Each August, the Inlander team puts together our annual GIVE GUIDE, an issue turning the spotlight toward the region’s many essential nonprofits and philanthropic organizations. We are truly blessed to call home an area with so many of these organizations that step in to aid so many parts of our lives, our health, the arts, the environment and the most vulnerable: children, animals, the elderly and immigrants. In a time when federal and also state funding to support such efforts is shrinking drastically, these nonprofits need our help now more than ever. While the average Inland Northwest resident doesn’t have pockets as deep as a tech billionaire benefiting from massive federal tax cuts, what we do have is compassion, and the ability to roll up our sleeves and help. Donations, no matter how small, are also crucial and deeply appreciated by nonprofits that are already stretching every dollar as far as possible. Now, go find a cause that’s meaningful to you and share the love.
— CHEY SCOTT, Editor
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WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CAUSE OR CHARITY TO SUPPORT?
TIMOTHY PARKER
A charity that I like to support is Christ Kitchen, and they are an empowering company for women who are coming out of either homelessness or hard situations. So they offer them an on-ramp to get some practice in how to work in an environment like Christ Kitchen, and hopefully send them off to continue a life of success and health.
GREG TALBOTT
Public education.
How do you want to see students supported? Even something as small as volunteering to work at a high school sports event. Young Gen Z students feel the need for more support than they often get. Even something as small as showing up to a high school soccer game means more to kids than you probably realize.
PIA HALLENBERG
This is like picking between your children because I’m a grant writer. But I have a specially big soft spot for the Pre-Employment Preparation Program.
And what do they do?
They help people out of houselessness and into employment, and they really work with people where they are in their lives … They help with whatever you need.
SHANOAH ECK
You know, Planned Parenthood is one that I always go to. Volunteers of America is also a good one.
How do you like to support them?
I do a lot of protests, and that’s not necessarily like Planned Parenthood-centric, but that’s democracy in general.
INGRID BATT
I’d say Union Gospel Mission.
What draws you to that charity?
A kids camp every year … I do that every year. I’ve got my own three kids, so I do three in honor of my own kids going to camp every summer.
08/15/25, INDABA COFFEE (MONROE) INTERVIEWS BY BEE REISWIG
524 W Main Ave, Downtown Spokane thepurgatory.com Sun-Thu 12pm-11pm Fri-Sat 12pm - 12:30am
– Tanisha Townsend, Cameron’s mom
Generous donations provided lifesaving equipment for baby Cameron, born 14 weeks early and weighing only 1 pound and 6 ounces. The Giraffe Omnibed helped him grow stronger until his mom could hold him for the first time.
Help patients like baby Cameron: https://foundation.providence.org/wa/eastern You can make a difference today!
“ It was the best feeling in the world to hold and touch my baby. Those who donated to make that technology available are absolute heroes.”
JOIN OUR WHISKEY CLUB
Need: High; Supply: Tight
Rare earth minerals remain a key element to tariff negotiations with China, which controls the majority of the global supply
BY DON C. BRUNELL
Thankfully, last week President Trump delayed assessing higher tariffs on Chinese imports by another 90 days. China followed suit and delayed its own tariffs. The new deadline is Nov. 10, which if not further delayed, will see import taxes of up to 145 percent on Chinese goods coming to the United States. China has threatened 125 percent reciprocal tariffs on U.S. goods entering its country. The extension especially helps retailers who are in the middle of Christmas purchases.
Meanwhile, hopefully the respective leaders can resolve differences over tariffs and export restrictions. Central to those discussions is China’s worldwide dominance of rare earth minerals (REE) markets.
China currently controls over 60 percent of global REE mining and more than 80 percent of refining. Rare earths are important for their unique magnetic, luminescent and electrochemical properties, allowing products to be lighter, smaller, stronger and use less energy. They are vital to our nation’s defense.
In the last 20 years, the Chinese government heavily subsidized REE processing technology and it paid off. Its technology bankrupted foreign competitors and allowed the Chinese to manipulate worldwide markets.
As negotiations continue, American and worldwide demand soars. Global demand for magnetic rare earth elements is projected to triple — from 59 kilotons in 2022 to 176 kilotons by 2035, driven by booming demand for electric vehicles and the rapid expansion of wind power projects, CarbonCredits.com (CC) reports.
In April, Beijing imposed export restrictions on rare earth products in response to U.S. tariffs and technology restrictions. That action caused rare earth magnet exports to the U.S. to plummet, disrupting global supply chains and forcing automakers outside China to partially suspend production.
Reuters reported: “However, following new trade agreements in June, shipments rebounded sharply. China’s exports of rare earth magnets to the U.S. jumped 660 percent month-over-month in June to 353 metric tons.”
Especially troublesome is the Chinese control over REE processing. For example, the only U.S. working REE mine is the Mountain Pass open pit, found 60 miles southwest of Las Vegas. It sends its ore to China for processing.
Lanthanum, one of the rare earth elements, is used in the manufacture of rechargeable batteries. PETER HERMES FURIAN PHOTO/ADOBE STOCK
Last month, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright was in Ranchester, Wyoming, for the ribbon cutting to open the first new U.S. rare earth mine in 70 years.
There are promising sites closer to home. For example, deep in the picturesque Bitterroot Mountains of southwest Montana and central Idaho are REE deposits.
“Sheep Creek is the highest-grade rare-earth deposit in the United States, with a multibillion-dollar resource value,” said Jim Hedrick, former rare-earth commodity specialist at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
However, Sheep Creek, one of the western tributaries to the Bitterroot River, is near the Idaho Cobalt Belt where abandoned cobalt mining toxic water is stored and being cleaned up.
REE processing technology is a national priority. The Idaho National Lab, a federal research facility, is working on more environmentally friendly REE processing research. That technology is especially important if American mining and processing is to develop.
WHAT ARE RARE EARTH ELEMENTS?
The rare earths are 17 metallic elements, located in the middle of the periodic table (atomic numbers 21, 39 and 57-71). These metals have unusual fluorescent, conductive and magnetic properties — which make them very useful when alloyed, or mixed, in small quantities with more common metals such as iron.
Geologically speaking, the rare earth elements are not especially rare. Deposits of these metals are found in many places around the globe, with some elements in about the same abundance in the earth’s crust as copper or tin. But rare earths are never found in very high concentrations and are usually found mixed together with one another or with radioactive elements, such as uranium and thorium.
The chemical properties of the rare earth elements make them difficult to separate from surrounding materials and from one another. These qualities also make them difficult to purify. Current production methods require a lot of ore and generate a great deal of harmful waste to extract just small amounts of rare earth metals. Waste from the processing methods include radioactive water, toxic fluorine and acids. (SCIENCE HISTORY INSTITUTE)
Mining and processing rare earth metals is messy, and most countries don’t want to deal with the associated pollutants. Nowhere is the contamination more prevalent than in China itself.
The giant Mongolian open pit mine in Bayan Obo, 75 miles north of Baotou, a city with 2.4 million people, produces the bulk of the world’s rare earths as a byproduct of iron ore mining. The ore is transported to the outskirts of Baotou, where it is separated and purified through hydrometallurgical methods and acid baths. The contaminated water is then pumped into a tailing pond.
