West Seattle, Washington
10 Wednesday
(WSB photo, 2019)
One of the biggest spring events we’re counting down to is the West Seattle 5K run/walk on Alki, returning for the first time since 2019. It’s happening Sunday, May 21st, presented by and benefiting the West Seattle High School PTSA, and it’s offering new features this year, as announced when registration opened last month:
New this year is a grade-level competition among West Seattle High School students. The goal is to create a friendly competition to see which grade gets the most classmates to register. The winning grade gets out of Homeroom early for a special treat and cash ($250) to their grade-level ASB.
Other new 5k features include a “Sleep In” and “sponsor a student runner” options. There are buttons on the registration page to donate to the 5K if you’d rather sleep in that morning or don’t wish to run/walk.
Registration is open at westseattle5k.com, and you get the lowest rates if you sign up by the end of the month. (WSB is a community sponsor of the WS5K.)
If you don’t already have tickets to this year’s West Seattle Food Bank-benefiting “Instruments of Change” dinner and auction, today’s your last chance to get in on the early discount rate. Here’s the announcement:
16th Annual Instruments of Change 2023 Gala Dinner & Auction
Neighbors Helping NeighborsYou’re Invited!
Annual Instruments of Change Gala Dinner and Auction
May 6th, 2023 at 6 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy
9131 California Ave SWThis event will be a night of fun and entertainment, all in support of our mission to ensure all in our community have access to the essential necessities of living.
The West Seattle Food Bank provides essential services to our neighbors in need, and your support is critical to our continued success. Your ticket purchase, auction bids, and donations will benefit individuals and families in our community who rely on our services.
Thank you for your support, and we hope to see you at the Instruments of Change Gala Dinner and Auction.
Passed Hors d’oeuvres – Beer Wine & Cocktails – Silent & Live Auction – Photo Booth – Games & Prizes – Raffle – Served Dinner – Informative Program – IOC Award Winner – Dessert Dash
Tickets! Regular Price $150 – Early Bird Price: $125 ends 4/7 – Must be 21+ to attend
Register HereTickets include admission, happy hour wine and beer, passed appetizers, catered dinner by Tuxedoes and Tennis Shoes and informative program.
Registration Deadline: April 21st
If you enjoy growing vegetables – and helping others – here’s a way to do both this spring. It’s a new effort called Heron’s Nest Sprouts, and it’s offering free plant starts later this month for would-be giving gardeners. Here’s how organizers explain what’s planned – and what’s been happening to prepare for it:
Feeding hungry people in Seattle involves a complex patchwork of programs and funding, but part of the work is simply growing vegetables! Seattle is dotted with “Giving Gardens,” many situated at our community P-Patch Gardens–including Delridge, High Point, Solstice, and others in West Seattle–and they are an important piece of this puzzle, growing fresh produce for those in need. Gardens in the Seattle Giving Gardens Network pledge their harvest for donation to community food programs. Last year, the growers generated 44,400 pounds of produce.
For 15 years, Ballard Sprouts volunteers have supported these gardeners, growing over 20,000 vegetable starts each spring and donating them to the Giving Gardeners. This year, a new sister project has emerged to supplement their efforts: Heron’s Nest Sprouts.
On Saturday, April 15 from 10 am to 4 pm, about a thousand plants will be available to pick up for the first time at Heron’s Nest, where 12 enthusiastic volunteers have been quietly growing seeds in the greenhouse since February. Pots of lettuce, chard, pac choy, mustard greens and kale will be available. Any gardeners interested in growing to donate to their community can come to get as many free starts as you need. Seattle Giving Garden Network will happily get you started in growing to give.
An added bonus to this happy occasion is the first Art Market of the year at Heron’s Nest that same day, giving space to Indigenous and other artists to display and sell their work. The public is invited to come visit Heron’s Nest, browse the art, and learn more about the Giving Garden program.
