September 26, 2002

The charity corner

Starting this week, People & Companies will periodically run notices of charitable activities by people and organizations involved in real estate in the area. Don't let your good deeds go unmentioned, particularly if you are with a smaller organization and we haven't heard from you before. Just drop a quick note to joe@djc.com.

• The National Association of Industrial and Office Properties' local chapter recently conducted its annual community enhancement project. This year, some 200 volunteers from the developer-and-broker association cleaned up and restored the 40-acre Des Moines Beach Park, a prime place for watching fall salmon runs. The volunteers installed 700 feet of split-rail fencing and put in 1,200 plants, including shrubs, ground cover and trees, to improve salmon habitat. They built three viewing platforms along the stream banks and painted six historical buildings, including the senior center. All in one day. "With budget cuts closing 20 King County parks this year, we are hopeful that more organizations will follow NAIOP's lead and invest in keeping their local parks clean and beautiful," said Des Moines park and facilities manager Bill Miller.

• Equity Office Properties Trust gave the United Negro College Fund what the fund calls a "significant discount" in rent to allow the non-profit scholarship organization to lease 2,500 square feet in the Bank of America Tower in downtown Seattle as its Northwest regional office. "We are thrilled with the subsidized lease. It will free-up further dollars for our Northwest Scholarship Fund," sad Joan Houston, the fund's Northwest area director.

• Windermere's Ballard office's annual Windermere bowling tournament at Leilani Lanes raised more than $10,000 that will go to the Ballard Boys & Girls Club, the Ballard Family Center, the Northend Emergency Fund, the Northwest Senior Center and Ballard elementary schools. Sponsors included First Horizon Home Loans, Clearpoint Appraisal, First American Title, Chicago Title, Washington Title, Wells Fargo, Ballard Escrow, US Bank, Commonwealth Title, Ambiance Home Furnishings and Washington Mutual Inc.