Have you lost any socks in Queen Anne lately? It may sound like a strange question, but it happens… apparently. Maybe you went for a shoeless walk in the park, or lost a few stray socks on your way out of the laundromat? Whatever the reason, there’s now a place for Queen Anne-ers to go to find their missing socks – Charley + May.

Charley + May owner Lauren Formicola decided to put up a Lost Sock Depot in her gallery/gift-shop window earlier this month because she says Queen Anne residents often find lost baby and toddler socks on sidewalks, hedges, fences and in parks around the neighborhood, and she’d like to help those missing socks find their matches.

If you find a lost toddler or baby sock around the neighborhood, you can drop it off at Charley + May (at 2225 Queen Anne Ave N) or slip in in the mail slot when the door is closed, and Formicola will add it to the clothes line in the window where it can wait for its match. For each pair that is matched at the depot, Charley + May will donate a new pair of socks to the Treehouse for Kids, a local organization that works to provide valuable services and programs for local foster kids. Plus the owner of the original lost socks will get to take them back home again.

Students at the Queen Anne Community School and Young Child Academy donated $1,000 to the YWCA of Seattle, King and Snohomish counties to support services for homeless children last month. The students raised the money themselves through a Penny Harvest, proving that even something as small as a penny can make a difference in a community.

Students from Queen Anne Community School and Young Child Academy present $1,000 check to YWCA Community Engagement Director Liz Mills.

After raising the funds, the students set out to decide which community issue they were going to tackle with their pennies. Project committee members, ranging from 3 to 8 years old, interviewed fellow classmates, teachers and and representatives from several organizations to figure out where they wanted to give—ultimately deciding to help homeless children through the YWCA.

“The kids did some research on the issues and presented that for each other and really advocated for the ones that they thought were most important, and then everybody voted,” Queen Anne school second grade teacher and Penny Harvest coach Ilsa Govan said in a press release.

The $1,000 donation will be split down the middle, half supporting the YWCA Emergency Shelter in downtown Seattle, and the other half supporting the YWCA School Days program, which provides backpacks and school supplies for homeless and low-income children in King and Snohomish counties.

As part of the fundraiser several Queen Anne students were able to tour the YWCA Emergency Shelter and see how their pennies will directly help those in need.

“It feels good to give money away to others,” preschooler Ben said in a statement.

The Space Needle at Seattle Center made history last year when, for the first time in the iconic building’s 50 year history, it flew the rainbow Pride flag during Seattle Pride weekend. The flying of the flag for the first time in Seattle history was viewed as act of both corporate and community support of the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

But the Needle caught some flack this month after rumors circulated that the organization did not plan to raise the flag again this year, catching the attention of national progressive organization Change.org, as well as a number of local and national media outlets. With Seattle Pride fast approaching at the end of the month, many in the community spoke out, urging the Needle to again raise the flag.

After an outpouring of support for the flag over the last two weeks, the Space Needle changed its stance this week, announcing that it would raise the flag again, if the greater Seattle community agreed to take on a fundraising challenge: “If the community can raise $50,000 for 4 local charities, the Space Needle will raise the Rainbow Flag on Sunday of Seattle Pride weekend in Seattle,” the Needle wrote in a press release Monday (.pdf).

“We want to harness the enthusiasm that has built up to raise the flag for the encore performance. Our entire community gets involved in whatever issue is at hand and we think that is what makes us so strong. This challenge can reap great benefits for these worthwhile organizations,” said Space Needle LLC Chairman Jeff Wright in the statement.

The $50,000 raised, assuming the challenge is met, will be divided equally between four local charities: The Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA) Scholarship Program, Lambda Legal, It Gets Better for the Trevor Project and Mary’s Place, a homeless shelter for women and children. The Space Needle has kicked off the challenge by offering an inaugural donation of $5,000. From the press release:

The Rainbow Flag, flown last year on the Space Needle, will lead the Seattle Pride Parade this year and, if the community challenge is met, it will be raised on the Space Needle when the Parade ends at Seattle Center on Sunday, June 26th. The Seattle Parade has grown in stature for several years now and holds a prominent position on the national scene.

Seattle Out and Proud, the organization behind Seattle Pride weekend, has already responded to the Space Needle’s challenge, partnering with the organization to help raise the funds. [Read more →]

Ballard High School receives very little money for its music program and athletics. In order to supplement the costs, the Ballard High School Foundation holds fundraisers to raise money for the programs.

A foursome at a past BHS Golf Classic

The Foundation’s largest annual event is coming up this August – the 11th annual Ballard High School Golf Classic. “This is really quite the golf tournament with so many BHS alumni, friends and community members hitting the links to support athletics and music at Ballard High,” organizer Sue Verduins tells us.

This year’s event is honoring two individuals that were very influential in the BHS and Ballard communities. Sir Jim Vatn, graduated from BHS in 1962. Not only was Jim very involved in many organizations in the Ballard community but he never forgot his BHS experience giving freely of his time and talents to his alma mater. He was an active member and chair of the Ballard High School Athletic Committee and Ballard High School Foundation. He served as chair of the very successful annual Foundation Golf Classic. Attendees of football and basketball games could hear the “Voice of the Beavers” – and came to recognize it as none other than Jim’s.

The tournament this year is also recognizing Janet Rodgers. Janet was the Director of the BHS Foundation for many years. As Director of the Foundation, Janet built a great team of community members, alumni, faculty and staff that have worked on countless projects benefitting BHS students and the entire Ballard community. She was a part of the group behind the inaugural Ballard Beaver Bash, proceeds of which support BHS academic programs and was heavily involved in the Golf Classic.