Heron’s Nest Sprouts hopes to continue next year and expand its production, because after next season, the Sprouts program will lose their Ballard location. The goal is to develop several new sites similar to Heron’s Nest Sprouts to continue the work going forward. Anyone with an interest in starting a Giving Garden, volunteering with Heron’s Nest, or who knows of an available greenhouse location elsewhere in the city should email the Seattle Giving Garden Network at info@sggn.org.
Heron’s Nest is located at 4818 15th SW [map]. Turn west onto Puget Way from West Marginal Way, south of the Duwamish Longhouse, and follow a short winding road to the entrance. The property is being restored by a passionate group of volunteers with the mission of community outdoor education. Besides the greenhouse, there are raised beds, a chicken run, the forested Duwamish Greenbelt, and space for community events such as the art market, outdoor movies, skill workshops, a tool library, and sustainable and traditional indigenous farming practices. The Heron’s Nest site is available by reservation for workshop space, classes, all-ages activities, cultural education, gatherings, meetings, music, art, and more. Check the Heron’s Nest events page for their updated calendar.
Heron’s Nest is accepting online donations to further their efforts, and volunteer help is appreciated as work continues at the site. Email HeronsNestOutdoor@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer or rent the space.
What services are most important for older and/or disabled people? What needs aren’t being addressed? A city agency is looking for your answers, to be sure it’s properly prioritizing. Here’s the announcement we received this afternoon:
Aging and Disability Services (ADS), a division of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) that serves as the Area Agency on Aging for Seattle and King County, monitors trends and issues affecting older people and adults with disabilities in King County. ADS invites all members of the public to complete a survey, commenting on aging and disability service priorities.
Every four years, ADS and more than 600 other Area Agencies on Aging throughout the United States develop an Area Plan that charts the course each agency will follow to address emerging needs, while also working to create age-friendly communities. The Area Plan describes the function of ADS, presents relevant demographic trends for King County, and outlines major goals and objectives for addressing trends, issues, and needs. To support development of the Area Plan for 2024–2027, ADS is examining changing trends impacting older adults and people with disabilities, and inviting community input on goals and objectives.
“We listen and we form strong bonds with the community,” said ADS Director Mary Mitchell. “We have a very strong interest in racial equity. People of color should not experience disparities. To that end, we particularly want to hear from older people, adults with disabilities, and caregivers in BIPOC communities.”
ADS has posted a 2023 Community Engagement Survey online at bit.ly/40HJDv6. The deadline for completion is Friday, April 21.
In July, ADS will publish a draft Area Plan for 2024–2027 online at agingkingcounty.org/area-plan and schedule a public hearing. After a final draft plan is approved by the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services and key partners will be submitted to the State Unit on Aging (part of the DSHS Aging and Long-Term Support Administration). Following state approval in early 2024, the final plan will be posted online.
(File photo)
The Chief Sealth International High School PTSA is about 75 percent of the way to its goal for this fundraiser. Here’s what we weres asked to share with you:
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week is May 8-12, 2023. Please help us show how grateful we are to Chief Sealth’s Teachers and Staff for everything they do to support our students and nurture our community!
I can think of so many instances where a teacher or a staff member has stepped up and supported my kids through some of their hardest days and some of their best wins. I also carry life-long gratitude with me for the teachers that encouraged me and challenged me to grow many years ago when I myself was a student at Sealth!
Whether you’re a parent or relative of a current or past Sealth student, a student or alum of Sealth yourself, or you want to just share in a show of gratitude in honor of all the teachers and school staff that made a difference in your life, we NEED you!
We are raising $2000 to fund a week of activities for Chief Sealth’s 150 teachers and staff, including a luncheon, a beverage and treats service and other tokens of our appreciation to let them know how much we care!
We want this celebration to stand out. The past few years have been so challenging for our public school teachers and staff. They have faced unbelievable challenges during COVID, requiring them to adopt new technologies, support students in new ways, and bring their best to school every day. They have gone above and beyond, even through these past few difficult years, to make every student count and to make a top education accessible to all.
