) with over 2,100 items donated last week.

Here’s more from their press release:

The Lafayette Elementary student council had a new idea this year while planning their annual food drive for the White Center Food Bank. They held a competition to see which class could collect the most items and kept track of the donations by teacher on a bulletin board in the front lobby. The donations quickly filled the collection barrel and started to fill the school’s front lobby.

All of the classes participated, but two classes led the competition: Ms. Rollin’s class collected the most items (251) and Mr. Beal’s class (203) came in second place.

Over 2,100 items total were collected school-wide.

Last week, the White Center Food Bank team had to make two van trips to transport all of the collected food down to their facility in White Center.

Lafayette’s student council sponsors two community service projects a year–one in winter and one in spring. James Morrison, Macy Crooks and Shelby Walker (in the photo) were the student council officers in charge of promoting the drive, keeping track of how many items were brought in, and updating a bulletin board daily to monitor our success. A huge thank you to these student leaders, Mimi Armistead (staff lead for Lafayette’s student council) and to all the generous Lafayette families who donated food.

Since this effort was so successful, Lafayette is going to continue collecting food for the White Center Food Bank (with a goal of a barrel a month) for the rest of the school year.

Lafayette Elementary is a Seattle Public School located at 2645 California Ave. SW. in West Seattle. For more information about Lafayette or their ongoing partnership with the White Center Food Bank, please contact Virginia Turner at 206-252-9500. For more information about White Center Food Bank, check out their web site at: www.whitecenterfoodbank.org; you can also donate directly online here.

Way to go kids!

BTB Advertiser El Dorado West Retirement Community tells us they’re working to help the White Center Food Bank this month by placing a “Giving Tree” in their front lobby.

Everyone is invited to pick a card from the tree and purchase a gift or give cash donations for that person, then bring the gift back to be placed underneath it.

El Dorado is also partnering with the Evergreen High School Football Team’s “Wolverines” to be Santa’s Helpers.

The “Giving Tree” will be in the front lobby of El Dorado West through December 31st, so everyone has plenty of time to participate. You can stop by El Dorado during business hours – they’re located at 1010 SW 134th Street, at the corner of Amnbaum and SW 134th in Burien (map below).

“The Wolverines” will be delivering the gifts to the Senior Patrons of the WCFB on January 8th.

In March of ‘08 the WCFB implemented a “Seniors Only Day” for those over 60. Senior clients can receive food that helps them meet their unique dietary needs and builds in special social time.

Every month residents of El Dorado West volunteer during this time by serving coffee in what they call “Seniors Helping Seniors.”

And remember, food banks are really feeling the pinch of the recession, so any donation you can make is most appreciated, especially by your hungry neighbors.

Here’s how to reach both of our local food banks:

• White Center Food Bank
  10829 8th Ave SW
  Seattle WA 98146
  (206) 762-2848
  Donate directly online here
• Highline Area Food Bank
  18300 4th Ave S
  Burien, WA 98148
  Phone: (206) 433-9900

Our “Turkeys N’Diapers” Fundraiser Saturday (Nov. 22nd) was a resounding success, with an impressive final tally of $1,170 in cash and food/baby item donations raised for the White Center Food Bank and WestSide Baby.

All of us here at the B-Town and White Center Blogs send a huge THANKS to everyone who helped out!

Some details:

• Cash & checks donated: $201.00
• Food donations: huge rush at the end, with folks bringing shopping carts full of food; total # of food items donated approx. 606lbs (between 400-500 cans/packages) from Thanksgiving food items to soup to sugar to marshmallows and more – equal to $969 worth of food!
• $1,170 total donations for the day!

If you’d like to donate to the White Center Food Bank, you can do so directly online here anytime.

To donate to WestSide Baby, please click here.

We know that many hungry neighbors in the Burien/White Center areas will most certainly be thankful, and this couldn’t have been done without our loyal and generous Readers!

Just a reminder to everyone that tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 22nd) is our first-ever “Turkeys N’ Diapers” holiday fundraiser for both the White Center Food Bank and WestSide Baby!

It will take place from 11am to 4pm at the White Center Albertsons, which is located at 10616 16th Avenue SW in White Center (map below).

We’ll be accepting food donations, diapers and baby items, etc. as well as cash and check donations to benefit hungry and needy Burien and White Center families who are served by the White Center Food Bank and WestSide Baby.

