By Kendall Watson
It could have been any Thursday at Eastside Baby Corner on Maple Street, with parent after parent dropping off toys and clothes their children had grown out of.
Sammamish resident Karen MacKenzie stopped by to drop off a bag of her daughter’s old dolls, including Smurfs, Bugs Bunny and a unicorn.
With her own children now grown and moved away, MacKenzie figured the lightly-used plush toys could bring comfort to someone else’s child.
“I’m sure someone else would love to play with them,” she said.
But on Sept. 17, an extra-large donation was made, thanks mostly to the effort of one proud Kirkland grandparent.
After raising more than $113,000 with the March of Dimes March for Babies over the past 12 years, Kiwanian Bill Petter decided to use his sway as a top fundraiser to benefit the Issaquah nonprofit — one of the largest distributors of baby and children’s essentials on the Eastside.
He and the March of Dimes helpers dropped off over 2,400 diapers, 80 bottles of pre-natal vitamins, four car seats, two baby cribs and bags of newborn clothing.
The donation was made possible by Petter and the March of Dimes’ walker incentive program, rewarding their top fundraisers with donations made in their name to the agency of their choosing.
“I believe in what they’re doing,” he said of the EBC. “I’ve been volunteering with the March of Dimes for over 35 years with the support of the Kirkland and Eastside Kiwanis clubs. We are proud of their work to give every baby a healthy start in life.”
His personal commitment as a parent and grandparent run especially deep — one of his children suffered a miscarriage.
March for Babies Director Ryan Dotson said that the donation to EBC was a natural fit because of the shared focus the two organizations had on promoting pre-natal health and infants.
“Pre-maturity (the incidence of premature birth) is on the rise,” he said. “Our goal is to find the reasons why and conquer it.”
The total value of the donation was estimated at $5,000. But the reality of the donation, after a quick peak inside the EBC warehouse, was that it was but a drop in the bucket in what’s been one of their busiest years since they were founded in 1990.
“We’ve already blown through our baby food budget this year,” said Angela Kennedy, EBC President. In 2008, more than $4.3 million of goods were distributed to children in need and the number is set to increase this year, thanks to hard economic times. With only 1 and 3/4 employees, the EBC gets by on generous donations from the community and over 5,000 volunteers annually.
“I like to say we’re the best recycling agency on the Eastside,” Kennedy said. “Everything that is donated goes straight back into the community.”
The EBC partners with more than 160 family-assitance agencies, acting as a clearinghouse for essential children’s items — such as clothing, baby food and formula, diapers, car seats, beds and more — to local families in need.
The warehouse, owned by Rowley Properties and maintained rent-free, is located at 1510 Maple Street. Drop-off donations are accepted Monday evenings from 7-8:30 p.m. and Thursday mornings from 9-11 a.m.
For more information on the EBC, visit
www.babycorner.org or call 425-865-0234.