Please donate what you can; any amount is appreciated! All funds will go directly to the PTSA and will be earmarked for Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week.
When we first reported last month on plans for the spring Duwamish Alive! multi-site habitat restoration/cleanup event, the full list of West Seattle opportunities was still a work in progress. Now with less than two weeks to go, there are four West Seattle sites still accepting volunteers for April 15th – one of which is for kayakers. Duwamish Alive! is set for 10 am-2 pm that day, rain or shine, at these West Seattle locations (and others further south in the watershed):
Pigeon Point, Seattle with Delridge Neighborhood Development Assn
həʔapus Village Park, Seattle with DIRT Corps
Herrings House Park, Seattle with Green Seattle Partnership
Duwamish River Kayak Cleanup, Seattle with Puget Soundkeeper Alliance
You can go here to find the links.
We often feature school fundraisers, most commonly for sports or music. Tonight, we have a teacher seeking a community boost for an arts project. From “Ms. A” at Chief Sealth IHS:
Hello, West Seattle community! In the Chief Sealth International High School Art Department, in our Ceramics class, we are grading up for our 4th annual Raku firing event on May 25. This is led by Eric from Seattle Pottery and is a fun technique we’ve been privileged to have students participate in!
This event does cost over what we expect our students to pay in everyday art fees. Typically the cost runs close to $700 plus about $150 for the clay. I am reaching out to you, our community to help make this happen. Please consider donating. It’s a great way to involve all students in the process of firing and see the connection between art and physics in real time! We appreciate your support! Thank you,
Carolyn Autenrieth, Ceramics and IB Art teacher
We asked Ms. A for a few more details: “We have $220 from donations, and I have $200 from a grant, but we still need about $400 for the RAKU event. Of course, anything extra just helps our underfunded department continue! Ceramic Glazes have gone up about 40% for some, and those changes eat into our regular budget.” P.S. If you’re unfamiliar with Raku, here’s an explanation.
An extra Rainbow Bingo event in West Seattle this month – this one’s a fundraiser for the West Seattle Rotary Service Foundation, whose work we’ve featured lately, from cleanups to scholarships. It’s happening three weeks from tonight – here’s the invite:
Do good while playing Rainbow Bingo!
West Seattle Rotary Service Foundation invites you to its 1960s-themed Rainbow Bingo and Silent Auction Fundraiser on Saturday, April 22! Emceed by Sylvia O’Stayformore, it is guaranteed to be a fun and groovy night at the West Seattle Golf Course.
Each year, the West Seattle Rotary Service Foundation provides new clothing and school supplies to elementary students throughout West Seattle, awards thousands in scholarships to local high schoolers, runs park, street, and yard cleanups throughout the community, and assists with global humanitarian and development efforts.
But it can’t do all of that work without you! Funds raised from this event will go directly to the all-volunteer Foundation’s 2023-24 service projects.
Silent auction starts at 5:30 and includes a three-night Leavenworth Getaway package, a catered dinner for 6 with wine pairing, gift certificates to breweries and local eateries, and much more! Bingo starts at 7:00 pm.
Register soon because space is limited. 21+ only. Individual tickets $40. Tables $300. Tickets at bit.ly/3F7ujiD.
A special thank you to our Gold Event Sponsors for hosting this event! NUCOR Seattle, Waid Law Office, PLLC, and West Seattle Dental Center.
P.S. This is separate from the Senior Center of West Seattle’s Rainbow Bingo event on Friday, April 21, which is another great event … go support them too!
Tommy Andrade did something for himself by giving up an engineering career for hair-cutting shortly after moving here from Texas, in hopes of a more-balanced life. Now this West Seattle barber has found a way to do something for others too. Andrade is supporting foster kids, actually in two ways: Offering them free haircuts on Sundays, and donating 20 percent of his proceeds the first week of each month to Amara. He contacted WSB to get the word out more widely in the community – and in hopes of inspiring others to realize they can make a difference in the world too.
