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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Airways Brewing Returns to the Poverty Bay Blues & Brews

The Rotary Club of Des Moines is pleased to announce that Airways Brewing Company is returning to pour their hand crafted tasty brews at the 3rd Annual Poverty Bay Blues & Brews Fest on August 25th at the Des Moines Beach Park.

 Alex Dittmar, a visual designer for Alaska Airlines, likes airliners. And he likes beer.  Opening up Airways Brewing Company, Alex was finally able to combine both loves.  Airways is Kent’s only beer-making establishment and is the product of Founder/Brewer Dittmar’s imagination. As a home brewer, Alex won several awards for his beer, including 1st place in the San Diego Fair for his ESB the first time he entered a competition. In 2009, Alex decided to take his brewing to the next level. Airways opened its doors on March 4, 2010.  In 2011, Airways opened their Bistro and in May of this year, after 18 months of construction, they open their brewhouse.
Friendly service and tasty beer make Airways Brewery a favorite of locals as well as beer enthusiasts from all over. Their tap room features full pints and growlers of their five standard beers:
            • Midnight Departure™
            • Jet City ESB™
            • First Class IPA™
            • Starliner Stout™
            • Sky Hag IPA™
To find out what other select brews are being served at the Poverty Blues & Brews Fest or to purchase tickets, please visit www.dmrotary.org .

Friday, May 25, 2012

2nd Annual Highline Music4Life Instrument Drive











Call for Used Musical Instruments

The Highline Music4Life program will conduct its second annual drive for “lovingly used” musical instruments starting on June 2nd beginning at 10 a.m. at the Des Moines Farmers Market. The program collects and repairs instruments
donated by adults who no longer need them for the benefit of low-income students attending Highline Public Schools.


“In its first year, Highline Music4Life has already doubled the number of musical instruments available to low-income students starting in the fifth and sixth grades,” says Steve Swank of the Des Moines Rotary Club who chairs the
activity. “But the need is great and we want to be able to support all our low-income students. So, if you have a used clarinet, trumpet, violin, flute or any other musical instrument in your garage or attic and are willing to put it back into play, please drop it off at our booth.”


Used musical instruments are needed by all Highline students. The program ( www.HighlineMusic4Life.org ) starts with fifth and sixth graders, but is also designed to help as many low-income students in the upper grades as possible. Instruments are repaired through a partnership with Kennelly Keys Music. Swank says it’s possible to restore nearly any musical instrument. All that’s needed is for the donor to understand the unique role it can have in a
child’s education.


Used musical instruments will also be collected at the Des Moines Farmers Market on June 9th and 16th. They may also be dropped off during normal business hours year-round at any Kennelly Keys Music store, the KeyBank branch at 22033 Marine View Drive South in Des Moines, the Windermere office at 401 SW 152nd St. in Burien or at the Angle Lake Family Resource Center in SeaTac at 4040 South 188th St.

Highline Music4Life is an ongoing community-wide activity to acquire musical instruments, supplies and repairs for low-income elementary (fourth and fifth grade) students in Highline Public Schools. It is a collaboration by Highline Public Schools, the Rotary Clubs of Des Moines, Burien-White Center and SeaTac, the Highline Schools Foundation and many individuals and businesses that are partnering to expand music education for all children in the Highline School District.


CONTACT: David Endicott
(206) 409-3275 or

_______________________________________________________
Music4Life is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization for tax purposes. Please consult with your tax advisor for guidance. The group’s federal employer number is 26-4733898 and our state of Washington UBI number is 602-919-066.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Rotary Club of Des Moines Awards $2,000 in Scholarships

On Wednesday, May 16th, the Des Moines Yacht Club hosted the 2012 Dollars for Scholars awards reception.This annual event is the culmination of a process that matches local college-bound students with Des Moines-area organizations that provide scholarships.
Rotary Club members gather around the two scholarship recipients
Each year, the Rotary Club of Des Moines participates by selecting a student who is a graduate of Mt. Rainer High School and has demonstrated a commitment to community service.  This year, the club chose two very deserving recipients.


Rotarian, Dr. Bonnie Verhunce
and Natasha Batby  
Natasha Batby, of Normandy Park, is graduating this year from Mt. Rainier High School, but has been working on her Associates of Arts degree at Highline Community College over the past two years through the Running Start program.  She has been accepted to Oregon State University for the Fall of 2012.  Natasha received a check for $1,000 towards her tuition from the Rotary Club of Des Moines.


