White Center Now: The blog about White Center

We’ve reported before on community work at Seola Pond. Now, it’s getting some support from a new project of the King County Noxious Weed Control Program, which shared the photo and announcement:

On November 21 in White Center, The Healthy Lands Project (HeLP) is hosting a community open house about the restoration project at the Seola Pond green space and a free workshop on invasive weeds. HeLP will hold a volunteer planting event at Seola Pond on December 7, where neighbors can get hands-on experience planting native shrubs and trees and removing weeds to help make the green space a better place for people and nature. Volunteers at the work party will receive a free native plant to take home. Kids and families welcome!

Community Workshop and Open House
Thursday Nov. 21, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Grace Church, 10323 28th Avenue SW

Seola Pond Work Party
Saturday, Dec. 7, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Seola Pond, 30th Avenue SW and SW 105th Street

These events are part of HeLP’s effort to support the community-led project to restore Seola Pond. In addition to the community events, HeLP contractor DIRT Corps will be removing invasive weeds this fall to make room for more native plants. For more information about events in White Center, contact Marta Olson, Education Specialist. For information about other upcoming events, Healthy Lands Project plans and how to participate, contact Dan Sorensen, HeLP Project Manager.

Saturday is the twice-yearly Duwamish Alive! multi-site work party focused on the health of our area’s only river and its watershed. And one of this year’s sites is in White Center! You are invited to volunteer at White Center Heights Park – contact Lina Rose at lina.rose@kingcounty.gov or call 206-477-6101. 10 am-1 pm is the main window for volunteers. See the full list of areas here.

Spend next Friday night at the White Center Community Development Association‘s annual gala! From the WCCDA website:

“FORWARD TOGETHER”

Keynote Speaker:

This year, we are honored to have Senator Joe Nguyen speaking at our Gala. He was born in White Center, raised in Burien and currently lives in West Seattle. His experiences growing up in an immigrant community as the son of Vietnamese refugees and being raised by a single mother informs much of his service today. Sen. Nguyen is not afraid to have the difficult conversations needed in our community. It will be a treat to listen to him on this night. Make sure you get your tickets!

There will be plenty of food, beer and wine, a photo booth and great raffles packages.

We have 3 Raffles Packages

“WHAT’S GOOD WHITE CENTER” White Center Experience
“WHAT’S UP SEATTLE?” Seattle Events
“GET OUT” Travel Tickets for 2 (two)

Venue:

Metropolist
2931 1st Ave S

6 pm September 20th – get your ticket(s) here.

Got your ticket(s) yet?

The White Center Food Bank’s 15th Annual Harvest Dinner & Auction fundraiser is September 14th from 6 PM – 10 PM at the Brockey Center at South Seattle College. The theme is “Growing Together” to celebrate what the food bank and its supporters have been growing together.

Keeping with the theme, WCFB will have a former Key Club volunteer from New Start High School share her story and how she has grown. WCFB will present The Doris Bemis Volunteer of the Year Award. Dinner will be served family style.

Featured items in the Live Auction include: “The Best of White Center” package, a fire hydrant from KC Water District 20, Dinner for 4 made by Chef Erik Jackson of Good Day Donuts, a kayaking trip for 2 in the San Juan Islands, and a farm to table dinner for 8 at WCFB featuring food grown onsite and Convergence Zone Cellars wine.

Tickets are $75. Get them here. Questions? Please email: auction@whitecenterfoodbank.org or call 206-717-2531.

It’s almost time to start previewing Jubilee Days. But first – another event happening this weekend – the White Center Library Guild Sidewalk Sale on Saturday (July 20th)!

See you there!

The White Center Bicycle Playground is the start and finish tomorrow for the annual Ride for Major Taylor benefit bike ride. From Cascade Bicycle Club:

The riding event is the biggest annual fundraiser designed specifically to benefit the Major Taylor Project, an after school youth development program for middle and high school students in Seattle and Tacoma. The program is designed to introduce youth from diverse communities to the recreation of cycling while fostering an inclusive culture of bicycling.

More than 300 riders are expected, with the route including White Center, Burien, Normandy Park, Des Moines, Federal Way, Tacoma, and Vashon Island, starting around 8 am. Find out more here.

Today is the final day of cookie sales for Girl Scouts in our area – and if you’re going to be in Burien, you can support a special troop of girls whose families have been finding shelter at Mary’s Place:

On Sunday, March 17 from 12 pm to 2 pm, the girls will be selling cookies at
Walgreens at 14656 Ambaum Blvd SW in Burien,

We just found out about this from a troop leader in West Seattle. Read more here.

From the White Center Kiwanis – you’re invited!

Community Fund Raising Dinner

Join us for our dinner on Friday, March 1, 2019

5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Steak or Portobello Mushroom, Vegetable, Roll

(also Raffle tickets & Prizes)

Cost = $20 each

LOCATION: White Center Eagles

10452 15th Ave SW, White Center

(Later that evening Eagles will have live entertainment)

For tickets or information, contact Bill Tracy at (206) 248-2441. Tickets also available at the door.