Andrade says he was inspired to help foster kids by two things: He has friends involved with the foster system, and he personally experienced the loss of a parent – he was just 10 years old when his dad died. Community volunteers helped him back then, via the Big Brothers program. Along with helping Amara financially, he’s also collecting other donations – toys and clothing (here’s the Amara wish list), and when the next school year gets closer, he plans a school-supply drive. (He’s also hoping to raise money through seasonal events, like a beard-trimming promotion.) He works at Rain City Barbershop in The Admiral District (just east of Safeway), and you can find booking/contact info on their website.
Your next chance to get up and dance – while helping local students – is just four nights away! In case you haven’t seen it the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar listing yet, here’s the invitation:
The Madison Music Boosters would like to invite students, their families, and community members to a Swing Dance & Auction on March 31st, 2023, from 6-9 pm at Madison Middle School! We have a lively event lined up, featuring performances by our very own Concert Band, Jazz Bands, Choir, and Orchestra, with a special performance by guest West Seattle Big Band! Tickets include a free Swing Dance lesson. Pizza and drinks available for purchase as well as an abundance of bake-sale treats, thanks to our Madison parents! The silent auction and Raise the Paddle will fund most of the Music Department expenses throughout the school year. Tickets are $15 presale or $20 at the door. Ticket link here.
An ADA accessible entrance is on the south side of Madison Middle School, nearest to the U-shaped parking lot outside of the gym structure. Elevators will be made accessible for the event, which will be held in the Madison Commons, one level below the main floor.
If you already know you can’t attend OR you’d like to simply donate to the Madison Music Program, please do so here.
Questions? Email the Madison Music Boosters at madisonmusicboosters@gmail.com
The school is at 3429 45th SW.
We present volunteer opportunities when we hear about them, but some people have yearned for a central opportunity to connect with ways to help. A new one is coming up – West Seattle Nursery plans to present “Doing Good in the Neighborhood” volunteer fairs next month. Here’s how they announced it:
Are you bored? Lonely? New in town? Want to make a difference? Want to make new friends? Become a volunteer!
Come to West Seattle Nursery on weekends in the month of April, meet local organizations that are:
Doing Good in the Neighborhood
And find a place to share your time and talents.
WSN’s Marie McKinsey says a dozen organizations are already signed up to participate, and: “I would welcome inquiries from more local non-profits. Their work doesn’t have to be garden related. We will have a table and chairs set up in our tent on Saturdays and Sundays for them. Organizations have a choice of shifts, 10 – noon or 1 – 3 on a Saturday or Sunday.” You can reach Marie via the WSN contact info at the bottom of their home page.
Did you know the West Seattle Food Bank helps pets as well as people? That’s why WSFB development director Breanna Bushaw is hoping people will fill that barrel (and more!) today, as Pet Supplies Plus in Westwood Village has a pet-food drive happening right now, until 2 pm. Bring food to donate, or buy some at the store. They’ll accept bags of kitty litter, too, for the WSFB’s Pet Pantry. P.S. You can help WSFB any time with monetary donations, too.
(Rendering of new WCFB HQ)
The White Center Food Bank – which also serves south West Seattle – has announced a milestone in its journey to a new headquarters: Construction is beginning at the site (10016 16th SW; map), six months after the location was revealed. WCFB spokesperson Jefferson Rose says a construction wall went up today, and explanatory banners are expected to go up on Monday. The WCFB has to move from its longtime home at 8th/108th because a new building, to include affordable housing and a community “hub,” is going up at that site. At the new site, Rose says they’ve already done some demolition, and what starts now includes “mostly interior work to build out the grocery store, offices, and lobby area” as well as getting the warehouse space ready to use. All that is expected to take about six months. You can read more about the new WCFB headquarters – and donate to the project and/or the WCFB’s plan for a new site for its giving garden – by going here.
