curated by Emerald Staff
A round-up of news and announcements we don’t want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!
✨Gleaming This Week✨
- Blitz Kicks for Kids Donates 150 Pairs of Shoes to the CD Panthers
- Colon Cancer Screening and Community Awareness Event Sunday
- The Seattle Redistricting Commission Seeks Feedback
- COVID-19 Testing Site to Open March 14 in Columbia City
Blitz Kicks for Kids Donates 150 Pairs of Shoes to the CD Panthers
by Susan Fried
On Sunday, Feb. 27, the CD Panthers Football and Cheer teams held a winter workout with a special appearance by Seattle Seahawks’ mascot Blitz.
Blitz was there to distribute free shoes to the kids as part of the Blitz Kick 4 Kids program. Blitz, the Seahawks Women’s Association, and several sponsors, including Nike, Safeway, Boeing, Windermere, and Friends of the Waterfront, helped provide shoes to local community organizations.
The Seattle Police Department was also on hand to provide free ice cream for the kids and their families while they waited to get their shoes. Blitz mingled with the crowd posing for lots of photos with both children and adults.
The Blitz Kicks 4 Kids program hopes to distribute 3,000 pairs of shoes to organizations and communities in the Seattle/Tacoma area who support kids and families in need.
The CD Panthers program was suggested by the Friends of the Waterfront Community Engagement team. Senior community engagement manager Marie Kidhe was born and raised in the Central District and was familiar with how much the CD Panther organization does for the boys and girls it serves.
Colon Cancer Screening and Community Awareness Event Sunday
by Sally James
A handful of nonprofits are offering free information about colon cancer at New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Kent from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, March 13.
Colon cancer is very common, but Black people more likely to die from it than any other racial groups because it is usually not diagnosed early when it is very treatable. Screening is recommended for everyone over 45 years old.
The day’s events include free lunches from Where Ya At Matt, a take-home screening tool for people who qualify, a dietician who will discuss nutrition, and some survivors who will share their stories and experiences.
Dr. Rachel Issaka, a gastroenterologist and colon cancer researcher from the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, will be there to answer questions.
Sponsors include Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Public Health — Seattle & King County, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, UW Medicine, and New Beginnings Christian Fellowship.
The Seattle Redistricting Commission Seeks Feedback
The Seattle Redistricting Commission, an independent, nonpartisan body of five appointed Seattle residents, has begun the process of examining how to redraw the boundaries of Seattle’s seven City Council Districts and is inviting community members and groups to learn about the process and provide feedback.
Members of the public can offer comments and feedback at seattle.gov/redistricting/how-to-participate.
The designated public comment period is open from now until July 31, 2022.
What Is Redistricting: Changing the boundaries of Council Districts to reflect the growth of the population in Seattle. This process impacts who represents Seattle residents in the City Council.
COVID-19 Testing Site to Open March 14 in Columbia City
The South East Effective Development (SEED) and HomeSight are opening a COVID-19 testing site, managed by UW Medicine, adjacent to their office building in Columbia City.
The testing site will be relocated from Rainier Beach where UW Medicine has been operating a site for more than a year.
“I’m proud to facilitate the partnership between HomeSight, SEED, and UW Medicine to be able to maintain this crucial resource in southeast Seattle,” Councilmember Tammy J. Morales, who represents South Seattle, said in a press release. “Access to free and reliable testing is an important component of public health for our communities.”
The walk-up/wheel-up COVID-19 testing site will be located at 5117 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98118. Limited free parking is available on site. The site will officially open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, March 14, at 11:30 am.
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