Sky Valley community goes big during holiday giving season

The Sky Valley is a generous community all year long, but nonprofit organizations, businesses and individuals in the Monroe and greater Sky Valley area work even harder each holiday season to provide for those in need. From donations of socks, to toys, to cash, there are numerous ways to get involved and provide support.

Santa Run

Snohomish County Fire District No. 3's annual Santa Run and food drive takes place 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, in the Walmart parking lot, and again on Wednesday, Dec. 16, in two Monroe neighborhoods. Firefighters and their families will drive through the Farm at Woods Creek 6-7 p.m., and from 7:15-8 p.m. they will drive through the Foothills, located west of the Evergreen State Fairgrounds on the north side of U.S. 2.

Santa Claus will be riding on a decorated fire engine, as firefighters gather food donations and pass out candy canes. All nonperishable food items collected will benefit the Sky Valley Food Bank in Monroe.

Sock drive

Kathleen's Day Spa owner Kathleen Sather is collecting socks to support Monroe nonprofit Take the Next Step (TTNS). Kathleen's Day Spa has been in Monroe for 25 years, offering a variety of customized facial treatments, including microdermabrasion, photo rejuvenation, collagen treatments and facial peels. Sather also specializes in reflexology, waxing, pedicures and manicures, age-management programs and professional makeup application.

In order to encourage clients to participate, Sather is offering a $5 voucher to anybody who contributes to the sock drive, which runs through Dec. 16. Socks can be dropped off at the spa, located on Old Owen Road. To find out how to contribute, contact Sather at 360-794-3395.

For more information about Kathleen's Day Spa, visit www.facebook.com/kathleensdaypa/?fref=ts.

Giving Tree

For the past few years, Ben Franklin has hosted a giving tree to benefit foster children in the Sky Valley community. Ben Franklin shoppers can simply select a child's name from the tree, and provide an unwrapped gift to benefit that child.

"As the unwrapped gifts are received, they will be passed on to foster parents and relative caregivers so they can be opened on Christmas morning by local foster children,GÇ¥ said Fostering Together liaison Summer Buckles. "I have found that Monroe is such a generous and close-knit community, and Ben Franklin has been wonderful with their support of the needs of the kids in care.GÇ¥

The Fostering Together Giving Tree will be up until Sunday, Dec. 20. Along with the opportunity to give, there is information available about becoming a foster parent, said Buckles, because the current need for foster families in the area is great.

For more information on Fostering Together, visit http://fosteringtogether.org. -á -á

Memorial Giving Tree

Inspired by former VOA Director Dave Wood, the Giving Tree provides Christmas gifts to low-income Sky Valley children. The Dave Wood Giving Tree focuses on kids through age 13, while the VOA's Santa's Workshop provides for kids age 13-18. Donations can be dropped off at the Sultan VOA at 701 First St. in Sultan or the Sultan Visitor Information Center at 320 Main St., across from city hall. For more information on the Giving Tree or Santa's Workshop, contact VOA Director Calei Vaughn at 360-793-2400 or cvaughn@voaww.org.-á -á -á -á

It's All Gifting from Here

When Sky Valley residents Kristine Buckman, Kelli Cupps, Danelle McCrorey, Ashley McCauley, Beverly Rupe and Ryan Hanegan recognized the need for additional basic services in the Sky Valley, they decided to take action. As they were strategizing ways to help, community volunteer Elizabeth Emmons suggested that rather than starting a brand new program, they might consider supporting one of Sultan's existing agencies.

So, the group went to work collecting food for the Volunteers of America Sky Valley Service Center (VOA).

Emmons' suggestion was key. VOA Director Calei Vaughn has often stressed the importance of supporting programs already in place; if people focused on enhancing the VOA's already established programs, the nonprofit could serve more people. The gifting group held food drives in Sultan and Gold Bar, and found that even after the city was flooded during the recent storm, residents still gave generously.

"People were donating even though they had been flooded themselves. Our community is great, and came together like I had never seen it do before,GÇ¥ Cupps said. "We were very successful.GÇ¥

The group brought in $703 in cash donations, 43 turkeys primarily from Damar Aerosystems in Monroe and three carloads of nonperishable food items, all of which were donated to the VOA.

As Christmas approaches, they have changed their focus to toys, and are holding a toy drive at Bubba's Roadhouse in Sultan on Sunday, Dec. 13. The event begins at 1:30 p.m., with Santa arriving right around 3:30. Parents hoping to take photos of their children with Santa should bring their own cameras. Bubba's Roadhouse is a family-friendly restaurant, and kids of all ages are welcome.

The Dec. 13 event will be the group's second toy drive hosted by Bubba's Roadhouse owner Duane "BubbaGÇ¥ Deach. Deach is offering $1 discounts on food orders with each unwrapped toy donation.

The event includes a raffle, featuring items donated by Sky Valley businesses. Donors include Olsen Tech, Brittany Thomas Jamberry Nails, Younique by Heidi Lynn, Galaxy Chocolates, Sahara Pizza, Flat Iron Gallery, Bubba's, Salon Laura, Let's Go Espresso, the VOA, Stacey Lee Photography, Young Knitters, KMJ Metal Art, Be Chill N, Kristy Koehler Scentsy and Barmon Lumber.

All proceeds from the raffle will be used to purchase gifts to support the VOA's holiday giving programs.

The group is accepting unwrapped gifts for kids of all ages, but is emphasizing the 13- to 18-year-old age group. Gifts for kids through the age of 13 will supplement the VOA's Giving Tree, and gifts for kids age 13-18 will support the VOA's Santa's Workshop. For more information on the event, visit www.facebook.com/groups/747053105426049/.