Washington Pajama Bowl

The Washington Pajama Bowl will take place on April 28, 2013, in Tukwila, WA, and Kirkland, WA. Each team will bowl 2 games. Sign up your team today!

100% of Donations Benefit Local Foster Care Organizations
100% of your contribution will go directly to the foster-care organization that you designate. There are nearly 20,000 foster children living in the Northwest, enduring challenges that few of us can imagine. In an effort to improve the lives of these children, Sleep Country USA developed the Sleep Country USA Foster Kids Program, an initiative dedicated to supporting local organizations that advocate for the well-being of foster children. These non-profit organizations offer the indispensible services and little extras that allow local foster youth to experience more stable and joyful childhoods.

How to Participate:

All ages are welcome to participate in Pajama Bowl. Each team must raise or donate a minimum of $250 (that’s only $50 per person), with a minimum of $50 due at the time of registration. Register online soon.
Once you have registered for this year’s Pajama Bowl, you will be e-mailed a confirmation letter. We encourage all bowlers to continue collecting donations until the day of the Pajama Bowl. Please bring any additional donations to the event, and present them when you sign in.

Prizes:

Win a Simmons Beautyrest World Class mattress set for you and your entire team!
For more information; http://www.pajamabowl.com/washington-pajama-bowl.aspx

Camp To Belong Summer Camp

FFC-Logo.jpg In our country, 75% of all foster children have at least one sibling from whom they have been separated.

Camp To Belong Summer Camp

August 12th – 17st, 2013

Miracle Ranch Campsite
15999 Sidney Road SW
Port Orchard, WA, 98367
Brothers and sisters typically experience the longest life relationships. That is why Camp To Belong Washington believes it is so important to keep siblings connected when they are separated due to foster care, adoption, relative care or other out of home circumstances. For five days brothers and sisters will reunite at Miracle Ranch on Horseshoe Lake on the beautiful Key Peninsula. They will create memories for a lifetime.
PLEASE NOTE that if your child is in Foster Care, due to the electronic application and signatures, your Social Worker/ Caseworker will need to be the one to fill out the application and submit.
Arrival: Monday, August 12, 2013, 3p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Departure: Saturday, August 17, 2013, 9:30 – 10 a.m.
Location: Miracle Ranch Parking Lot
This is a great experience and we look forward to seeing you this summer!

April VanGesen
Camp Co-Director
April
Deb Kennedy
Camp Co-Director
Deb

2013 WA State Contest: Voices of Children

What is the contest?
Voices of Children Raised by Grandparents and Other Relatives is a contest for children in Washington State who are being raised now or in the past by a relative other than their parents. The contest honors both the children, and the more than 40,000 relatives in Washington State who are raising them.
How do you enter the contest?
Write a poem, short essay, or draw a picture that describes how living with a relative (such as a grandparent, aunt, or uncle) has made a positive difference in your life. Entries will be judged in three age categories 5-7 year olds, 8-12 year olds, and 13-19 year olds.
What are the rules?
 All participating children must live in Washington State and be

5 -19 years old.
 Poems should be 21 lines or less.
 Essays should be 200 words or less.
 Use colored pencils, markers, pencil, or crayons on any drawings. Make your art as big and bold as possible and add a statement that explains your drawing.
Artwork must be submitted on the enclosed entry form.
 Do not include any names within artwork.
 Artwork must be flat and within the box on the entry form.
 Entry must be original, in English, and unpublished.
 Winners will be notified in early May and all decisions of the judges are final.
 Award ceremony for winners will be held in June or July.
 We reserve the right of first publication and use of writings and drawings.
 All entries may be published in a 2013 book called Voices of Children-Raised by Grandparents and Other Relatives.

What are the prizes?
The top two entries in each age division will receive:
$100 from Twin Star Credit Union
A free night at Great Wolf Lodge, Grand Mound, WA for a family of four!

Questions?
If you have questions, please call Family Education and Support Services at 1-877-813-2828 or e-mail Lynn@Familyess.org.