TV Auction Will Aid Three Community Groups

Grab your cordless phone and settle in your easy chair.

Then join the bidding for gift baskets, getaways, vacations, artwork, household items. … Thursday is “Bids for Kids,” a live TV auction to benefit the Wishing Star Foundation, the SIDS Foundation and Crosswalk’s Alexandria’s House.

Beginning at 7 p.m., the auction will be broadcast from the NorthTown Mall over TCI Cable Channel 25 in Spokane or Century Communications Channel 13 in North Idaho. For a radio broadcast, tune in to KEYF 1050-AM.

You might walk away with some terrific bargains. But more importantly, you’ll help strengthen the community by supporting the work of these vital nonprofit groups.

“These organizations are making a huge difference in our community,” said Toni Boggan, who will host the event.

“‘Bids for Kids’ is a night of celebrating their accomplishments and helping them raise money so they can accomplish more in the coming year,” Boggan said.

During the evening, dozens of auction items will be displayed and open for bid, and people will place their bids via their telephones.

“This is a once-a-year opportunity to help these groups,” Boggan said. “If you don’t see anything you want to buy, make a donation anyway.”

“Bids For Kids” is presented by TCI Cable, The Inlander and Walgreens Rxpress. Its sponsors are Holy Family Hospital, Sacred Heart Medical Center, Appleway Automotive Group, and Oldies 101.1-AM.

For more information, call 744-3411.

Wheelchair pageant planned

Entries are being accepted for the 1998 Ms. Wheelchair Washington Pageant April 3 and 4 in Tacoma.

Women who are Washington state residents, 21 to 60 years old and use a wheelchair for mobility are eligible.

The pageant is not a beauty contest, said Elaine Stefanowicz, current Ms. Wheelchair Washington. It offers women limited only in their mobility an opportunity to receive recognition for personal and professional accomplishments and to serve as a spokeswoman for disabled persons in the state and nation.

Contestants will be judged on communication skills, personal presentations and accomplishments since the onset of their disabilities. There is no bathing suit or talent competition.

The 1998 Ms. Wheelchair Washington will compete for the national title in Charlotte, N.C., in August.

For an entry application, call Stefanowicz at (253) 565-5863.

Community events

What are the ethical issues surrounding the quality-of-life debate?

Johnny Cox, ethicist at Sacred Heart Medical Center, offers an ethical framework from which to view this topic during a lecture Saturday at Deaconess Health and Education Center, 800 W. Fifth.

From 10:30 a.m. to noon Cox will present “The Millennium Approaches: Our Successes and Challenges in Quality of Life.”

Cox is a registered nurse and co-founder of Hospice of Spokane, as well as a former associate professor of Christian ethics at Gonzaga University.

The free public forum is part of the American Association of University Women’s Speaker Series. Throughout the year, a variety of lecturers will address the approaching millennium.

For a complete schedule of speakers, call 747-4509.

nonprofit workers are invited to a luncheon meeting of DOVIA from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at Schoenberg Center on the Gonzaga University campus.

DOVIA is a support and networking group for professional administrators, directors and managers of nonprofit organizations. It provides information and educational opportunities to expand the knowledge, skills and abilities of its members.

Guest-speaker Kay Serene, internship coordinator at Eastern Washington University, will discuss an EWU program that connects students with hands-on work experience.

Lunch is $10 ($6 for DOVIA members). For reservations, call Bonnie Abernethy at 624-0151.

Nominees sought for EWU alumnus award

The Eastern Washington University College of Business and Public Administration is seeking nominations for its Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award.

Nominees must hold an undergraduate or graduate degree from EWU in business administration, business education, public administration, urban and regional planning or health services administration.

To nominate someone, write a description of why your candidate is worthy. Criteria includes innovative accomplishments, professional achievements, leadership and community service.

The Alumnus of the Year will be recognized at EWU’s awards dinner in the spring.

Send nominations by fax (509) 358-2238; e-mail (rthomas@ewu.edu); or mail, Office of the Dean, EWU College of Business and Public Administration, 668 N. Riverpoint Blvd., Suite A, Spokane, WA 99202-1660.

Deadline is Feb. 27. For more information, call 359-6335.

Kudos

More than 5,500 people received gifts this past holiday season because of the Tree of Sharing project.

Headstart, Cancer Patient Services and Children’s Home Society of Washington were able to make Christmas more meaningful to their clients, thanks to the community’s generous support.

The Tree of Sharing, begun in 1982, has grown to require 2,500-plus volunteer hours of sorting, transporting and distributing gifts to more than 40 regional agencies.

Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ oversees the annual project and brings together schools, businesses, service organizations and churches to fill the gift wish lists.

“The project went smoothly this year, thanks to the hundreds of volunteers … and all the generous people of the Spokane area that purchased gifts,” said Carroll McCormick, Tree of Sharing coordinator. “There are many generous stories to tell, and the thank-you list is extensive.”

, DataTimes MEMO: Community Update appears each Sunday in The Spokesman Review. Please allow two weeks’ notice for inclusion in this column.