These are wonderful non-profit groups that help people, year round, who could really use a hand.

We are kindly asking for the following donations, which can be purchased at Albertsons (or elsewhere) and left with our crew outside the front door:

• Turkeys and Hams (or Tofurkey, etc.)
• Chicken or Turkey Broth
• Gravy Mixes
• Stuffing Mixes
• Fruit Cocktail
• Whole Olives
• Jello or Pudding Mixes
• Canned Pumpkin
• Canned Cranberry Sauce
• Condensed or Evaporated Milk
• Canned vegetables
• Canned yams or sweet potatoes
• $5 or $10 gift certificates to Albertsons
• …and Diapers and other baby items (formula, baby wipes, etc.), of course!

Cash and check donations are also welcome.

See you there!

View Larger Map

The staffers from both the White Center and B-Town Blogs look forward to seeing as many of our readers and neighbors as possible on Saturday, Nov. 22nd at the White Center Albertsons for a special Thanksgiving-related fundraising drive.

It’ll run from 11am to 4pm.

Albertson’s is located at 16th Avenue SW and SW 106th Street, White Center.

We’ll be collecting turkeys and diapers (yes, that’s correct: turkeys and diapers!)

And stuffing and canned vegetables and other Thanksgiving-related food items.

And baby blankets and strollers and high chairs.

The folks at the White Center Food Bank will make available the food (as they do year round) to nearby families in need.

The Food Bank works hand-in-hand with WestSide Baby, a nonprofit organization that collects previously owned items for children and babies and distributes them free of charge to South King County families in need.

In 2007 WestSide Baby served more than 7,000 children.

As always, at any time, here’s how to contact the Food Bank:

White Center Food Bank
10829 8th Ave SW
Seattle WA 98146
www.whitecenterfoodbank.org
Phone: 206-762-2848

You can also donate online directly here.

WestSide Baby:

WestSide Baby
10032 15th Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98146
(206) 767-1662
www.westsidebaby.org

View Larger Map

When Shorewood Foursquare Church learned about the food shortage at the White Center Food Bank, they decided to take action and offer a Food Drive.

Sue Cross, Administrator for Shorewood Foursquare Church, explains:

“When we became aware of this food shortage crisis, we just had to get involved. We want to help get the word out to everyone in the community, to build awareness, and are asking everyone to bring food donations.”

According to the White Center Food Bank, they are in a time of extreme need – client numbers are increasing dramatically; they served 1,690 families last month, which is a 66% increase over last year at this time; that includes over 6,000 people fed.

Obviously, the White Center Food Bank needs help.

The Food Drive begins Thursday Nov. 13th, and continues through Dec. 21st. It will be located at Shorewood Foursquare Church & Christian School, which is located at 10300 28th Av SW, Seattle, WA 98146.

There will be a food bin available 24/7 located just outside the entrance to the building for the public to leave their food donations. Shorewood Foursquare Church will also accept monetary donations made out to “White Center Food Bank” in their office.

White Center Food Bank is asking for donations of holiday foods for the food drive, including:

• Chicken or Turkey Broth
• Gravy Mixes
• Stuffing Mixes
• Fruit Cocktail
• Whole Olives
• Jello or Pudding Mixes
• Canned Pumpkin
• Canned Cranberry Sauce
• Condensed or Evaporated Milk
• Canned vegetables
• Canned yams or sweet potatoes
• $5 gift certificates to QFC, Albertsons or Safeway

For further information you can contact Shorewood Foursquare Church & Christian School at 206-932-0186.

From our sister site The White Center Blog comes news that last Saturday’s White Center Food Bank Harvest Dinner and Auction at South Seattle Community College raised “about $50,000.”

Read the full story here.

The White Center Food Bank serves not only the community of White Center, but parts of Burien as well.

If you’re so inclined to help out a neighbor or two, you can donate easily, directly and securely to the White Center Food Bank by clicking here.

In these tough and uncertain economic times, our friends at the White Center Food Bank would like to remind everyone of their upcoming Fourth Annual Harvest Dinner and Auction.

It’ll be Saturday, Oct. 18 at South Seattle Community College’s Brockey Center (map below).

“This Harvest Dinner and Auction is more important than ever for us,” said Rick Jump, Executive Director of the White Center Food Bank. “The economy is impacting many of our donors as well as our clients.

“We have had a fifty-percent increase in the number of clients in need as compared to this time last year.”

