Neighborhood carnival raises money for neighbor
September 1, 2009
Matt Sundsten, 13, left, and Colby Stirrat, 12, right, explain the Coke vs. Pepsi Challenge to Reid Pierzchalski, 10, during the Montrachet neighborhood benefit carnival Aug. 25. Photo by Christopher Huber
Montrachet neighborhood carnival organizer Keren Pruitt knew from the start the annual charity benefit event would bring in record donations.
She could tell by the long lines of neighborhood children and parents waiting to purchase tickets and bracelets. She also knew people connected more closely with the cause because this year’s beneficiary, Rachel Carson Elementary second grader Maddy Callahan, lives nearby in the Chambord neighborhood. Maddy has been fighting leukemia since last November, organizers said.
Many participants and their families know the Callahans, she said.
“It’s just really close to people’s heart,” Pruitt said as she took a break from buzzing around the cul-de-sac during the carnival.
In just two hours on Aug. 25, the event raised approximately $1,500 for the cause. The money will help the Callahan family pay medical bills and benefit the Child Life program at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Pruitt said.
The event had a block-party look, with parents and children loitering in driveways and meandering about the street, but the cotton candy and rolls of tickets gave it away as a real carnival.
For $10, local children got access to make the rounds to driveway stations where they could buy (with tickets) cotton candy, popcorn and smoothies and play games like the tennis ball toss, putt putt golf, a dunk tank and basketball. An extra $2 garnered the participants a bracelet, as well.
“It really has just grown and grown over the years,” said volunteer Lora Baier as she whipped up some cotton candy. She said the outpouring of support “was exceedingly, abundantly above” expectations.
Pruitt started the neighborhood carnival in 2006 to benefit local charitable organizations. The idea was to get her children and family involved in a good cause.
“I wanted to show my kids what it’s like to give back to the community,” Pruitt said. “It’s really become a community event. It’s been a great, positive event.”
Prizes, which families donated, included hand-made pet rocks and bouncy balls, among other things. Dylan Pruitt and friends manned the “Groovy Smoothy” stand and dolled out the fruity drinks all afternoon. The children also put on a talent show near the end of the carnival Aug. 25. Pruitt said the 2009 event saw much more involvement, including more refreshment stands and the addition of the dunk tank.
“It’s fun and makes a lot of money for a good cause,” he said as operated the blenders. “Now there’s a lot more people involved.”
The 2006 carnival raised $113 and had a handful of booths and food stands, Keren Pruitt said. The next year they raised $630 for Ronald McDonald House and in 2008 the event brought in about $400 for Child Haven.
Get Involved
To donate to the Maddy Callahan fund, visit a branch of the Bank of America.
Reporter Christopher Huber can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 242, or chuber@isspress.com. Comment on this story at www.sammamishreview.com.
Group connects families in need with safer cribs
September 1, 2009
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome can devastate a family, but those working in the King County Sheriff’s Office said they realize many SIDS crises can be averted with a few simple steps.
The King County Sheriff’s Office, which provides police services for the city of Sammamish, will provide referrals for families in need with infants in unsafe sleeping environments.
If deputies notice an infant in a sleeping environment that could lead to a SIDS death or an accidental suffocation, they will connect that family with the Northwest Infant Survival Alliance and a free crib.
“Normally, we go out on infant death,” said Scott Dungan, a community service officer in the Sheriff’s Office Special Assault Unit. “We wanted to be able to catch it at the other end and help prevent infant death.”
Seven cribs have been donated since the partnership between the sheriff’s office and the alliance began in April.
King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert helped at the partnership’s April 24 launch, presenting a King County Council proclamation in honor of SIDS Awareness Day.
“We had a neighbor whose baby died of SIDS,” Lambert said. “I’ve been involved with it ever since.”
People wishing to refer friends or family, or who wish to see if they qualify for a free crib, should call the Northwest Infant Survival Alliance.
“There are families out there who don’t have money to buy a crib and they might not realize the importance of considering that option,” Dungan said. “I’m not saying that every baby needs to have a crib, but we are really seeing some infant deaths in King County, and they’re SIDS or accidental suffocation deaths.”
In 2008, about 80 infants died of SIDS in Washington state. Of those deaths, about 30 were in King County.
“In the last couple of years, we’ve seen that number go up,” said Inga Paige, the executive director of the Northwest Infant Survival Alliance.
Researchers are still studying the causes of SIDS. In 1994, the U.S. Public Health Service partnered with several organizations for the Back to Sleep campaign, encouraging parents to lay infants on their backs for naptime.
As of 2002, SIDS deaths in America have decreased almost 50 percent, according to the National Institutes of Health Web site.