The foul waters of the tailing pond not only hold all sorts of toxic chemicals, but also radioactive elements such as thorium, which if ingested, causes cancer. Li Guirong, former local Communist Party secretary, said that before the (REE) factories, fields of watermelon and tomatoes stretched to the horizon.
Irrespective of the results of the latest U.S.-China talks, our country is heavily dependent on foreign nations for metals we need to propel our high-tech economy and military. No one wants a Bayan Obo mine or a Bautou processing plant near them.
Regardless of trade discussions, we need to find ways to mine and process critical mineral ores so that workers, neighbors and our environment are protected. n
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He recently retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and now lives in Vancouver. Contact him at theBrunells@msn.com.
TDEVELOPMENT
Transformational, Tactical
Hillyard is poised for investment, as its new creative district designation and a major planning effort coincide
BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL
alking about 10- or 20-year planning documents that take months or years to even make it to the final draft is enough to make the average person’s eyes glaze over, if not prompt anger or apathy for the slow progress of government agencies.
But once in a while, those plans align with just enough visible work on the ground to spark excitement. Whether through kismet or the logical and timely convergence of intentional planning work by different “big idea” types, the Hillyard neighborhood in Spokane is getting an infusion of hope as the result of multiple planning processes — with residents already enjoying new events and small neighborhood improvements that are set to multiply under two longer term plans for the area.
In early August, the board of the Washington State Arts Commission, or ArtsWA, approved Hillyard as a certified creative district, after dozens of people in the neighborhood spent more than a year on the application, which involved drafting hundreds of pages to support the effort. At nearly the same time, Spokane’s Northeast Public Development Authority, or NEPDA, released the final
draft of its Hillyard subarea plan, which took about two years for consultant Stantec and others to put to paper, with intensive neighborhood input.
On the creative side, Hillyard is already hosting its third “Third Thursday” celebration on Aug. 21. A pilot project of sorts, the first three Third Thursdays in Hillyard (playing off the First Friday art walks downtown) have featured neighborhood art walks. But organizers say the monthly event will transform seasonally, and could soon include activities such as ghost tours in the fall and indoor dance or art classes in the winter. The new monthly gathering is just one of the many creative undertakings already underway in Hillyard thanks to the group that was brought together to apply for the creative district designation.
The subarea plan, meanwhile, will help the northeast neighborhood guide elected officials’ decisions as the city updates its 20-year comprehensive plan in 2026, as mandated by the state’s Growth Management Act every decade. The comp plan update is the main window of opportunity to ask the Spokane City Council to make
zoning changes and prioritize projects in specific areas.
The power players behind this complicated round of Hillyard planning? Greater Spokane Inc., or GSI, the NEPDA, and a fellow from the federal Economic Recovery Corps, a program started under the Biden administration to help the government spend pandemic money in communities that need it most.
The creative district work and subarea plan aren’t just lists of daydreams for Hillyard — each has a specific game plan for how to achieve proposed projects.
“A phrase we use a lot at GSI is transformational economic development. We talk about Expo ’74 and how that genuinely transformed our region and our entire economy. Something like this can be that kind of transformational power for the region,” says Joey Gunning, GSI’s director of economic development. “It’s super exciting.”
OFFICIALLY CREATIVE
ArtsWA has certified 22 creative districts statewide since the inception of Washington’s program in 2019, including
The Hillyard Creative District is now state recognized, after months of community engagement. PHOTOS COURTESY DARYA PILRAM
in Chewelah, Newport and now Hillyard — the first in Spokane County.
In addition to $10,000 in initial state seed money, the designation not only gives the historically economically depressed area the first crack at applying for a small amount of state funding ($50,000 over this biennium, which could go to a few worthy creative district capital projects around the state) but more importantly, it could give Hillyard leverage to apply for local and national grants.
When weighing whether to recognize a new creative district, the arts board considers whether an applicant community’s projects will benefit current residents and business owners, says Aaron Semer, the creative districts program manager for ArtsWA.
“Hillyard had a really strong vision in their strategic plan to ensure any successes they have in this program benefit the people who live and work there,” Semer says. “Hillyard seems like it’s got a strong middle class economic backbone.”
Ideally, districts like Hillyard can thoughtfully avoid gentrification and the associated rising costs that can push out the working class people who are the beating heart of a neighborhood, Semer says, while simultaneously recognizing they are in dire need of investment, with vacant or abandoned properties that could be put to better use.
“They want to use this district to help drive that community and help it thrive, but also ensure businesses are being started by local people,” Semer says of Hillyard’s plan. “They have great business incubator plans.”
Part of what kickstarted Hillyard’s creative district ambitions was GSI’s creation of a comprehensive
economic development strategy — that’s right, another formal planning document. Referred to by business types as a “CED” (pronounced “said”), GSI’s regionwide strategy was funded by a grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
While creating the strategy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gunning and GSI specifically prioritized the creative economy as an area ripe for development.
Because of that, GSI was able to apply for a fellow from the Economic Recovery Corps. With help from many partner agencies, the recovery corps was created to help communities apply for millions in leftover CARES funding from the first massive ($2.2 trillion) COVIDrecovery spending bill, says Darya Pilram, the SpokaneCoeur d’Alene region’s recovery corps fellow.
Out of more than 1,000 applicants with expertise in the intricacies (and paperwork) of government, Pilram was selected as one of 60 fellows now serving winning communities around the country. Over the course of a 30-month fellowship, these fellows are helping communities plan for and create new jobs and more livable, thriving neighborhoods. (It’s worth noting: Even with 20 years of federal work experience, including in counterterrorism, Pilram says getting selected for this fellowship was the most intense vetting process she’s ever experienced.)
GSI, in conjunction with the Coeur d’Alene Economic Development Corps., serves as the host for Pilram’s fellowship, but she is technically an independent contractor. She says that means she doesn’t have any vested interest in supporting specific regional businesses or powerful groups while she works with Inland North-
west residents to plan for the future.
“As fellows, we really are here serving the communities where we work,” she says.
Her job is to provide technical assistance and help community members with a vested interest in the future of their neighborhood get together and bring ideas to life.
Pilram spent more than a year hosting meetings (often at Red Dragon, or at the NEPDA’s office) with a group of business owners, residents, and others in Hillyard, compiling information required for the creative district designation. The extensive application requires that communities are already invested in and have shown progress on creative ventures, with an eye on helping small businesses at the same time.
Regardless of current uncertainty surrounding federal funding, Pilram says the grassroots effort to get stuff done by and for the neighborhood is the main priority.
“People who have been very insular and afraid of ...continued on page 12
140 years of expanding access to quality local care
For 140 years, we’ve been partnering locally to support communities in the ways they need it most. Because healthy communities need more than health care.
Economic Recovery Corps fellow and director of the Hillyard Creative District, Darya Pilram. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
Organized Labor
Spokane County library staff want bargaining power. Plus, Spokane puts $7.5M toward housing projects, and Central Valley votes to fight gender-inclusive policy.
