We'll Send 15 Kids To Camp This Summer

We just completed our partnership with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), selling green shamrocks for the past month to raise money for this worthy organization.

MDA is focused on helping children with neuromuscular diseases.  These include a group of hereditary muscle-destroying disorders.  MDA, a voluntary national health agency aiming to conquer these devastating disorders, is familiar to many through the national chairman, Jerry Lewis, and the annual Labor Day fundraising telethon.

Our stores sold shamrocks in $1, $5 or $10 amounts to our friends, hoping to raise enough money to send  several children to MDA's summer camps. (The one closest to us is Camp Waskowitz in North Bend.)  The camps, which cost $800 per child(there is no cost to the child's family), provide a whole range of activities specially designed for young people who have limited mobility or use wheelchairs. 

Our great customers helped us  bring smiles to the faces of youngsters who have more challenges than most, and who have an opportunity to shine in a place where they can just be kids, instead of kids with disabilities.  For more information, check out MDA's website at www.mda.org  and thanks to all of you who made a donation:  it makes a difference.

Over $17,000 Raised This Holiday Season

The Markets have raised over $17,000 in this year's holiday food bank campaign, Food For All.

The following food-based charities received donations from The Markets this month:

• Senior Meals on Wheels
• Helping Hands Food Bank
• Oso Food Bank
• Arlington Food Bank
• Anacortes 100 Food Bank
• Nooksack Valley Food Bank
• Bellingham Food Bank
• Salt of the Earth Food Bank
• Lighthouse Mission
• Blue Skies for Children
• Ferndale Food Bank
• Southside Food Bank
• Blaine Food Bank
• Selah Civic Center Food Bank
• Wapato Food Bank
• Serve Wenatchee Valley
• Moses Lake Food Bank
• Children's Home Society
• Prosser Senior Center

The Markets also offer an ongoing donation bag program for local food banks and animal shelters.  The program, called Helpful Harvest and Helping Paws, features prepacked bags of nonperishable items purchased and then donated to the organizations listed below:

• Humane Society at Happy Paws Farm
• Whatcom Humane Society
• Skagit Humane Society
• Everett Humane Society
• Wenatchee Valley Humane Society
• Central Washington Humane Society
• Moses Lake-Grant County Humane Society
• Prosser Animal Shelter

Since this program began in October 2008, over 1,400 bags have been donated for food banks, 247 for cats in shelters and 287 for dogs in shelters.  Thanks to our generous customers and their concern for their fellow two- and four-legged friends and neighbors.