To reserve a ticket or table, contact Rick or his volunteer staff at the Food Bank at 206-762-2848

Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be Enrique Cerna of local public television station KCTS.

Rachel Glass will lead the live auction.

“I saw Rachel at a another event recently,” Rick said. “And she is a darn good auctioneer.”

Who does the White Center Food Bank help, exactly? They help Human Beings: infants and girls and boys. Grandparents and moms and dads, neighbors just down the street.

Details:

• Doors open at 5:30pm, when the first of two silent auctions begin
• There will be a Dessert Dash, and dinner (choice of sirloin steak, northwest salmon or cheese ravioli, or marinara/vegetable medley) will be served at 7:30pm
• There will be great local entertainment as well: “Dances of the World” with international dancers from Mexico, Vietnam & Cambodia
• Call the Food Bank right away, please, to reserve your seat or table: 206-762-2848
• Seats are $60 each and can be held with a Visa, Mastercard or Discover card

If you can’t make it to the auction, you can also easily donate directly online here.

White Center Food Bank
10829 8th Ave SW
Seattle WA 98146
www.whitecenterfoodbank.org
Phone 206-762-2848


View Larger Map

Here’s another video from Monday night’s Blog Party 2.0 Food Bank Fundraiser at Elliott Bay Brewery, featuring Luke from local band Skwish performing a cover of the Foo Fighters’ “Everlong”:

Here’s a video we shot of local comedian Winlar doing an original song at last night’s Blog Party 2.0 Food Bank Fundraiser called “The B-Town Blog Song,” aka the “Town Blog, Comma B”:

Thanks again to everyone who showed up, from the musicians to the comedian to all our generous Readers and Contributors – collectively we all donated 166 items of food and $280 cash to be split between the Highline and White Center Food Banks!

“I just purchased ground turkey at 59 cents per pound,” remarked Rick Jump, Executive Director of the White Center Food Bank. “Therefore the $280 cash donated translates into a lot of turkey for a lot of local, hungry families in need.”

Rick Jump, along with Mike Werle, Executive Director of the Highline Food Bank attended, as well as 45 other people who braved a blustery night to enjoy free appetizers provided by Elliott Bay Brewery, live entertainment and lots of goodwill. In addition to live comedy from local comedian Winlar, the fundraiser also featured live music from Luke of the Burien band “Skwish,” along with “Lost in the Bamboo” (videos coming soon).

This is the second major fundraiser the B-Town Blog has been involved with; the first was held on July 16th at Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub, and raised over $10,500 for the victims of the fatal June 29th Burien arson apartment fires.

The next major fundraiser for the White Center Food Bank will be their annual “Harvest Dinner and Auction” on Sat. Oct. 18th at the Jerry Brockey Center at South Seattle Community College.

For more info on the White Center Food Bank, go to www.whitecenterfoodbank.org. To get in touch with the Highline Food Bank, call Rick Werle (206) 433-9900.

Monday night’s Blog Party 2.0 Food Bank Fundraiser was a rockin’ success, bringing in 166 separate food items and $280 in cash/checks, split evenly between the Highline and White Center Food Banks, and a huge THANK YOU to everyone who braved the weather and showed up (with a special shout-out to  Elliott Bay Brewery for hosting)!

Some highlights of the evening:

• Local comic Winlar sang a hilarious original song about the B-Town Blog (video coming soon)
• Skwish’s Luke did a rousing solo set
• Lost in the Bamboo finished the night with a killer set
• And sadly, BTB Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer was forced to sing “Folsom Prison Blues” (and yes, there’s video of this so stand by…)

We’ll be posting more photos and exclusive videos soon, so please check back in…and again, THANKS EVERYONE for helping to feed your hungry neighbors!

Quick Blog Party 2.0 update:

• So far (as of 7:07pm) we’ve received 94 food donations and $95
• Over 40 people are here
• We’re about to start a Shuffleboard Exhibition
• Live comedy and music starts at 8pm

There’s still time to get down here, so why aren’t you here yet?

Photo above was taken just minutes ago outside the Elliott Bay Brewery in downtown Burien, where Blog Party 2.0 is just getting underway despite squalls and thunderstorms.

Luckily, tonight’s event is inside, where there’s a roof, walls, comfortable atmosphere and lots of great neighbors doing good for the Highline and White Center Food Banks.

We’re blogging live of course, and live entertainment starts at 8pm with local comedian Winlar, live music from Skwish’s Luke along with Lost in the Bamboo.