The Spokane County Library District is one of the last nonunionized public libraries in Washington state. On Aug. 14, the direct supervisors and staff of the Spokane County Library District filed for union recognition. If formed, the new union would represent approximately 140 workers across the county library district and include two bargaining units — one for supervisors and another for rank-and-file employees. The employees aim to address longstanding issues such as scheduling and policy changes that are “made without input from employees,” as well as “fair wages and a lack of communication and transparency from administration,” according to a press release from AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) Council 2. “Library work is about building a community that is connected, collaborative and knowledgeable,” Caitlin Wheeler, a supervisor at Moran Prairie Library, says in an email announcing the union effort. “I think my colleagues deserve to experience the same sense of community that they offer to library users. I look forward to seeing the innovation that can come from lifting our voices together.”
(MADISON PEARSON)
HOME SWEET HOME
On Aug. 18, the Spokane City Council approved $7.5 million to fund nine local affordable housing projects and programs, from four funding sources. Recipients applied for funding through a request for proposals put out by the city’s Community, Housing and Human Services department. Four of the projects receiving the funds will be new builds, for a total of 95 new units, 63 of which will serve households earning 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) or less. A new homeownership project was allocated $1 million to create 12 new single-family townhomes, half of which will be sold to those earning 80% AMI or less. Funding is also earmarked for two rehabilitation projects, the Collins Building and Cornerstone Courtyard, that will preserve 50 units of affordable housing for households earning 50% AMI or less, and add 49 units for those earning 80% AMI or less. “These dollars are set aside for the purpose of expanding affordable housing, and we are making sure they get out into the community where they can have the greatest impact,” Mayor Lisa Brown says in a press release. “By supporting a variety of projects that serve different communities, we are investing in stability and opportu nity for everyone.” (DORA SCOTT)
GENDER LAWSUIT
In an Aug. 14 special meeting, the Central Valley School Board met to discuss one thing: whether or not the district should join a lawsuit against the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction over its genderinclusive schools policy. The lawsuit, led by the Lynden School District in northwest Washington, essentially argues that the state’s policy to prevent discrimination against transgender and gender-nonconforming students was imposed improperly because it didn’t receive any public comment before being enacted. After hearing public comment from those for and against the litigation, the Central Valley School Board voted 3-1 to sign onto the lawsuit, which will only proceed if at least 15 school districts sign on. “The purpose of this litigation is to address a procedural failure by OSPI,” the letter of intent to join the lawsuit reads. Central Valley’s board expects to pay up to $10,000 for this litigation. (COLTON RASNEN) n
LABOR DAY CONCERTS
JAMES LOWE, MUSIC DIRECTOR
LIBERTY LAKE
LUD KRAMER MEMORIAL CONCERT
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30
PAVILLION PARK
COMSTOCK PARK
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
JENNIFER & DR. PHILIP OGDEN
GERRY & BILL SPERLING
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
JASON GARRETT EVANS & RUTH ENGEDA OPENING BAND 4:45PM
6PM
Librarians band together. COURTESY PHOTO
NEWS | DEVELOPMENT
“TRANSFORMATIONAL, TACTICAL,” CONTINUED...
bringing in too many outsiders are now wanting to invite them in and control the ways that can happen,” Pilram says. “If predatory development and the specter of gentrification is scaring people, how do we include creatives who think differently in building a district?”
Just before speaking with the Inlander last week, Pilram spent hours with a multidisciplinary team planning a sculpture garden that could face the new Children of the Sun Trail, which winds beneath the North Spokane Corridor freeway. Drawing bikers and pedestrians into the neighborhood to then stop for a quick coffee, meal, beer or event is just one example of how to potentially expand Hillyard’s creative economy. In a similar vein, Pilram has also worked with a team to plan and build a bike rack for trail users to park their rides while they visit local businesses.
The creative district, housed under the Hillyard Alliance nonprofit, will officially launch with a block party on Third Thursday, with food, music and more on Market Street on Sept. 18. More information on this and future work will be available at HillyardSpokane.org.
“This puts Spokane on the map,” Pilram says, “not just Hillyard.”
BUILDING WITH INTENTION
In the midst of the creative district planning, the Northeast Public Development Authority, which receives tax money to reinvest in the Hillyard area, was working tirelessly with many of the same business owners and neighbors to plan for long-term capital investments.
The Hillyard subarea plan, which will go before the city’s Plan Commission (likely in September), and then
the Spokane City Council (before the end of the year) for final approval, contains ideas about how to improve transportation through the neighborhood, make the best use of low-traffic streets, and rezone specific areas to encourage development.
Jesse Bank, executive director of the NEPDA (and president of the city Plan Commission), explains that the major comprehensive plan update the city will undertake next year includes changes to two main components: the land use recommendation map, and zoning, which dictates where specific types of development can and can’t go.
If the Plan Commission (Bank will recuse himself from the vote on the NEPDA-led plan) and City Council approve Hillyard’s subarea plan, it’ll change that portion of the city’s land use recommendation map.
“But any zoning changes that are required to implement those recommendations are going to wait until the comprehensive plan goes through in 2026,” Bank explains.
Approving changes to the Hillyard section of the land use map now could allow developers an earlier chance to take advantage of new zoning that wouldn’t be approved until late next year. If something is approved on the land use map but doesn’t have the right zoning yet, developers can ask the city’s hearing examiner to confirm that a proposal aligns with the city’s long-term goals, Bank says.
The subarea plan splits Hillyard into six distinct areas: the business district, residential, “The Yard” (the neighborhood’s heaviest industrial area), the East Wellesley Business District (which doesn’t exist yet), Esmeralda (adjacent to the city-owned golf course by that name), and Beacon Hill.
In the proposed East Wellesley Business District, for example, the subarea plan proposes taking advantage of
already planned upgrades to Wellesley Avenue by changing the zoning to allow for more mixed-use commercial and office space to ease the transition between low-density portions of the neighborhood and high-intensity/industrial uses.
“Right now it’s zoned light industrial, which technically allows housing but no mixed use,” or, in other words, everyday businesses, Bank says. “Could we allow flexibility there and leverage this big investment into Wellesley and think about a different future for that stretch?”
One of the major ideas in the subarea plan is to have the city “decouple” Market and Haven streets, which currently serve as divided one-way north- and southbound streets through Hillyard. Once the North South Corridor is complete and truck traffic moves onto the new freeway, Market could be returned to a two-way street with slower speeds, new landscaping and other pedestrian friendly improvements to draw visitors, Bank says.
“As we look to revitalize the Hillyard core, we want cars to slow down, we want cafe seating and parklets,” Bank says. “This will help it be a destination — a place people drive to rather than drive through. Then we can open up a lot of options for the businesses around here and cater to that historic business district.”
If that happens, where southbound traffic on Market Street currently splits off onto Haven Street (just south of East Columbia Avenue), the no-longer needed street connection could be turned into park and greenspace to enhance the Hillyard Aquatic Center on that block.
The plan also proposes turning low-traffic areas on Greene Street and East Olympic Avenue into “festival streets,” which would enable the community to shut those blocks to traffic without needing a city permit for events like block parties.
The NEPDA recently purchased property on Olympic that faces the pedestrian trail and could host the sculpture garden the creative district has been discussing, and help activate the street by hosting events allowed under the festival street designation, Bank says.
