Firm To Devote Day To Spring Cleaning Of Mcdonald Houses

The advent of spring means hard work - moving furniture, washing curtains, scrubbing cupboards - or so our mothers tell us. But, as many toil in their own homes on Saturday, ServiceMaster Consumer Service and community volunteers will spring houseclean Ronald McDonald Houses across the nation.

The fifth annual Spring Cleaning Fling will be a non-stop cleaning marathon with thousands of volunteers cleaning Ronald McDonald Houses from top to bottom from one side of the continent to the other.

“Spring cleaning is always a challenge when you have a house this size,” said Kathie Vlahovich, house manager of Spokane’s Ronald McDonald House. But deep-cleaning chores are always easier with professionals, working side-by-side with volunteers.

ServiceMaster will provide deepcleaning services, termite and pest control, lawn care and home repair and maintenance through its partner companies, TruGreen-Chem Lawn, Terminix, Merry Maids and American Home Shield.

Ronald McDonald Houses provide a home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.

Dine for a cause

Help make miracles happen by eating at the Perkins Family Restaurants on Tuesday. A portion of all sales will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network, an organization that helps children being treated at area hospitals.

The four participating Spokane Perkins restaurants are at: Trent and Division, North Division, Third Avenue and East Mission.

For more information, call Marti Kransberger at 458-7228.

Clinic receives grant

The Inland Northwest Genetics Clinic received a $2,500 grant from the Eastern Washington Chapter of the March of Dimes.

The money will help provide educational reference materials and help pay travel expenses of consultants from Seattle to Spokane.

Consultants from the University of Washington and Children’s Hospital and Medical Center provide genetic diagnosis and counseling to families with special needs. Specialists provide care for Spokane residents with unique genetic problems who would otherwise have to travel to Seattle.

Nine genetic clinics are held each year in Spokane.

For more information, call 458-7115.

Bereavement teleconference

The Commons at Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute will be the setting for the third annual National Bereavement Teleconference, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., April 17.

Hospice of Spokane and KXLYTV will air “Living With Grief: After Sudden Loss,” which addresses helping bereaved families, schools, neighborhoods - any community of people struck with tragic, sudden events of death.

The teleconference and panel discussion which follows is designed for nurses, doctors, hospice workers, psychologists, social workers, educators and care-givers interested in bereavement issues.

The general public is also invited to attend the $15 conference. Registration deadline is Friday. Call Maureen Carroll or Shari Williams at 456-0438 for more information.

Founder’s society formed

Induction of the first members into the Eastern Washington University Founder’s Society, established to recognize gifts that provide scholarships and support for EWU students and faculty, will be Friday evening at the Davenport Hotel.

The black-tie gala, by invitation only, includes dinner, dancing to the big-band sounds of Bob Curnow and a silent art auction.

The first people and organizations inaugurated into the new society are: Jennie and the late Martin A. Brown, Helen and the late Robert Brown, Neal and Helen Fosseen, Howard and Lorene Franz, Dick and Nancy Hughes, Akira Kusaka, the late Florence and Earle Stewart, and Jean and the late J. Herman Swartz.

Empire Health Services, Sacred Heart Medical Center, Washington Water Power, the late Benjamin P. Cheney, the late Howard A. and Julia Dettmers, the late May Foreman, Evelyn and the late Dr. 0. Charles Olson, the late Patsy Utter, the late Dale Wilson, the late Minnie Wittenbach, and U.S. Bank.

Race Judicata

Gonzaga University School of Law’s Environmental Law Caucus, a student group promoting environmental awareness, will host an 8K run/walk Saturday.

Check-in is at 9 a.m. for “Race Judicata” at the lower lot of Gonzaga’s Martin Center; the race begins at 10. All entrants will receive a T-shirt.

The course tours Gonzaga’s campus and the Centennial Trail. Advance registration is $12; race-day registration is $15. Forms are available at the law school lobby and the Crosby Student Center.

For more information, call Mike Bresson, 534-5705.

Love those cookies

Girl Scouts learn to organize, budget and set goals while selling cookies. They also experience decision-making as they learn about communication, customer service and safety.

Proceeds from the annual cookie sale, through April 21, help support the Inland Empire Girl Scout program and provide girls with a way to earn money for camp, program activities, events or supplies.

DAR scholarship

Lili Vedadi, a Spokane Falls Community College student from Iran, was awarded the Grace Hallock Pike Scholarship from the Daughters of the American Revolution, Esther Reed Chapter.

Vedadi will tell chapter members about her experiences and educational goals at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at Riverview Terrace. There will also be a business meeting at 10:30 that morning, followed by a no-host luncheon at 11:30.

Women interested in knowing more about DAR are invited. Call 283-2528 for reservations.

Bird-a-Thon

The Spokane Audubon Society’s Bird America Bird-a-Thon will be June 1.

During Bird-a-Thon, “birders,” Audubon society members, will record the number of different bird species they see. They will also collect data about migratory birds that provide valuable information about the bird population in the Spokane area.

Beneficiary of this year’s event is Dishman Hills Natural Area.

To donate to Bird-a-Thon, send a check to Spokane Audubon Society, P.O. Box 9820, Spokane, WA 99210.

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