The Golf Classic will be held at The Golf Club at Newcastle. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. with a dinner and auction the evening of August 1st at Newcastle. The emcee for the evening event will be BHS’ own Bob Flick (Class of 1956) of the Brothers Four band. The tournament is Tuesday August 2nd with registration beginning at 7:00 a.m. and the 18-hole shotgun starting at 10:00 a.m.

Learn more about the event here and learn about sponsorship opportunities here.

Just a friendly reminder to swing by the Queen Anne Top Pot Doughnuts today to participate in their National Doughnut Day celebrations. They’ll be prizes and festivities, and if you head over before noon, the doughnut shop will be collecting non-perishable food items for Northwest Harvest (bring all donation items to Top Pot by 12 p.m. today).

Fun doughnut-y fact: National Doughnut Day was started by the Salvation Army back in 1938 to honor women who served doughnuts to World War I soldiers.

The weekend before last, on Saturday, May 21, John Hay students and parent volunteers put on a rummage sale and bake sale to raise money for disaster relief for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. That rummage sale turned out to be a huge success, raising a total of $400 from the bake sale portion and $2,500 from the rummage sale.

The school says all proceeds from the rummage/bake sale will go directly to people in need in Japan, while any left-over items not sold at the event will go toward helping needy families here in the Seattle area.

After almost a year of uncertainty, followed by fundraising for the July 4th fireworks at Gas Works Park, event organizer One Reel today announced the $500,000 goal has been reached and Family 4th fireworks show and celebration will go on.

Interesting note: It wasn’t a Northwest company or person who got One Reel to the goal; instead support bubbled up from Coca-Cola Refreshments – Northwest Region, based in Bellevue. Other supporters include Microsoft, Starbucks, Nordstrom, Talking Rain, BECU, Charlie’s Produce, Merrill Gardens, Taco Time and Smith Brothers Farms.

From the press release:

“Fundraising for the 2011 event began in July of last year, and contributions have come from supporters throughout our region, all with inspiring stories and memories of this Northwest family tradition,” says One Reel Executive Director, Jon Stone. “With true appreciation for the partnership and dedication of the Greater Seattle Chamber, we are glad to put this year’s budget to bed, and look forward to putting on one heck of an Independence Day party for Seattle.”

Family 4th at Lake Union starts at noon at Gas Works Park (2101 N. Northlake Way) on Monday, July 4. The fireworks show begins at 10 p.m. See all our 2010 fireworks coverage here.

In 2009, University of Washington business student William Khazaal was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological disorder where the immune system attacks the central nervous system.

Khazaal has two young children. Soon after his diagnosis realized how difficult it was to talk to his now five-year-old about the disease, so he and a few other UW students created MS Children’s Book – an illustrated children’s book which explains MS to kids in a way that they understand. 100 percent of the profits from the book’s sales will be donated to the fight against MS, of which there is currently no cure. The goal is to sell 10,000 copies of the book and raise $100,000 to find a cure.

World MS Day is this Wednesday, May 25, and more than 50 local businesses have signed up to donate a portion of their sales to the cause. In Queen Anne How to Cook a Wolf (2208 Queen Anne Ave N) will be donating a portion of its proceeds. A list of all participating restaurants can be found here.

Students from John Hay Elementary will be hosting a rummage sale from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday, May 21 at the school to raise money for disaster relief in Japan. A variety of items, including clothing, toys, books, and small appliances, will be available at the sale. Two classes of John Hay 2nd graders will also be selling baked goods and coffee at the event, the proceeds of which will also go toward the relief effort.

Can’t make it to the sale but want to lend a hand? Volunteers are needed to help sort items and set up for the sale on Friday, May 20 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Those interested in volunteering their time should contact Johnhayjapanrelief@gmail.com.

All proceeds from the rummage and bake sale will be going directly to the Iwate Bank in Japan, which will use the funds for relief efforts in the areas affected by the recent earthquake and tsunami.

If you’ve been by the 5 Spot lately, you’ve probably noticed its new cuisine theme–Tornado Alley. The Queen Anne restaurant, which often changes its regional culinary focus (and decor to match), got some flak from the Seattle Weekly for sticking with its Tornado Alley theme in light of the recent tornadoes that have devastated the south.

Though the 5 Spot says it will not change its Tornado Alley theme, it has launched a fundraiser to help relieve some of the damage caused by the recent storms. Beginning yesterday and continuing every Tuesday through June 13 the restaurant will donate 25 percent from the sales of all of its Tornado Alley menu items to the Hackelburg Elementary School in Hackelburg, Alabama, which was destroyed in the recent storms. Though others buildings have been standing in as makeshift classrooms for the school, the funding will go toward replacing textbooks and other items blown away or destroyed, according to Seattle Weekly.

In response to the Seattle Weekly posts, the 5 Spot and its parents company Chow Foods released the following statement about its choice:

When planning our menus for 2011, we thought that in wanting to feature the foods of the Heartland to include the Dakotas, Nebraska and parts of other mid-western states, the common denominator would be the region commonly known as Tornado Alley. Little did we know the devastation from these wind-related events would be the worst on record since the 1920s with, to date, over 400 weather-related events in the U.S. with no sign of abatement.

While these recent tornadoes technically took place outside of Tornado Alley (it’s known as Dixie Alley), we cannot ignore the hardships facing our fellow citizens from these devastating storms in the South. So, we want to help those who aren’t able to help themselves, mainly the children of Hackleburg, Ala.

The fundraiser will conclude on June 13, when the 5 Spot’s regional menu switches once again.