Though the subarea planning started in 2023, well before work for the creative district, their goals are aligned, Bank says.
“They mesh really well,” Bank says. “We’ve been hyperfocused with this plan on implementation and implementability, and what steps we need to take and where the gaps are, so we can focus on filling those gaps, rather than focusing on ‘What do we do next?’ We’ve got some great tools to do that now.” n samanthaw@inlander.com
The Hillyard subarea plan includes ideas within these six areas. STANTEC RENDERING/HILLYARD SUBAREA PLAN
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NEWS | DEVELOPMENT
Not In My Irrigation District
Landowners in Pasadena Park Irrigation District rallied against land annexation for future development; now, they’re going to get a vote
BY COLTON RASANEN
Brenda and John Trapp have lived on their approximately 5-acre property in Pasadena Park, a residential neighborhood north of Millwood and the Spokane River, for 26 years. They’ve seen the neighborhood grow as more people moved there in that time, and with that growth they’ve also seen parts of the neighborhood that they cherished disappear.
uses it so well.”
While Doug Yost, vice president of development and acquisitions for Cowles Real Estate Company, confirms the map that the Trapps and other neighbors saw was real, he says it wasn’t an accurate example of how the Cowles Real Estate Company actually plans to use the land that they’ve owned (as Inland Empire Paper) for close to 100 years.
“We used to have pheasants in our yard. We used to have blue herons and the meadowlark, it’s very rare to see now,” Brenda Trapp says. “We’re seeing a habitat corridor that’s disappearing.”
So when the Trapps saw a leaked map that proposed placing 400 homes on the 100 acres of land bordering their property to the southwest, which is owned by CREC-Pasadena, LLC, a subsidiary of the Cowles Real Estate Company, they were shocked and set out to stop it before it began.
“This is really a unique piece of property, and it’s probably one of the last pieces of solid 100 acres that is here,” Brenda Trapp says. “There’s people who still ride their horses on that property. It’s like a great place to let your dog go out and throw the ball, let him run, and come back. And I don’t know if the Cowles know what a valuable piece of land they have and how the community
“We initially did a test fit, just internally, and it didn’t take into account topography. It didn’t take into account setbacks. It was just an engineer throwing lots on a map, and that’s all it is,” Yost explains. “We don’t intend to do townhomes. We’re not going to do stacked apartments, because they’re not zoned for it. But our plan is to, if we do end up doing something, would be single-family lots.”
On June 30, CREC-Pasadena filed a petition to be annexed into the Pasadena Park Irrigation District, asking for 100 of the 190 available water rights for their future development. According to Pasadena Park Irrigation District Manager Bruce Davidson, these water rights, measured in equivalent residential units (ERUs), are typically allotted per residence, not per plot of land.
This land near Upriver Drive and Argonne Road could be developed in coming years, but needs water connections to do so.
COLTON RASANEN PHOTO
For example, a single-family household would only need one ERU for the home, but a sixplex would need six ERUs.
“There’s obviously a shortage of single-family lots, so trying to create an opportunity for more homes that are available for people to buy and live in is important,” Yost says. “Before we really get to more of a planning stage, you have to look at your utilities, and one of them is securing some kind of water rights for the development. So the first logical step was to try to annex ourselves into the water district.”
However, other neighbors, like the Trapps, don’t believe the area should be developed in the first place.
“We moved here over 10 years ago, and it’s this quiet little gem that many people come from far to enjoy,” says Elizabeth Braun, a leading voice against development in the neighborhood. “I mean, it’s a reprieve for people from the stress, from the hustle and bustle of life, to be able to just clear your mind and just connect with nature. It’s such a peaceful and quaint neighborhood that I really don’t want to see it developed at all.”
On Aug. 14, Braun and more than 60 other residents living in the irrigation district, which is in Spokane County, asked the Pasadena Park Irrigation District Board of Directors to deny CREC-Pasadena’s annexation petition. The board had the opportunity to accept the petition, deny it, or send it to a vote of the irrigation district’s approximately 2,600 customers.
For nearly three hours, board Chair Alan Harris and the board’s attorney Aaron Dunham facilitated public comment, during which residents were allowed to state their objections to the annexation. Unlike a structured city council meeting where each person needs to sign up to talk and keep their speech to a certain time limit, however, this public comment period operated more like a question-and-answer session between the district’s board and employees and those in attendance.
While neighbors had concerns about what a potential development might mean for traffic and crime in the area, by law the irrigation board is only allowed to consider issues that would impact the district’s water supply. One of the most common concerns that the directors heard was that this annexation could cause them to place a moratorium on obtaining water rights if current customers wanted to subdivide their property.
After public comment and a brief executive session to discuss “potential litigation,” the board members voted unanimously to let the irrigation district customers decide. At the district’s Sept. 11 meeting, board members will determine the election date and who will run it, since these water board elections in Washington are not operated by county election offices.
“Growth is difficult. Development is difficult. And I completely understand people’s emotions and what their issue is with this,” Yost says. “I do know one thing, regardless of what we do, we’re still going to pursue getting water rights for the property, even if we don’t develop it for a while.” n coltonr@inlander.com
Concerned neighbors attended a Pasadena Park Irrigation District meeting last week. PHOTO COURTESY TERRY TAYLOR
BY ELLIS BENSON
Like many sports, dance can present several barriers to access, especially for adults. For example, most ballerinas start out at a very young age, which means the form is especially unwelcoming to newcomers in stiff, full-grown bodies.
Swing dancing, however, welcomes those of all ages and skill levels. Conceived alongside the rise of jazz music, swing dancing originated in African American communities in 1920s Harlem, New York. From its very conception, swing dancing was meant to be social, heavily improvisational and somewhat low-barrier. In the 1980s, Lindy Hop and other styles of swing witnessed a resurgence in popularity, and soon swing dancing groups started forming throughout America.
Woodside Swing, a Spokane-based swing dancing club, teaches different styles of the dance such as the Lindy Hop, Charleston, Collegiate Shag and Balboa to beginners and advanced dancers alike.
Amanda Darr has been involved with Woodside Swing since its creation in 2022. Like many swing dancers, Darr started dancing as an adult. Her first introduction to swing was a course she took in college.
“I was just looking through the course catalog — because they used to be paper and you flipped through them
— and I just was scrolling down thinking, ‘Well, I could do scuba diving or basket weaving, or, oh, here swing dancing,’” Darr recalls. “So I signed up for the swing dancing class, and I didn’t even know what it meant, really.”
That casually chosen class to fulfill a general education credit blossomed into Darr’s lifelong love for swing dancing — today she has 25 years of experience under her feet.
In the swing dancing community, groups like Woodside Swing are referred to as “scenes,” Darr says. Yet up until 2001, Spokane didn’t have any scene.
That year, the city held its first First Night event, a downtown New Year’s Eve celebration that ran from 2001 to 2018. A friend of Darr’s contacted organizers about hosting a swing dance group for the inaugural event, rounded up some dancers, and taught them an entire routine in just 14 days.
COVID hit, the group tried to host lessons and socials over Zoom, yet due to personal circumstances, Strictly Swing’s leaders were unable to keep it going.