All proceeds will go to WC Kiwanis Youth Foundation (a 501C3), to benefit youth in the White Center Area

(Photos by Patrick Sand for White Center Now and West Seattle Blog)

Fixing up gently used car seats to help keep kids safe is part of what dozens of volunteers did at WestSide Baby in White Center today, for an MLK Day of Service project organized by United Way of King County. WS Baby has a mountain of car seats to move:

Volunteers were from businesses and organizations including Starbucks and Nordstrom.

They also helped process and package donated clothes and diapers for some of the thousands of families WS Baby serves in a growing area of King County.

Many brought their own kids to help out. WS Baby’s executive director Nancy Woodland reminds us volunteer help is needed and welcome year-round.

Here’s how you can help!

From the White Center Kiwanis:

Join us for our Eighth Annual Taco Bar and Baked Potato Dinner
supporting the New Start High School Kiwanis Key Club

Thursday, January 24, 2019 6:30 pm-8:00 pm
Cost = $20 each or Family: $50
Kids under 12: $10, under 5: Free

@ New Start High School, 614 SW 120th St, Burien

Come enjoy a taco and baked potato bar, chili, salad, rolls, dessert and beverages….

A student talent show and musical entertainment will be provided.

Twice a year, you have a chance to make a difference along the Duwamish River and its watershed. Here’s the announcement for October 20th’s Duwamish Alive! multi-site work party:

What is the connection between the Duwamish River and our local Orca? The Duwamish River is home to 5 species of salmon including the vital Chinook, which is a critical food source for Puget Sound Orca. Orca depend on the dwindling Chinook runs for the majority of their diet, and Chinook depend on healthy salmon habitat in the Duwamish.

Duwamish Alive! will have volunteers working throughout the Duwamish Watershed to improve the health of our green spaces, creeks and especially our Duwamish River, which provide salmon critical habitat. Volunteers are needed at many local sites which provide critical habitat for our community and our river.
Duwamish Alive! celebrates the connection of our urban parks and open spaces to our river, wildlife and community. Starting at 10:00 am, volunteers of all ages, at multiple Duwamish sites throughout the watershed from river to forest, will participate in a day of major cleanup and habitat restoration in the ongoing effort to keep our river alive and healthy for our communities, salmon and orca.

A special opening ceremony will be held at T107 Park, across from the Duwamish Longhouse at 10:00, with special honoring of George Blumberg and Willard Brown for their work in restoring the Duwamish
Opening Ceremonies:

T107 Park 9:45 – 10:30
Cecile Hansen, Duwamish Tribe
James Rasmussen, Presentation of Honors
Chris Wilke from Puget Soundkeeper, Stewardship
Sameer Ranade from Front and Centered Highlighting I-1631

Longfellow Creek at Greg Davis Park 10:00
Representative Joe Fitzgibbon from the 34th District, State House

Duwamish Alive! is a collaborative stewardship effort of conservation groups, businesses, and government entities, recognizing that our collective efforts are needed to make lasting, positive improvements in the health and vitality of the Green-Duwamish Watershed. Twice a year these events organize hundreds of volunteers to work at 14 sites in the river’s watershed, connecting the efforts of Seattle and Tukwila communities.

To volunteer, visit www.DuwamishAlive.org to see the different volunteer opportunities and to the contact for the site of your choice, or email info@duwamishalive.org This is a family friendly event for all ages, tools, instruction and snacks are provided.

That’s a photo from last year’s WestSide Baby Stuff the Bus Diaper Drive Bash at WS Baby’s White Center hub. The party’s happening again this year and you’re invited! Noon-3 pm Sunday, July 22nd, at 10002 14th SW. Bring diapers and/or cash donations! Here’s the current list of most-needed items:

-Diapers sizes 4,5,6
-Pull-ups sizes 3T-4T and 4T-5T
-Wipes, baby shampoo, baby wash, powder, lotion, diaper cream

P.S. It’s OK to bring packages of diapers that have been opened.

Signed up yet for the White Center Community Development Association‘s big event? Less than three weeks to go!

Formerly the Spring Clean, The Refresh is now a two-day neighborhood cleaning and restoration event on Friday, June 22nd, and Saturday, June 23rd. For 14 years, this has been one of the CDA’s signature events. Previous projects have included garbage pickup in the business core of White Center, painting new and touching up existing murals, building garden boxes, and sprucing up the parks through partnership with King County Parks.

The CDA has decided to extend this community event to two days for more intensive projects such as the White Center Food Bank’s remodel to a grocery store layout, and partnering with Habitat for Humanity to do landscaping work. We will be capping at 100 participants for this event. This is a great opportunity for lovers of the White Center Community to come together and refresh out neighborhood! For more information and to register for this hands=on community event, go to the CDA’s website, or contact Theari@wccda.org. Registration is open now!