From the Highland Park Elementary PTA:
Highland Park Elementary needs our support more than ever to raise 200K to add a classroom teacher and fund the Youth Services Assistant. This is a direct ask of our Highland Park Staff to support our school the way they see best fit.
Please share this Go Fund Me with anyone you know!The 150k is not just the salary, it includes the benefits of the teacher.
The Youth Service Assistant helps with social emotional support/development at HPE full time and our current HPE budget can only afford half time for this position; we want to raise the funds to have this support all the time for our growing students.
Even a small donation could help Highland Park PTA reach our fundraising goal. And if you can’t make a donation, it would be great if you could share the fundraiser to help spread the word.
More information can be found on our website or send us an email if you would like your company to match your donation. hpemustang@gmail.com
(WSB file photo)
One simple way to help orcas and other marine life – join in the one-day, twice-yearly work parties that comprise Duwamish Alive! Registration has begun for some of the sites where volunteers will be working during this spring edition. Here’s the announcement from Sharon Leishman of the Duwamish Alive! Coalition:
Duwamish Alive! Celebrating Earth Month
Sat. April 15 10:00 – 2:00 at Multiple Volunteer SitesDuwamish Alive! is a collaborative effort in improving the health of our river and its watershed. Starting at 10:00 am volunteers will be restoring native habitat in multiple urban parks and open spaces in the ongoing effort to keep our river alive and healthy for our communities, salmon and the Puget Sound. Proving that many individuals working together can make a substantial difference in improving the health of our region.
Volunteers’ efforts include a river cleanup by kayak, shoreline salmon habitat restoration, and native forest revitalization. To volunteer, visit DuwamishAlive.org to see the different volunteer opportunities and register for the site of your choice, or email info@duwamishalive.org
The next two Saturdays, Scouts will be out all around West Seattle placing door hangers for the annual Scouting for Food door-to-door drive. Here’s the explanation:
Since 1985, Scouts have worked together with community food banks to collect food for the hungry during the annual Scouting for Food drive. Over that time, one million cans of food have been collected for local community food banks. The BSA teaches the value of community service in all of its programs and the importance of helping others. Doing a Good Turn Daily is a cornerstone of the Scouting program.
Scouts from West Seattle will walk our neighborhoods delivering door hangers on Saturday, March 18. The following Saturday, March 25, Scouts will return to collect non-perishable food item donations and deliver them to the West Seattle Food Bank. Emphasis is on food most needed for nutrition, such as peanut butter, baby formula, packaged meals, and canned goods, especially tuna, soups, stews, meats, fruits and vegetables.
Please help support the hungry in our community. Watch for a door hanger on your door and get your donations out early on March 25, so you can join our Scouts in “Doing a Good Turn Daily.”
If you don’t get a door hanger, you can still help the WSFB any time – here’s how.
Spring means youth sports, and West Seattle Little League is hoping for more volunteer help, of all ages:
West Seattle Little League Needs YOU!
JUNIOR VOLUNTEERS
Our Junior Volunteers keep Bar-S hopping all season long. Cook and sell food in the Snack Shack, prep the fields for games, serve as a Junior Umpire – or do all three! This is a fun opportunity for community members aged 13-18 to gain service skills and volunteer hours. Benefits include tips and free food/beverage each shift. Junior Volunteer applications will be accepted through Monday, March 20th.
Click here to apply to be a Junior Volunteer.
Or contact Jacque at snackshack@westseattlelittleleague.com to learn more.
SNACK SHACK VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We’re looking for adult volunteers passionate about customer service and youth mentorship. Be an integral part of that Bar-S magic! Experience in food service is ideal but not necessary. Training provided. Responsibilities include:
-Lead the Snack Shack Junior Volunteers throughout the season, taking weeknight evening shifts from 5-9 pm, as available.
-Lead the Snack Shack team on Saturdays, with shifts from 7:15-10:30 am, 10:15-2:15 pm, 2:00-5:30 pm, or 5:15-9 pm, as available.