Darr and others involved with Strictly Swing then started dancing in local parks, until the meetups morphed into an organized group. In June 2022, Woodside Swing hosted its first dance. Since then, its members have been organizing weekly dance lessons and socials.
Woodside’s Thursday night lessons (from 6-9 pm, $10) and social dance are held at the Woman’s Club of Spokane, an inclusive volunteer-run nonprofit on the lower South Hill. With hardwood floors and a brick exterior, the club’s building compliments the vintage style of swing dance.
GET TO SWINGIN’!
Thursdays from 6:30-9 pm
$10 lesson + dance; $5 for students or dance only
Woman’s Club of Spokane, 1428 W. Ninth Ave. syncopationfoundation.org/spokane
That performance kickstarted Spokane’s swing scene, but it was still long before Woodside Swing’s founding in 2022. Before the pandemic’s 2020 onset, another group, Strictly Swing, had been around for about seven years. When
“This dance is over 100 years old, this building is over 100 years old,” Darr says. “I think we’re actually super blessed to dance here at the Woman’s Club in this historic ballroom.”
At their first swing lesson, beginners can expect to partner up with multiple people and learn basic footwork. The goal is to reach a basic level of understanding so that
they can dance with anyone.
“You’ll learn enough dance to go to the social dance that happens right afterwards, to the point that you can dance all night.” Darr says.
The beginner lesson teaches Lindy Hop, a subsection of swing influenced by the Charleston. Lindy Hop, a personal favorite of Darr’s, has a few different advantages. It can be danced at slow, medium, or fast tempos and, depending on the music, can be performed either staccato or more smoothly. In addition to its inherent flexibility, Lindy Hop’s fundamentals can be taught in about an hour.
“That’s why we start you off with Lindy Hop, because we can start you in closed, we can put you in two or three moves, and bring you back to closed,” Darr says. “That gives you a package deal for the whole night of dancing.”
Following the lesson, there’s an optional dance social until 9 pm. Beginners are encouraged to dance with everyone and anyone, as dancing with lots of people with diverse skill levels is one of the most effective ways to improve, Darr says.
Dustin Randall, one of Woodside Swing’s instructors, stresses that while anyone can ask anyone else to dance, anyone can also decline without needing to say why. Woodside’s instructors emphasize that dancing should be comfortable and enjoyable, and if anything doesn’t seem right to let them know.
While there’s much to love about swing dancing, Darr’s favorite part is the community that’s been built around it. Woodside Swing has a Discord channel for people to chat and meet up, including going on hikes or getting milkshakes together. Recently, two couples that met in the scene got married.
“I love the social part of it,” Darr says. “Just something magical happens when you put people in the same room, dancing to the same music, and your hearts are all beating at the same time.”
Looking toward the future of Woodside Swing, Darr hopes that more and more people attend the many events that they host. Currently, Woodside Swing has quarterly socials with dancing to live music, plus Balboa Night every second Saturday at VFW Post 1474 in Hillyard, as well as a handful of other events announced in the group’s monthly newsletters.
The joy the dancers get from swing is palpable: Smiles, giggles and witty remarks are hard to miss at a Woodside Swing event. With welcoming attitudes and a low-pressure environment, it’s easy to see why so many chose to come back again and again.
“I always say my favorite dance move is my smile,” Darr says. “I’ve never seen a Lindy Hopper that’s not smiling.” n
Woodside Swing’s Alyssa Lobkov and Tom Hamming teach the Lindy Hop.
Fall Arts Fall Arts
Preview Preview
The Dating Game
In Creative Dates, former EWU professor Barb Brock shows that magic moments are one invitation away
BY E.J. IANNELLI
Attendees have gladly squeezed themselves into the tiny event room at Wishing Tree Books, a converted powder-blue Craftsman in the South Perry District, where Barb Brock is discussing and reading from her new nonfiction book, Creative Dates: The Why, the How, and the Reason for Now
It’s one thing to have friends and colleagues come out to a book launch, and they certainly have; but there are also more than a few of Brock’s former students — not to mention their family members — in the audience. As their comments make clear, they’re here because the subject of the book made such a lasting impression on them.
“It was kind of an amazing, tiny little supersimple exercise that had big implications, I guess,” Brock says.
The “creative date” got its start as an assignment Brock gave students in the Intro to Recreation and Leisure class that she taught for 27 years at Eastern Washington University. Its parameters were straightforward: You couldn’t travel more than 5 miles. It couldn’t cost more than $5. And a physical invitation, whatever form that might take, was a must.
Those criteria aside, everything else was fair game. The date didn’t even have to be romantic in nature. Friends, acquaintances, grandparents,
siblings and even pets were potential invitees.
Students took those possibilities and ran with them. One interpreted the date as a babysitting session to give her cousin and his wife time for a much-needed bike ride. A different student took his friend paddleboarding followed by a surprise cliff jump. Another turned it into a day of volunteering at a local animal shelter. For one couple, it became an artistic free-for-all with each other’s bodies as the painted canvases.
While the dates varied from the soundly practical to the wildly imaginative, the exercise itself opened students’ eyes to how fun and rewarding these uncomplicated, low-cost experiences could be.
“You know, going into this, I had no idea what would happen, but when students had to type up their summary, that’s when it came out. They just thanked me over and over and over again for requiring it. And I was always kind of blown away,” says Brock.
The gratitude was mutual. Over the decades of teaching prior to her retirement in 2013, Brock developed a habit of waiting until the end of a long day of grading to read those creative dates summaries because of the uplift they would bring.
Brock hopes to inspire people to ditch their screens and connect. COURTESY PHOTO
She also couldn’t help but save “the best of the best” from each of those rounds. Eventually they accumulated into a pretty large stack.
As she explains to the small crowd in the reading, it became a “kind of a bucket-list thing” to figure out how to contextualize and share them.
“I had this big, thick file,” she says, “and I kept thinking, ‘Someday I’ve got to do something with these dates.’”
And she did, although the resulting book is more than just a compilation of the standouts. Creative Dates is broadly divided into two parts, with only the second half profiling the 55 student examples that Brock earmarked as especially noteworthy. The first part is the justification for why this exercise should transcend the classroom and become a real-world practice — now more than ever.
“It sounds like a fun, kind of quirky thing, but when you read it, you realize there’s three countries now that have ministers of loneliness. It’s a big deal, this pulling away from each other, this lack of face-to-face [communication], this insular world of, you know, thousands of online friends but very few that will bring us chicken soup. We’re really pulling away from connection.”
The steps that some governments and health professionals have taken to counter that growing pall of loneliness have quite a bit in common with the outline of Brock’s creative dates. They involve simple, low-barrier pastimes like touching grass, going for a walk or socializing in a different environment.
Creative Dates can like wise be seen as a compan ion piece to Living Outside the Box, the 2007 publica tion that earned Brock a spot on the international lecture and interview circuit. That book sprang from a survey of 500 families across 43 states, which indicated, perhaps unsurprisingly, that those who ditched the screen spent more time together and engaged in fulfilling hobbies.
Because those findings support the need for creative dates and how people can reclaim the time to make space for them, the advantages of going TV-free do make their way into Brock’s book.