Still, SIDS is the No. 1 cause of death for infants between 1 month and 1 year of age. Infants of black and American Indian descent appear to be at two to three times greater risk for SIDS than Caucasian babies.
Factors decreasing SIDS include laying a baby on its back on a firm mattress when it goes to sleep.
Caregivers should be sure to clear the baby’s sleeping area of pillows or stuffed animals that could fall on or suffocate the infant.
“It doesn’t take a lot for a baby to stop breathing, nor does it take long,” Paige said.
Overheating also appears to lead to SIDS, as more babies die of SIDS in the winter when parents bundle them up.
Caregivers should refrain from sharing a bed with babies, as the baby could overheat, fall off the bed or get unintentionally smothered.
“One option is to have a crib right next to the parent’s bed, where mom or dad can easily reach out and touch the infant,” Dungan said.
A smoke-free home also reduces the risk of SIDS, according to the Stanford Medical School Department of Pediatrics.
The Northwest Infant Survival Alliance relies on grants and monetary donations.
Information for how to donate is on the organization’s Web page.
Donations are used to buy cribs, which offers the alliance a discount, Paige said.
Get help
Northwest Infant Survival Alliance
www.nisa-sids.org
206-548-9290
Laura Geggel: 392-6434, ext. 221, or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com. Comment at www.sammamishreview.com.
Sammamish Town Photo 2009 — citizens of today and tomorrow
September 1, 2009
Sammamish residents and city birthday event-goers gather at the Sammamish Commons Aug. 29 to celebrate the city’s first ten years. Children in the Kids’ Parade dressed in costumes on the theme, “What I want to be when I grow up.” Photo by Christopher Huber
College news
September 1, 2009
Linfield College dean’s list Read more
Weddings
September 1, 2009
Elisabeth Gundelfinger, of Sammamish and Clinton McCrery, of Sammamish, are set to be married Sept. 5 at the Plateau Club. The bride is a 2006 graduate of Eastlake, the groom, a 2005 graduate, also of Eastlake. Read more
Engagements
September 1, 2009
Meagan St. Laurent and Chris Ducharme
St. Laurent, Ducharme engaged
Meagan St. Laurent and Chris Ducharme, both of Sammamish, have become engaged. St. Laurent is a 2002 graduate of Skyline and a 2006 graduate of the University of Washington. Ducharme is a 2001 graduate of Skyline. Read more
He’s conjuring fun
July 8, 2009
Creative Conjuror, a children’s summer reading program for ages 5 and older meets at 2 and 4 p.m. July 16 featuring wacky inventions, toys and mayhem. Free tickets available July 10 at the Sammamish Library information desk.
Eggstravaganza attracts hundreds for family fun
April 13, 2009
YMCA volunteer Alexa Christianson, left, paints Sunny Hills kindergartner Ellie Burckhardt’s face. Photo by Christopher Huber
The Sammamish Family YMCA was a madhouse on a damp Saturday morning April 11.
Parents watched and took photos as their toddlers teetered around the 3-and-under Easter egg pen and fumbled with hand-sized eggs. Others helped their children line up their swing in putt-putt golf. And still others visited the various vendor tents.
When the bigger kids weren’t part of the mob in the 11 a.m. egg hunt, they went crazy in the bouncy houses in the gym, had their picture taken with the Easter Bunny or got their faces painted. Read more
Local band has their brush with fame in ‘Duplicity’
April 13, 2009
The Morans rehearse in a garage. From left are Mike Anderton, Keith Kelly, Aaron Keyte, David Burnett and Brian Wallace. Contributed
Keith Kelly and the rest of the members of The Morans, a Sammamish-based cover band, set up their equipment and played some songs at a friend’s birthday party in summer 2007. It was casual, and the band was paid in beer and snacks.
What The Morans didn’t expect was that their rendition of The Commodores’ “Brick House” from that party would end up in the big-budget film “Duplicity,” starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen.
“It’s pretty cool,” said Aaron Keyte, the band’s singer. “It’s one of those things, like, you’ve had two minutes of fame, where’s the other 13?” Read more
Energy efficiency can save money for homeowners
April 13, 2009
Craig Williamson, a Sammamish resident and owner of MM Comfort Systems, shows off a high-efficiency furnace. Contributed
In these tough economic times, going green can help residents save money.
The first way is to install energy saving devices, from toilets and washers to water heaters and furnaces.
In many cases, additional savings can also be enjoyed through rebates once installations are complete.
Business owner Craig Williamson, who lives near the intersection of East Lake Sammamish Parkway and Inglewood Hill Road, said several possible tax credit options have convinced consumers to buy energy-efficient appliances.
Williamson owns MM Comfort Systems, a Redmond-based business that consults about and sells water purifiers, water heaters, furnaces and heat pumps. Read more
