Going the Distance!

Congratulations to Team Unity for coming in 13^th out of 41 teams in the Bellingham Traverse! This was Unity's first year participating in the event. Not familiar with the competition? Click here for more information.

Eating for Charity!

On September 20th, our team enjoyed a friendly food eating challenge for charity. Two teams gorged themselves on Cheezits, Milkshakes, & Twinkies. The winning team was Soup-A-Stars (see photo below)!  All the money raised for the challenge went to the charity the Soup-A-Stars chose to represent in the competition. $846 went to Colton's Army (A Leukemia Fundraiser)!

UNITY GROUP’S FIRST SAFETY FAIR – A SUCCESS

On June 22, The Unity Group, in partnership with Safeco Insurance, hosted their first community safety fair, Safetypalooza!  Fifteen non-profit and public service organizations lined the parking lot of O’Donnell’s Bellingham Flea Market.  Whatcom County families were given the opportunity to learn about safety related topics by visiting the booths of the participating organizations.

Among the activities that day, The Ferndale Masonic Lodge provided parents with child identification kits using state of the art, digital technology.  This service, referred to as the CHIP program, is offered by the Freemasons free of charge as part of their dedication to contribute to their community.  From each child the group obtained fingerprints, DNA swab, tooth imprint, photographs, voice recording, and a short video.  This information was then burned to a CD, given to the parent, and records erased from the Mason’s computer before the parent left the booth.

“What we do is gather all the information that the police would want if a child went missing.” explained Kyle Deming of the Ferndale Masonic Lodge, “We have heard it is the best program of its kind from various law enforcement agencies.”

Eighty children participated in the CHIP Program that day.

Other highlights of Safetypalooza! included displays of a WWII DUKW provided by Whatcom Search and Rescue, a vintage fire truck, the Bellingham Fire Department’s fire truck and ambulance, and the Bellingham Police Department’s Bomb Squad Robot.  Everybody Bike provided a bike safety course equipped with loaned bikes and helmets, Blue Skies for Children hosted a coloring contest, and each child received a Smokey the Bear gift bag compliments of the Whatcom County Fire Marshal’s Office.  Special appearances were made by Washington Poison Control’s Mr Yuk and the Coast Guard Axillary’s Panda.  Toe-tapping music was provided by Pot Luck.

Prizes were provided by many local businesses including Birch Bay Waterslides, Dakota Art Store, Fanatik Bike, Launching Success Learning Store, Little Caesars, Otion - The Soap Bar, Silver Reef Hotel, Casino, & Spa, Spark Museum of Electrical Invention, The Woods Coffee, Whatcom Education Credit Union, Whatcom Fire Marshal's Office.  Other event contributors included The Markets, Costco, Contractors Supply and On the Move Apparel.

A full list of the participating organizations, sponsors, and activities can be found at www.safewhatom.com.  Photographs of the event are available on The Unity Group’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/TheUnityGroup

 

UNITY EXCEEDS 2013 JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT CAMPAIGN GOAL!

Every year, The Unity Group participates in Junior Achievement's Bowling Classic. This event is JA's largest fundraiser and the funds support their efforts to provide a series of business, economics and life-skills programs to enhance the education of young people in Whatcom County.

Congratulations to this year's Junior Achievement Campaign Coordinator Amelia and her team for exceeding their fundraising goal!

A big thank you to the efforts made by Erica (Employee Benefits Dept) who was the team's top earner! Join our staff in wishing our team a fun-filled evening as they bowl for a purpose at the JA Bowling Classic on May 10th.

For more information about JA, please visit their website.

 

UNITY SPONSORS HUNGRY MINDS BREAKFAST

The Unity Group is proud to sponsor the Bellingham Public School Foundation’s (BPSF) Annual Hungry Minds Breakfast.  This event raised over $21,000 in 2012 to support Bellingham Public School programs and services.

A message from BPSF:

BPSF partners with the community to build awareness and support to help fund the best possible education for all students in Bellingham Public Schools.  Our work is defined by the priorities established by the district and described in the Bellingham Promise.  Central to the Promise is “Great Teaching with Strong Support” which extends to specific areas including Early Childhood Education, Innovation and Flexibility, a One Schoolhouse Approach, and Student, Family and Community Engagement.

As state education dollars decline, we believe local support makes the difference between a basic education funded by public dollars and one with quality, innovative, and progressive programs.  Having more informed graduates leads to greater success and personal contributions to the workplace and the community.  You can read more about us here.

To learn more about the event click here.