“I couldn’t help but try to hint at it or suggest it. It’s such a simple magic bullet, so to speak, to all of a sudden getting more time in your life to focus on what’s really important,” she says.
“With a huge TV watching presence and screen watching presence, that means there are a ton of hours that we’re not doing some more important things, like conversations and walks or, you know, sitting outside by yourself and thinking. We don’t ponder. We don’t make those magic moments.”
But what makes those moments magic in the first place?
Brock says that it comes from being outward directed, which is why her concept of creative dates places such emphasis on a dedicated invitation: a question traced in the sand, a note glued to a dog biscuit, words formed out of leftover spaghetti. Not only does that act seem to turn the most staid individual into a font of imagination, it frames the entire event as an offering to someone else.
“Anything that takes a little thought from that person’s side is usually a gift,” she says. “The gift-giving society and mentality is a beautiful thing that helps everyone. It’s just the idea of the kindness mentality we need to take and focus on you instead of me.”
Which might be why Brock phrases the primary takeaway of Creative Dates not in her own words but as a piece of life advice attributed to the writer Henry James: “The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.” n
Find Creative Dates ($13) at Wishing Tree Books and from various online booksellers.
MUSIC. BEER. STARS.
OPENING
Serving
Up Sunshine
Remi’s Cafe brings family friendly brunch to Spokane’s Wandermere area
BY DORA SCOTT
After more than 40 years in the food industry, Paul Gill thought opening a small diner in retirement would finally slow his pace. Instead, he’s back on his feet and in the kitchen again at Remi’s Cafe, his new restaurant at 12502 N. Division St. in far north Spokane’s Wandermere neighborhood.
“A little bigger than the small diner that I was wanting to do in the first place, but I found a couple of partners that wanted to go into business, and silent partners, and decided to open Remi’s,” Gill says.
Remi’s Cafe officially opened on July 14, skipping a soft launch and immediately drawing weekend lines that spilled out the door. The spot has quickly become a go-to for locals craving hearty breakfasts and brunch cocktails.
Even with a trimmed-down opening
menu, Remi’s offers plenty to savor. The chicken fried steak ($18.95) has already become a runaway favorite. Pounded and breaded fresh, fried golden and smothered with house-made country gravy, Gill says they solde nearly 100 plates on a recent Saturday.
Eggs Benedicts ($15.95-$18.50) and omelets ($16.95-$17.95) remain staples, with Benedict choices ranging from ham to steak to spinach and tomato. Once the planned larger menu debuts, diners will be able to order half portions, or even mix and match ingredients. For now, get creative and build your own omelet ($16.95), picking the cheese and up to three vegetables and proteins.
On the sweeter side, the lemon ricotta pancakes ($14.50), a recipe by Gill’s wife, have been crowned an early favorite.
“It has ricotta in the batter, lemon zest, lemon juice, so you have that hint of lemon,” he says. “And then we top that with fresh berries — strawberries and blueberries. And then it gets a lemon zest all over the top of that.”
French toast enthusiasts should try the stuffed French toast ($15.95), made with thick-sliced cinnamon bread from locally based Alpine Bakery, filled with a cream cheese frosting and served with whipped cream, maple syrup, butter and a generous amount of fresh strawberries and blueberries.
Even though the menu has only a few gluten-free and vegan options, Gill explains that the kitchen staff is able to customize items to meet people’s dietary restrictions, even if it’s not listed.
...continues after Give Guide
Remi’s serves a variety of brunch fare: omelets, sandwiches, and even pancake “tacos,” shown here. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
GIVE GUIDE
Become a part of solving local problems and building institutions that make the Inland Northwest a special place
Give back just by joining. stcu.org/join.
As federal money is withheld or canceled, driving up competition for state and local funding, and tariffs start impacting the price families pay for everything from groceries to car parts, Inland Northwest nonprofits and the everyday folks they turn to for monetary support may feel like they’re walking a financial tightrope. But in Give Guide, the Inlander’s annual philanthropy issue, along with sharing an overview of the nonprofit sector in all its many forms, we get to highlight some threads of the incredible safety nets that are there to catch people when they fall and help them get to the other side of the challenges life puts in front of them.
Some of the most vulnerable kids in our community can lean on a furry friend like Skipper or Tori, courthouse facility dogs who help the kids served at Partners with Families and Children. Cancer patients and their loved ones are also getting closer to having places to stay while receiving treatment as Cancer Can’t nears its funding goal for the patient sanctuary it plans to build near Kendall Yards.
It’s also great to see local organizations’ longevity — The Lands Council is celebrating its 40th year of environmental work — and financial success, like the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy’s completion of a $4 million campaign to protect 1,000 acres.
Refugees and immigrants in our community have supportive resources, too, including
from Manzanita House, which can help people navigate the legal system and go through the naturalization process. And families experiencing homelessness can stay together and now have a fun new outdoor play space at Family Promise of Spokane.
Meanwhile, the Made with Kindness Foundation is turning tragedy into empowerment, offering self-defense classes and college scholarships in honor of three women murdered while attending the University of Idaho. And New Developed Nations is providing therapy through music, connecting with kids as they work through difficult moments.
On top of these reported stories, you’ll find an extensive advertising directory of many nonprofits working to improve the region and provide strength in the good times and the bad. Many are looking for help, whether that’s a donation or the time you can volunteer.
Together, we are stronger.
— SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL, Give Guide Editor
GUIDE HEALTH COMMUNITY NATURE PEOPLE
The Way to Justice is a nonprofit law firm based in Spokane. We provide legal assistance in post-conviction relief, driver’s license reinstatement and youth empowerment while advocating for policy changes that address systemic barriers in the criminal justice system. Our mission is to transform lives, restore hope, and create pathways to justice for marginalized communities.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
Donate, volunteer at community events, or partner with us to expand access to legal help. Every contribution helps us continue providing free and low-cost services to those who need them the most.
GIVE GUIDE HEALTH
A Helping Paw
Partners with Families and Children’s courthouse facility dog program helps young people through the criminal justice system
BY MADISON PEARSON
One of the newest employees at Partners with Families and Children doesn’t have a degree, doesn’t speak English, doesn’t have opposable thumbs, just celebrated her 8th birthday and is one of the most important assets the local agency has in its mission to stop cycles of abuse and neglect.
Tori has been with Partners with Families and Children for five years, training to take over as the agency’s main courthouse facility dog from Skipper, a nine-year veteran who’s now easing into retirement.
Courthouse dogs like Skipper and Tori provide comfort and support to crime victims, families and young people navigating the criminal justice system. The idea of courthouse facility dogs originated in King County in 2004, and today courthouse dogs are used across the country in varying capacities.
Both Skipper and Tori came from the Assistance Dogs of Hawaii program. Meghan Davidson, a mental health therapist at Partners, otherwise known as “Skipper’s mama,” applied to the program in 2016 and after an extensive interview process, Skipper was placed with Partners, becoming the first courthouse facility dog in Spokane County.
Before placement, he underwent training similar to that of a service animal while in his home state of Hawaii. Once finished with “puppy kindergarten,” based on his temperament, skills and abilities, he was chosen to move on to the courthouse facility dog program.