There’s no cover charge, but we kindly request that you bring in 2 cans (or boxes) of food. If you arrive without food, you’re still allowed in, and if you’d like you can make cash/check donations directly to the charity of your choice, as representatives from both food banks will be present.

See ya soon!

Blog Party 2.0 is TONIGHT (Mon., Aug. 25th), starting at 6pm at Elliott Bay Brewery, (map below) and we’re looking forward to a fun, fundraisin’, organic brewmasterin’, rockin’ and laughin’ evenin’!

Along with being our second-ever “Blog Party,” this event will also serve as a showcase for local talent, and will feature a resident Comedian and two B-Town bands, with entertainment starting around 8pm.

More importantly, it will also be a Fundraiser for both the Highline and White Center Food Banks , and while there is NO COVER CHARGE, a suggested donation of 2 cans (or boxes) of food is kindly requested.

The basics:

• Starts at 6pm, goes until…10/11pm?
• Live Blogging!
• Entertainment starts at 8pm with live Comedy from local Comedian “Winlar“
• Live acoustic set from local band Skwish’s Luke
• Live acoustic set from local band “Lost in the Bamboo”
  
• Appetizers courtesy the B-Town Blog and Elliott Bay Brewery!
• Fun!
• Drinks! (BTW, you’re expected to buy your own beverages)
• Humor!
  
• Much more!
  

Please note that you must be 21 or over to attend, as Elliott Bay Brewery serves alcohol.

Here’s a short video sample of a very appropriate song called “Burien” by Skwish (we’re pretty sure Luke will play this one):

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=26666916

Previously we featured two video samples of Winlar and Lost in the Bamboo, but your best bet would be to just show the flip up.

We’ll see ya then!

View Larger Map

We’re only one week away from Blog Party 2.0, our special Food Bank Fundraiser, which is scheduled for MONDAY, AUG. 25th, starting at 6pm at Elliott Bay Brewery, located at 255 SW 152nd in downtown Burien.

Aside from being a fun and festive gathering, this event will also serve as a Fundraiser for both the Highline and White Center Food Banks, and while there’s NO COVER CHARGE, we kindly ask that you bring at least two cans or boxes of food to help feed your B-Town area neighbors in need.

So come on out and have some fun while helping a great cause, and mark your calendars for what’s sure to be a great night full of:

• NO COVER CHARGE (suggested donation of 2 cans or boxes of food is asked)
• Fundraising for Highline and White Center Food Banks!
• Live Blogging!
• Live Comedy from local Comedian “Winlar”
  
• Live Music from area band “Lost in the Bamboo”
  
• Food courtesy Elliott Bay Brewery!
• Fun!
• Drinks!
• Humor!
  
• Much more, just show up!
  

Please note that you must be 21 or over to attend, as Elliott Bay Brewery serves alcohol.

As a sneak preview, here are two videos to whet your appetite:

1. Winlar sings his original comedy song “Would You Spunk On Hitler’s Pizza?”:

1. Lost in the Bamboo doing their original song “Maria”:

We’ll see ya then!

View Larger Map

We’re moving our second-ever “Blog Party” (which we’re cheesily calling Blog Party 2.0 just to sound cool, circa 2002 at least…) UP one day, to MONDAY, AUG. 25th, starting at 6pm at Elliott Bay Brewery, located at 255 SW 152nd in downtown Burien and YOU’RE INVITED!

Aside from being a fun and festive gathering, Blog Party 2.0 will also serve as a Fundraiser for both the Highline and White Center Food Banks, and while there’s NO COVER CHARGE, we kindly ask that you bring at least two cans or boxes of food.

You may have read this article in The Seattle Times today that explains how a combination of a recession, high fuel costs and assorted other factors is reducing the amount of donations given to local food banks, and that’s why we’re doing this!

So come on out and have some fun while helping a great cause, and mark your calendars for what’s sure to be a night full of:

• NO COVER CHARGE (suggested donation of 2 cans or boxes of food is asked)
• Fundraising for Highline and White Center Food Banks!
• Giveaways!
• Live Blogging!
• Live Music (special artists to be announced soon)!
  
• Food courtesy Elliott Bay Brewery!
• Fun!
• Drinks!
• Humor!
  
• Much more, so sign up for our Newsletter so you don’t miss anything!
  

We’ll see ya then!

View Larger Map