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Tourism promotion grants available

The city of Bellingham’s Planning and Community Development Department is now accepting applications for tourism promotion grant funding for 2008. The program is funded by a rebate of hotel and motel taxes and is designed to fund projects or events that bring tourists to Bellingham.

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Oct. 1. Grants are evaluated and awarded using a competitive process, and applications are available in the Planning and Community Development Department at City Hall, or on the city website at www.cob.org/pcd/cd/economic_development/tourism_index.htm.

Last year the city awarded tourism grants totaling $629,054, and funded the Bellingham/Whatcom County Tourism Bureau, as well as 17 other local organizations that advertised and marketed their Bellingham events to attract tourists. Funded organizations included Allied Arts, the Downtown Renaissance Network Visitor Information Booth, the Jazz Project and the Bellingham Bay Marathon.

Questions regarding this grant program should be directed to Nicole Oliver in Planning & Community Development at noliver@cob.org or 676-6880.

Haggen collects donations for MDA, Blue Skies for Children

Haggen Food & Pharmacy stores in Washington and Oregon collected $46,023 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association during its Aisles of Smiles campaign. Customers purchased paper smiles available for the first half of August at checkout lines for a donation of $1 each.

Also, a Corvette car show Aug. 12 at the Sehome Village Haggen raised $2,000 for Blue Skies for Children, a nonprofit Whatcom County organization that supports homeless, foster and low-income children.

New coffee shop donates first week’s proceeds to nonprofits

Festival Espresso is celebrating its grand opening by giving the first week’s profits to the Downtown Renaissance Network, Sustainable Connections and The RE Store. Owner Aaron Loffler said starting with five days of community-based fundraising is a small way to give people the opportunity to make their dollars heard and strengthen Bellingham. The new coffee shop is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. To 5 p.m. and on Saturdays at The Farmers Market. Festival Espresso is located at 1314 Railroad Ave., across the street from Mallard Ice Cream and The Bagelry.

Benefit to support Habitat for Humanity

The Whatcom County Association of Realtors is once again hosting a Theater and Silent Auction Benefit for the Whatcom County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Bellingham Theatre Guild. The Guild’s production of Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night will follow the sixth annual auction and social hour. Tickets are $25 or two for $40. Call 671-5477 or e-mail info@wcar.net for tickets and more information.

School Bucks raises nearly $50,000 for local schools

Customers of Haggen Food & Pharmacy raised $49,100 for Whatcom County schools during the 2006-2007 school year through the School Bucks program. The program is a partnership between Haggen stores and Kraft Foods, and has donated more than $765,000 to Washington and Oregon schools since 1998.

Whatcom Literacy Council hosts breakfast, open house

The Bellingham Golf and Country Club will host the fifth annual Whatcom Literacy Council breakfast benefit Sept. 14. Speakers include Dr. Nancy Johnson, who helped choose the winner of the 2003 Newbery Medal and is a professor at Western Washington University’s English Department. Seating is limited for the event, and suggested donation is $50.

On Sept. 15, the Community Food Co-op will donate 2 percent of sales to the Whatcom Literacy Council. The donation is part of a program the Co-op has the third Saturday of each month that donates to different groups in the area.

The Whatcom Literacy Council will host an open house and orientation from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at the Bellingham Public Library. The open house will include the council’s board of directors, staff and advocates, and will introduce community members to its mission and goals.

Red Cross searching for Real Heroes

The Mt. Baker chapter of the American Red Cross is accepting nominations until Sept. 30 for people to be honored at the 10th annual Real Heroes Celebration Dec. 6. Nominees can include individuals who have dedicated themselves to the safety of others, prevented a fire or accident, responded to an emergency or any other act of heroism. For more information, call 733-3290, visit www.mtbredcross.org or e-mail info@mtbakerredcross.org. ConocoPhillips has contributed $6,500 in support of the event.

Buddy Walk to benefit Down syndrome Outreach

The Arc of Whatcom County’s Down syndrome Outreach program will host the fourth annual Buddy Walk of Whatcom County Oct. 6. The walk, which begins in Maritime Heritage Park and ends in downtown Bellingham, raised more than $16,000 last year for Down syndrome Outreach. Families, friends, professionals and people with Down syndrome participate in the walk to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome. Registration for the event begins at 11 a.m., and the walk begins at noon. For more information, visit www.arcwhatcom.org or call 715-0170×307.

Rotary donates $5,000 to ARC of Whatcom County

The Bellingham Bay Rotary Club donated $5,000 to ARC of Whatcom County to help the Dan Godwin Community Center acquire a wheel chair lift.

DeWaard & Bode donates $22,000 to Food Bank

The Bellingham Food Bank received $22,000 from Bellingham-based DeWaard & Bode in August. The appliance and mattress company company raised $11,000 of the money from its second annual golf tournament at Homestead Farms Golf Resort in Lynden. DeWaard & Bode matched the amount gathered in the tournament. The money will help the food bank’s drive for a 10,000-square-foot building, slated to begin fall 2007.

Lions Club donates to women and children’s shelter, Honduras

The Bellingham Central Lions Club donated $25,000 to the Agape Home for Women and Children to help the shelter expand its facilities. The club raised the money through its Sudden Valley Golf Tournament and was the largest gift the local Lions chapter has given in 85 years.

Rick Kowsky, president of Cascade Ambulance Service, Inc., donated a Ford Type-1 ambulance valued at $10,000 through the club to the city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for the Tegucigalpa Mobile Clinic Project. The ambulance will serve as a mobile medical clinic for outlying suburbs and villages around Tegucigalpa.