For Partners with Families and Children, resources like courthouse facility dogs are vital to the mission of the agency and specifically to the Children’s Advocacy Center, which facilitates a collaborative response to
criminal cases involving child abuse and neglect.
“The advanced training the dogs go through really focuses on patience, the ability to be very still, quiet and to really sense what’s happening to people and how to provide support to them,” says Stephanie Widhalm, the program director of the Children’s Advocacy Center. “He’s provided thousands of hours of services on-site, through forensic interviews, medical evaluations and therapy services.”
Skipper visited Freeman High School for nearly three years following the 2017 school shooting.
“He went into the school, just to be around the kids,” Widhalm says. “But then he was able to follow them through the prosecution process all the way through the sentencing. Skipper was so important to them during that time.”
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Current courthouse facility dog Tori, left, and Skipper, who just retired, help kids through tough times.
YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
Volunteering for gratitude and health
Spokane family physician Dr. David Ward (pictured) recently joined his Kaiser Permanente coworkers for a volunteer shift at Spokane’s Second Harvest, a nonprofit organization providing programs to help feed those in need across Eastern Washington and North Idaho. He brought along his two sons, ages 10 and 12, and together, the crew helped pack lunches for community members.
“We were getting exercise but also thrilled to bring nutritious food to people who otherwise wouldn’t have access,” Dr. Ward says. While volunteering time and effort can benefit those in need, Dr. Ward notes that volunteering can work magic on the volunteers themselves, too.
In fact, research shows that volunteering can boost mental and physical health, happiness and life satisfaction. “Volunteering reduces depression and loneliness,” he says. One study even found that people had lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in their saliva on volunteer days versus non-volunteer days.
“About 80% of health outcomes result from social drivers of health, including financial stability, longterm relationships and social support,” says Ward. Social drivers also include community environment conditions such as housing, education and access to nutritious food and physical activity.
Volunteering is easier than we might think, he notes — even a weekend or several times per year could make a big difference to you and those around you. Contributing time and energy to causes you’re passionate about can elevate your emotional and physical well-being. Volunteering could include working to feed those in need, helping animals at a shelter, cleaning up a hiking trail or planting trees.
The power of gratitude
Volunteering filled Dr. Ward with a deep sense of appreciation — and this kind of gratitude can be a powerful contributor to health. “Some studies have found that those who practice gratitude experience fewer aches and pains and sleep better at night,” he says.
Outside of volunteering, says Ward, some tips for increasing gratitude include:
1. Reframe difficult moments. Look for ways to appreciate the small stuff — even if that takes a bit of work. “When flying, I can either be annoyed by the lines and potential delay or consider how much worse it would be to travel across the states by horse or stagecoach," Ward says.
2. Reflect daily. Spend a few minutes each day to think about and write down what you’re grateful for that day — whether people, experiences or your health.
3. Give away more gratitude. Thank people on a routine basis, whether it's a wave as you merge into traffic or taking a moment to thank a service worker.
“Gratitude improves with practice, and the more you practice, the better you get,” says Ward.
GIVE GUIDE HEALTH
Widhalm says that although the two dogs shared the same job title, Skipper and Tori serve different purposes due to their distinct personalities. Skipper, who turned 10 in June, provided young people with snuggles, deep pressure therapy and a calming presence, while Tori, being five years younger than Skipper, can play with children and serve as a distraction from difficult moments.
“They complement each other really well in terms of their strengths,” Widhalm says. “[Tori] really enjoys playing games with the kids. She loves the shorter services as she’s more of an engaging kind of dog. Skipper is lowkey, he’s always been like that.”
Tori often shares her favorite toy — Pepper, a purple monkey — with the young people she interacts with. Once trust is established, kids often feel more comfortable having tough conversations with agency employees as Tori, their new trusted confidant, is in the room.
Widhalm says young people ask her if they can tell Skipper or Tori what they’re struggling with, and Widhalm will always happily oblige.
“If they don’t want to talk to me, that’s OK,” she says. “Skipper and Tori will always listen to them if they feel nervous about confiding in an adult. The dogs have helped so many young people through high-stress situations. Having a support mechanism in place to help bring those kids into a state of equilibrium and support a positive narrative around their experience has been a huge benefit to our model.”
The dogs’ handlers carry around special trading cards of Skipper and Tori to hand out when a child meets them for the first time. The cards feature fun facts and adorable photos of the dogs, allowing kids to take home a memento and a reminder of a happy moment, though the young people often go home with more than just a trading card.
“When they snuggle and shed on people, we call that puppy glitter,” Widhalm says.
HOW TO HELP
Donations can be made at
With Tori taking over Skipper’s position so he can lounge around in his favorite dirt patch, Partners with Families and Children is in the process of applying to find another dog to add to their facility.
“They’ve changed the narrative of so many people’s experiences in the criminal justice system,” Widhalm says. “Courthouse facility dogs can truly change lives.” n
Partners with Families & Children Program Director Stephanie Widhalm with the two courthouse therapy dogs. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
MORE THAN ENTERTAINMENT
Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino isn’t just a place to play it’s a cornerstone of community support. Proudly owned and operated by the Spokane Tribe of Indians, the resort generates revenue that directly benefits vital infrastructure and essential tribal programs. Beyond providing jobs and opportunities for local vendors, the casino and resort is committed to giving back. Over the years, they’ve supported non-profit organizations, including local fire and police departments, making a real difference where it matters most.
Right now, the team is rallying the community for a major fundraising banquet to benefit the Boys & Girls Club because at Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino, success is measured not only in winnings, but in the good we can do together.
Radiation therapies can be five days a week for anywhere from eight weeks to six months; Cancer Can’t wants to help patients manage those difficult times. COURTESY RENDERING
Building Community
Cancer Can’t is working to create a new permanent patient lodging facility just north of Kendall Yards
BY BEE REISWIG
Cancer Can’t, a local nonprofit that helps adult cancer patients and their families in the Inland Northwest, received $1.53 million in state appropriations in May. The money will go toward a lodging facility that the organization hopes to start building next March in the West Central neighborhood, near the corner of North Cedar Street and West Mallon Avenue. It is expected to take one year to build.
The organization has currently raised $4.8 million of its $6 million goal, including the recent state funding. If its annual gala at the Davenport Grand on Sept. 13 raises enough money, Cancer Can’t should be able to get a loan for the remaining gap.
“We know the data is that for cancer patients that have a care provider, you know, a support system that’s with them, the medical outcomes are better,” says Becky Van Keulen, president of Cancer Can’t.
Van Keulen founded the nonprofit with her late husband, Jonathan, who had bone cancer and wanted to help the patients who would come after him.
Their work didn’t originally include patient housing. But after the American Cancer Society in Spokane closed due to a national refocus on research in 2020, Cancer Can’t took over that role.
Under the American Cancer Society’s extended stay assistance program, a patient had to stay in the hotel room with their family or caretaker for funding to apply.
Cancer Can’t expanded that service, allowing patients’ caretakers to have a paid room for up to eight nights, even if the patient was in the hospital.
But funds began draining away faster and faster, and it became clear the nonprofit needed a more permanent solution.
That’s where the idea of a more sustainable, longterm lodging facility came up.