Supervise and support our Junior Volunteers (ages 13-16) in food prep, cleanliness, and cash handling. Help them develop leadership and teamwork skills.
Prepare hot dogs for sale at the Snack Shack and assist with other hot food preparation.
Assist the Concessions Director with managing systems and inventory.
Food handlers permit required (available online), and WSLL will pay the permit fee.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Jacque by March 20th to learn more: snackshack@westseattlelittleleague.com
School fundraiser season continues! Tonight we heard about the Fauntleroy Children’s Center annual auction – through Saturday at 6:30 pm, so less than 48 hours to bid! Here’s the announcement:
The annual auction to support the Fauntleroy Children’s Center is a staple of the West Seattle community. This year marks the 36th time we are holding this event, an online auction open to FCC families, grandparents, alumni, and community members in West Seattle. The online auction runs through Saturday, March 18, at 6:30 pm.
The funds raised by the auction support the center’s 120 students as well as the 33 staff members who work at FCC. Funds will go toward updating decades-old outdoor play structures, funding scholarships for families in need, and supporting continuing education for our teachers.
FCC is in the historic Fauntleroy Schoolhouse. You can see the dozens of auction items (gift cards for local businesses and much more) – and sign up to bid – by going here. Questions? auction@fauntleroychildrenscenter.org
Friends of Roxhill Elementary can help you grow flowers and other plants this spring/summer, while you help them. Here’s the announcement. of this year’s Flower Power fundraiser:
We are partnering with Flower Power Fundraising to sell flower bulbs, kitchen garden herbs, sprouts, seeds and more to bring some joy to your home garden or window sill this spring.
Check out our fundraising website:
friendsofroxhill.fpfundraising.comThey have a variety of plants for every climate. If you know a Roxhill student, enter their name in the field “Give Credit For This Sale To” when you check out. The student with the most sales will get to pick any item from the Roxhill School Spirit Store.
How does it work?
Use the link above to choose from 50+ types of flower bulbs, seeds and accessories for your garden. Friends of Roxhill receives 50% of the profits from every order. Orders are shipped directly to the person placing the order starting April 1 (there is a $6.99 shipping fee).100% Grow Guarantee
● You can shop with confidence when selecting bulbs with a 100% grow guarantee. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase, Flower Power Fundraising will send a replacement.
● All of the flower bulbs offered are for planting in the spring season for summer blooms.
● Zones 7-10 are encouraged to place orders Mid-March to Early April for delivery and planting early-Mid April as soon as orders arrive.
● Seattle is in Zone 8. See website zone map for other locations.
● No shipping to Hawaii or Alaska.Order deadline is May 15, 2023. Thank you again for your continued support of Roxhill Elementary.
Bloodworks Northwest has a long list of springtime pop-up donation dates in West Seattle – and says there is a special reason those donations will matter more than ever: The blood bank is part of BERC (Blood Emergency Readiness Corps), 30 blood centers representing 37 states. BNW explaind. “BERC was formed to better prepare for mass transfusion needs when mass-injury emergencies strike. As part of the BERC partnership, Bloodworks commits to collecting extra units on a rotating ‘on call’ schedule to create an available supply for nationwide emergency needs.” It just wrapped up a week “on call” and is up again March 27 through April 2. Your donation “could be used to help patients locally or be sent anywhere in the US if there is a catastrophe in another part of our country.” So if you can donate blood, pick a date, time, and location by going here.
If you’re thinking about being part of this year’s Loop the ‘Lupe – our area’s only obstacle-course 5K – this is the week to sign up. Prices go up Friday for three of the five levels at which you can participate this year – the Family Wave Obstacle Course 5K, the new Elite Wave Obstacle Course 5K, or Fun Run 5K. You can get in on the early prices by going here to sign up. Loop the ‘Lupe happens June 3rd at Walt Hundley Playfield (34th/Myrtle), next to Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose community social work is supported by the event. (Loop the ‘Lupe also includes Senior Saunter and Youth 1K options, but those prices don’t change until just a couple days before LTL.) Set your calendar for June 3rd even if you don’t want to run/walk/dodge – music, food, and a beer garden will be set up on the sidelines for everyone to celebrate a day in the park. (WSB is a Loop the ‘Lupe community sponsor.)