Sun’s out and it looks like an ice-cream kind of day. (OK, every day looks like an ice-cream kind of day.) If you go to Full Tilt Ice Cream in downtown White Center today (open noon-10 pm) and show this flyer with your purchase, 10 percent of the proceeds will benefit the ASB (student-body organization) at nearby Chief Sealth International High School.

Can you spare some time Saturday?

Volunteer and join King County Parks staff and community members on May 19th as we help make White Center Heights Park a more healthy forest!

We will work on weeding around new plantings throughout the park and may do some litter pick up if time allows. Join us in this great park to learn about the plants and animals that call it home! No experience needed, all tools provided and community members of all ages are welcome! Event will start at 9 am and we will wrap up by 1 pm.

Please contact Lina Rose if you are interested in attending at 206.491.5014 or lina.rose@kingcounty.gov

White Center Heights Elementary PTA can use your help – tomorrow and beyond! Here’s the announcement:

Cleaning out your closets? Donate your stuff to a good cause!

White Center Heights Elementary PTA is partnering with Value Village for our first-ever Donation Drive Fundraiser Wed. May 30 – Mon. June 18, with a special early drop-off date on Sat. May 12 during West Seattle Community Garage Sale Day — so sellers can get rid of what’s left and buyers can make room for new treasures.

Every pound of your unwanted stuff turns into funds for uniforms, supplies and community activities benefiting White Center Heights students, teachers and families.

Early Donation Drop-Off
Sat. May 12, 3PM-6PM at White Center Heights Elementary School Parking Lot (10015 6th Ave SW)

Regular Donation Drop-Off
Wed. May 30 – Mon. June 18, Noon-10 PM at Full Tilt Ice Cream (9629 16th Ave SW)
* For large amounts of donations, please contact us at the info below so we can accommodate.

What We Can Take
Clothing, shoes, bedding, towels, accessories (e.g., hats, mittens, scarves, ties, socks, purses, wallets, backpacks, bags, belts, jewelry)
Small household items (e.g., electronics, toys & games, kitchen items, knick-knacks, sporting goods)
Books and media (e.g., CDs, DVDs)
Please put soft items in trash bags and hard/heavy items in boxes.
Questions? Contact Us
If you have any questions, can’t make the drop-off times or have a lot of donations, please call/text (206) 992-6506 or email wchpta@gmail.com.

Thank you! Your help makes a huge difference!

White Center Heights Elementary PTA

White Center has some stops as part of WSCGSD tomorrow, including the WC Chamber of Commerce-presented big flea market – get the map here!

Today is the annual Dining Out for Life benefit for Lifelong, and there’s one participating White Center venue, according to the online lookup – Noble Barton is donating a percentage of proceeds from all meals today/tonight.

Two weeks until the twice-yearly Duwamish Alive! multi-site work party celebrates Earth Day, on Saturday, April 21st, at sites around the area. If you’d like to help, sign up fast – some spots are already full! Here’s the list, and how to volunteer.

Lots of pre-Easter fun this Saturday … and you can fuel up for it with a benefit breakfast in downtown White Center:

Lil Woody’s White Center will partner with the White Center Community Development Association (WCCDA) for their quarterly neighborhood breakfast feed fundraiser.

The family-focused events harken back to a time when the White Center space was once home to the Epicure restaurant, a major gathering spot in the 1950’s- known to be where “the elite meet to eat.” The “EP” as it was called, was owned and operated by Joe Boothby, who cooked roast beef on a spit near the front window. The meat became a favorite offering of the restaurant, along with the annual pancake breakfast fundraisers held downstairs.

On Saturday, March 31, from 9 am-11 am, Lil Woody’s will be flipping lots of pancakes. The cost of the breakfast is $5 for kids and $10 for adults. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the WCCDA. Marcus Lalario of Lil Woody’s says: “We think it’s great to be located in a building that has played such a great role in White Center’s history. These breakfasts are a nod to that past and by pairing up with the WCCDA, we can give back to the community that supports us.”

Menu:
Food: Pancakes |Scrambled eggs |Bacon
Drinks: Mimosas |Caffe Vita Coffee

Tomorrow’s the big night – Saturday, March 10th, the Crab Feed to raise money for Evergreen High School Athletics! 6-10 pm, be at the White Center Eagles‘ hall (10452 15th SW). Aaron Garcia sent the remidner:

Thank you to all those who bought tickets and we’ll be joining us this Saturday, we’re looking forward celebrating with you. We’re going to have delicious crab prepped by the legendary Tyrone Curry Sr, Live Music, Raffle and overall a ton of fun!

If you haven’t bought a ticket yet, please jump on this opportunity to support Evergreen High School Athletics! Remember 100% of the proceeds go toward Evergreen HS athletics and activities and this dinner is entirely supported by donations and volunteers!

You can buy your ticket online right now.