No one can know for certain how many thousands of lives have been impacted in the 20 years that Childcare International has operated. A heap of compost bins Larry Klyn was one of 150 local residents who bought a composting bin Saturday at a special sale at the Cost Cutter grocery store in Lynden. The bins are just in time for a season of lawn clippings and garden waste. Charity events now filled with activities March of Dimes WalkAmerica was first of the new breed of charitable fundraisers. It's 20 minutes to 8 on a chilly Saturday morning, but the crowd is growing outside the St. Luke's Health Education Center near St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham.
Young mothers push bundled children in three-wheeled strollers.
Soft rock music wafts from speakers near the registration tables, where caps, shirts, brochures and water bottles are stacked up. Helium balloons are being handed out, group photos are being taken, and a bagpiper stands ready to play. Welcome to the world of 21st century charitable fundraising. The March of Dimes has come of age. Mall mural proves to be a challenging project Artist commissioned to paint mural in the Dutch Village Mall.