Thursday morning, we shared the invitation from Louisa Boren STEM K-8 for you to visit during “Community Week.” One more note from the school this morning- they’re planting more trees in a nearby wetland and raising money for 5th and 8th graders to go to camp, through tree sponsorships!
(WSB photo: STEM students at Delridge Wetland in 2018, celebrating steward Willard Brown)
Throughout their years at Louisa Boren K-8, students have been active stewards of the Longfellow Creek Watershed. With support from the DNDA and Seattle Parks, students have been the primary stewards of the Delridge Wetland Project, and have planted hundreds of native plants and trees along Longfellow Creek, and within the Delridge and Myrtle Greenspace. They have consistently raised salmon within the Salmon in Schools program and created habitat within the schools own Native Plant and Pollinator gardens. For over a decade Boren students have made their mark improving natural areas surrounding the school.
This week 5th graders are adding more trees to the watershed and are looking for your help in the form of tree sponsorship. Funds raised from this event will cover a portion of outdoor education camp tuition with any remaining funds going directly into purchasing more native trees and plants for the watershed. Please use this link for donations. Thanks for supporting student learning and stewardship.
(2018 West Seattle 5K photo by David Hutchinson)
As we first told you last month, the West Seattle 5K is returning this year for the first time since 2019. Today, we have details on what’s new, as well as how to register – which you can do right now. The WS5K is presented by the West Seattle High School PTSA, with co-sponsors including WSB. Here’s the update:
After a three-year break for COVID, West Seattle High School and the PTSA are excited to announce the 12th running of the West Seattle 5K on Sunday morning, May 21, 2023. All profits raised from the West Seattle 5K will provide funding for West Seattle High School to provide classroom tools, books, supplies, and much more to its students and teachers.
Thousands of runners and spectators from all corners of the Puget Sound area and beyond have participated in this 5K over the previous 11 years. Participants are drawn to the event by the family fun, the gorgeous scenery, a flat and fast course starting and finishing at Alki Bathhouse, and all the amenities that Alki Beach has to offer. Prizes will be awarded to the top three adult and student male and female finishers.
New this year is a grade-level competition among West Seattle High School students. The goal is to create a friendly competition to see which grade gets the most classmates to register. The winning grade gets out of Homeroom early for a special treat and cash ($250) to their grade-level ASB. “We have heard from event runners that they didn’t know this event benefitted the high school so we want to make sure to raise that awareness as well as get as many high schoolers involved as possible,” says Kelley O’Connor, event co-chair.
Other new 5k features include a “Sleep In” and “sponsor a student runner” options. There are buttons on the registration page to donate to the 5K if you’d rather sleep in that morning or don’t wish to run/walk. This is the community’s High School and we hope residents will feel generous in supporting the school and local students. This is a fun way to give back.
“This is a really important year for the 5K to be back,” says Brian Vance, West Seattle High School principal. “We had a levy expire in 2020-21 school year for WSHS. We are facing the loss of intervention dollars to run after-school supports, tutoring center and Saturday school. Events like the 5K make up for those lost funds.”Registration is live now. Adults are $35. Late registration for adults starts 5/1 at $40. Kids under 6 are free. Youth 19 and under are $20. Late registration starts 5/15 at $30. West Seattle High School staff members get to register at same rate as students. We brought student/staff rate down to $20 (was $30 in previous years). Students and staff go up to $30 during late registration starting 5/15.
We have amazing sponsors to thank: Portage Bay Cafe, School of Rock, Sea Pines Physical Therapy, West Seattle Blog, Dragonfly Yoga Pilates Dance, and West Seattle Realty and so many more. Please go to westseattle5k.com to see all sponsors!
That is also where to go to sign up.
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