As the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA works towards raising $58,000 for its 2014 Partners with Youth campaign, it’s bringing back the popular ‘Dine Out for a Cause’ event. This year the event returns to Ana’s Mexican Restaurant on Snoqualmie Ridge, Tuesday, February 25th from 5-8PM.
The waitstaff will again include Mayor Larson, Police Chief McCulley, Public Works Director Dan Marcinko, Snoqualmie Y Directors and myself – ready to work hard like last year when supporters packed Ana’s for the inaugural ‘Dine out for a Cause,’ raising over $2,000.
Once again, proceeds from purchases of Ana’s famous Regular and Enchiladas Suiza will go straight to Partners with Youth, a program Snoqualmie Police Chief Steve McCulley calls “an investment in our youth.”
As a police officer, McCulley says he sees first hand what happens to kids without enough support systems in place. These kids, he said, usually end up dealing with himself and his officers. Partners with Youth is something McCulley is passionate about because it fosters a strong Snoqualmie Valley community by directly investing in the kids – who are its future.
Partners with Youth provides scholarships to families and kids in the Snoqualmie Valley who might not otherwise be able to afford YMCA programs and camps.
Kids like Zander, whose mother said at the fundraiser’s January kickoff event, has had stability in his life again because of Snoqualmie YMCA programs. She explained that sometimes life’s circumstances unexpectedly change and leave you a single-mother of three, needing to head back to work to support your family. Partners with Youth has helped support Zander’s family while his mom does just that.
So head into Ana’s Tuesday evening. Remember to order the enchiladas – or you can also simply donate if you’re craving something else on the menu. It was fun last year – and is sure to be fun again.
For more information and/or to donate to the Partners with Youth campaign, visit the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA website.
