WECU helps Habitat for Humanity raise money for Women Build program

Whatcom Educational Credit Union’s Ferndale branch will be taking donations from April 16-20 to support Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County’s Women Build program.

A labor force of mostly female Habitat volunteers will build a new home for Victor and Juana Ortiz and their four children in Ferndale’s Trigg Woods neighborhood. The organization hopes to complete the home by fall 2012.

WECU members can donate directly from their accounts and sign a Tyvek mural that will be used on the home.

Children can participate in the fundraising project as well.

From April 23 through April 27, a $1 donation will purchase a plastic building block, which kids can sign and add to a house that will be constructed in the lobby of the Ferndale WECU branch.

Robeks raises funds for Mount Baker Red Cross

Smoothie retailer Robeks raised about $400 for the Mount Baker Chapter of the American Red Cross.

The store held a raffle and also gathered donations from smoothies purchased through a Facebook initiative.

“Customers were enthusiastic about supporting their neighbors,” Abbe Rolnick, owner of the Bellingham Robeks store, said in an April 18 press release. “There’s a real sense of community in Bellingham, of people helping people. Because of that, we intend to do a benefit for the Red Cross annually.”

Marinda Peugh, financial development director for the Mount Baker Chapter, said all donations large or small are important and enable the organization to offer aid and comfort in a disaster.

“When an emergency strikes, no one asks if the bottle of water or blanket came from a big donor or a small donor,” Peugh said. “To those in need, these supplies save and preserve lives.”

The grand prize winner of the raffle drawing was Bellingham resident Karlin Lorenz, who won free smoothies for a year.

Columbia Bank sponsors Whatcom Cup youth soccer game

The Whatcom County Youth Soccer Association announced Columbia Bank will sponsor its Spring Recreational Whatcom Cup, which will now be called the Columbia Bank Whatcom Cup.

The game is the annual end of the countywide recreational youth soccer tournament, which all teams in the league participate in.

“Columbia Bank is proud to support the Whatcom County Youth Soccer Association,” Sue Cedergreen, the bank’s senior vice president and commercial team leader for Whatcom County, said in an April 16 press release. “We are pleased to partner with an organization that provides such a great service to the families of our community.”

The youth league is an affiliate association of Washington Youth Soccer and the U.S. Youth Soccer Association.

“It is great that we have been able to partner with such a great organization as Columbia Bank to help offset the costs of this wonderful season ending tournament,” The league’s executive director Lance Calloway said. “All the players, coaches and parents from U10 and up in our programs always look forward to the Whatcom Cup. The weekends of this event  are very exciting for these young players, and thanks to Columbia Bank they are going to be helping  the players feel extra special.”

Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation partners with Comcast to improve Chuckanut trail addition

On Saturday, April 21, the Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation will partner with more than 75 volunteers from Comcast and Western Washington University to help complete Chuckanut Falls Trail, the most recent addition to the network of trails south of Bellingham.

The foundation has partnered with local Comcast representatives as part of “Comcast Cares Day,” the company’s annual day of service.

Volunteers will work with Whatcom County Parks Operations Manager Erik Axelson to make improvements to the trail.

WWU students, who have worked on the trail in the past, will also be participating in the project.

“We’re so honored to partner with the Whatcom Parks and Recreation Foundation to work together to improve our community during our 11th Comcast Cares Day,” Brett Fontes, general manager of Comcast in Bellingham, said in a March 26 press release.