Molley Alvardo says a
few words
Molley Alvardo, of Des Moines, graduated from Mt. Rainier in 1993 and is completing her Associates of Arts degree at Highline Community College this summer.  She has been accepted to Evergreen State College and will work on her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education and Social Science. Molley received a check for $1,000 towards her tuition, as well.
For more information about the Rotary Club of Des Moines, please visit our website at www.dmrotary.org.

Photos courtesy of Photograhper Michael Brunk of the Waterland Blog.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Got Music?

The Rotary Club of Des Moines is seeking community and business sponsors to support the 3rd Annual Poverty Bay Blues & Brews Fest.  The festival will take place at the Des Moines Beach Park on Saturday, August 25th and will feature local craft breweries and blues musicians.  The club anticipates that this year's event will draw close to 1,000 attendees.

Got Music?  Did you know that 75% of the students in the Highline School District are on free and reduced lunches and simply cannot afford to participate in a music program?  Research clearly shows that the introduction of music at a young age greatly benefits students academically, especially in the areas of mathematics, science, history and world languages. Giving a child a chance to play a musical instrument provides that child with a richer, fuller, more meaningful life.

That's why the primary beneficiary of the Poverty Bay Blues & Brews Fest is Highline Music4Life.  Highline Music4Life, a Rotary inspired project, provides musical instruments to underprivileged students in the Highline School District. Because of this program, students have access to instruments in good working condition, high quality instruction, and supplies necessary to participate in instrumental music programs. 

As a sponsor, you can directly impact the lives of students, their families and YOUR community.  For as little as $250.00, sponsors can take advantage of the many sponsor benefits associated with helping those that are less fortunate. Your sponsorship is also completely tax deductible through the Rotary Club of Des Moines 501c3 Foundation. 
 
The Rotary Club of Des Moines hopes you will join us in sponsoring this great event and help bring music into a child’s life.  For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Dan Johnson, Sponsorship Chair at (206) 914-3104 or dan.johnson@Q.com.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Pacific Middle School Students Win Essay Contest

1st Place Winner
 Mariah Peterson
On Wednesday, three Pacific Middle School students were recognized as winners of the Phil Swanberg Essay Contest.  Phil Swanberg, a life long educator and an active Rotarian, passed away in 2000.  To honor of his work in education and his love for writing, the Rotary Club of Des Moines in 1996 established the Phil Swanberg Essay Contest.  This educational project focuses on middle school age children and provides an opportunity for the students to express their views on a variety of topics.

Each year, 8th grade students from Pacific Middle School in Des Moines are invited to enter the contest.  Throughout the years, the club has received hundreds of essays from applicants who have written incredible and thoughtful essays which have touched on a number of topics, such as societal issues or personal experiences. The winners are chosen based on their ability to express their views in a clear and concise manner through their writing skills. The winners recieve cash prizes raging from $100 - $250 and have the opportunity to read their essays to the Rotary Club of Des Moines and in front of their peers during a special assembly at Pacific Middle School.

The recipients of this year's award are as follows:

1st Place - Mariah  Peterson
2nd Place - Carly Strayer
3rd Place - Olivia Davis

Left to Right: Catherine Carbone-Rogers, Director of Communication and
Community Relations for the Highline School District, Olivia Davis,
Carly Strayer, Mariah Peterson, and Steve Swank, Community Service Chair
for the Rotary Club of Des Moines
























The success of the Phil Swanberg Essay Contest is also directly related to the continued effort and support which the Des Moines Rotary Club receives from the Eighth Grade Language Arts staff at Pacific Middle School. Thank you also to Steve Swank, Community Service Chair, for his committment and efforts to inspire students to write!

For more information about this essay contest, please visit www.dmrotary.org.

Photos courtesy of Lisa Meinecke.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

8th Annual Poverty Bay Wine Festival Raises $50,000!

The Rotary Club of Des Moines would like to take this opportunity to thank all who attended the 8th Annual Poverty Bay Wine Festival and for helping to make it such a huge success!  Over 1,800 people were in attendance at the festival held on March 2-4 at the Landmark Event Center.  Through ticket, wine and raffle sales, the club raised $50,000, which will be used to fund local community and international projects during the 2012-13 Rotary calendar year!  Past projects funded include the 3rd Grade Dictionary Project, Des Moines Park & Recreation after school programs, Des Moines Food Bank,  Highline Community College Scholarships and Rotary First Harvest.

The Rotary Club would also like to extend a special thanks to our Event Sponsors who partnered with us:


Their contribution and support was key to our success!

Thank you again for your support of the Rotary Club of Des Moines and for all that you do to make our community a better place to live and work.  We look forward to seeing you all at the 9th Annual Poverty Bay Wine Festival!

Photo courtesy of Carmen Scott.







Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Rotary Club of Des Moines, Washington