It’s planned that 10 units will be corporate rentals, which will pay for the other rooms in which oncology patients and their families can stay. Ideally, Cancer Can’t will pair with other medical providers whose patients need housing. As another source of income,
when patients go home on the weekends, some of those rooms will also be available for short-term rentals.
Most patients who receive radiation therapy do so Monday through Friday, for up to eight weeks. Chemotherapy may take place during the entire week for up to six months.
Beyond their work providing places to stay, Cancer Can’t also provides a volunteer driving service that spans from Oregon up to Canada and over to Montana.
GET INVOLVED
Donate, sign up to volunteer or buy gala tickets (Sept. 13, $140) at cancercant.com.
The nonprofit also gives financial grants to cancer patients, provides a peer-led cancer support group and has a list of the best treatment centers in Spokane.
“We just do whatever we can to kinda [say], ‘Is that something that we can address or is that something that we can provide the community?’” Van Keulen says. n
Beacon Hill’s expertise in catering and event planning helps nonprofits level up fundraisers
Powered by some seriously delicious brownies, Beacon Hill’s expertise in catering and event planning helps nonprofits level up fundraisers
The delicious signature brownies from Beacon Hill Catering & Events have been perennially popular items at area fundraisers — not just for eating, but for auctioning! In fact, a single brownie platter once garnered a winning bid of more than $2,600.
Thanks to the popularity of those decadent treats, co-owner Ellie Aaro estimates that Beacon Hill’s brownies have helped local nonprofits raise around $350,000 over the past 20 years.
Yet brownies certainly aren’t the only way that Beacon Hill has contributed to the success of nonprofit events in that time. Through their business, Aaro and her team have o ered tailored, end-to-end event planning and catering services to organizations of all sizes, from school booster clubs to nationally recognized charitable foundations.
“We have great bandwidth and a long history of experience in catered events,” she says. “One of our main priorities is to understand the mission of the organization and figure out how catering would amplify their messaging and the event experience.”
When SNAP and the Ronald McDonald House wanted to host fundraisers in a convenient luncheon-style format, Beacon Hill came up with a concept that Aaro describes as a “hybrid plated meal.” It features a gourmet, scratch-made box lunch that guests could enjoy within the timeframe of their lunch breaks in a central downtown location. The flexible format proved a hit.
The family-focused nonprofit Vanessa Behan, on the other hand, was looking to give a distinctive spin to its annual Cheers for Kids event. Beacon Hill has delivered by partnering with local breweries to create one-of-a-kind food and beer pairings that make for a truly “special and memorable” occasion, Aaro says.
“It’s an event that’s unique to them, one that you can’t go to anywhere else in Spokane.”
Beacon Hill has even helped transport fundraiser guests to a region in Italy that’s famous for its wine and cuisine. As the dinner and venue sponsor for the YWCA Spokane’s annual Evening in Tuscany benefit event, Beacon Hill provides a Tuscaninspired menu and atmosphere that routinely draws compliments for months afterwards.
“Their involvement has enhanced the overall
experience, adding an elevated level of sophistication and warmth to the evening,” explains Evening in Tuscany event planner Jennifer Evans. “Through their culinary expertise, Beacon Hill has provided guests with exquisite dining experiences, contributing to the event’s reputation and success. This partnership has helped An Evening in Tuscany not only meet but exceed fundraising goals, enabling more substantial support for the causes the event champions.”
As Beacon Hill’s reputation for excellence has grown among the nonprofit community, so too have its expertise and resources. Longstanding
professional collaborations with other awardwinning partners, such as Barrister Winery, enable Beacon Hill Catering & Events to dial in every single aspect — meals, libations, music, location, you name it — according to its clients’ vision.
“We’re dynamic and versatile, so we work really hard to keep things fresh and solve problems creatively, whether it’s a budget, a location or a time constraint,” Aaro says.
“In that way, we’re like the glue that pulls an event together.”
GIVE GUIDE HEALTH
How To Give
READ THE GIVE GUIDE
Read all about the goals of local nonprofits in this special section; make a note of the ones you connect with most.
Ashley House NW
4118 S. Cook Street • Spokane, WA 98223
WHAT WE DO
GO ONLINE Grab your credit card, scan a QR code or log on to the charity websites found in these pages and make a contribution.
509.863.2197 ah-nw.org bjohnson@ah-nw.org
Ashley House provides comprehensive, cost e ective, quality care to medically fragile children, teens, and young adults in home-like settings.
Joyful might not be the rst word that comes to mind when you hear about her. Paula was born with a rare genetic disorder: Facial Femoral Syndrome which creates a litany of health issues: Like many infants with genetic disorders, she has a weak immune system. She had her rst surgery days a er her birth. Her lungs are under-developed, so she requires a trach to help her breath. And Paula was born without femurs, so her feet are connected at the knee.
A er spending much of her rst year in the hospital, Paula came to Ashley House. Her smile and spirit enchant everyone that meets her. Beating expectations, she has learned rst to sit up on her own and then crawl—and BOY can she move! Her parents and big sister visit almost daily, while Paula receives the care and therapy she needs. Her mom, Nydia recently shared: “We are so grateful to have Ashley House on our side. We couldn’t have done it without their help. It is amazing the work they do, caring for our little angel!” Paula will require additional surgery before she goes home, but she is a ghter whose joy inspires her family and our sta daily!
At Ashley House, we believe that every child deserves to live the best, fullest life possible! We give each child the care they need while their family prepares to take them home. For the few who need long term care, Ashley House becomes home.
But for most of the children and youth in our care, Ashley House is a stop on their journey home.
GET INVOLVED
• Support kids like Paula live their best life possible by donating today! Visit our website at www.ah-nw.org or scan the qr code to make a di erence today!
• Volunteer! Rock an infant, dance with a toddler, or read to a child. For more information contact Megan, a msmith@ah-nw.org
• Join us at e Great Gingerbread Build O , Saturday, December 6th at Riverpark Square! is is going to be a fun family event to raise money to care for kids. For more information, to volunteer, or to become a sponsor, email Beth Ann at bjohnson@ah-nw.org
PICK UP YOUR PHONE
Call your nonprofit of choice via the numbers listed here and make a pledge of cash or volunteer hours.
Anna Schindler Foundation
6700 S. Stateline Road • Post Falls, ID 83854
WHAT WE DO
e mission of the Anna Schindler Foundation is to support families ghting childhood cancer in the Inland Northwest and raise awareness of this disease.
e ASF has given out over $1.5 million in support to childhood cancer families since 2011. Support for these families include hospital meal cards, assistance for gas, groceries, medical, utility, rent, mortgage and living expenses. Our Anna’s Homes, just minutes from Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, provides housing for diagnosed families from out of the area that must stay close during critical parts of treatment. We have housed 65 families since 2018.
DONATE
$35 sponsors 1 night at Anna’s Homes.
$50 gives a weekly hospital meal card for an inpatient family.
$100 helps with living expenses for a struggling family.
Cancer Care Northwest Foundation
WHAT WE DO
509.228.1019 ccnwf.org foundation@ccnw.net
CCNWF is a non-pro t organization that helps Inland Northwest cancer patients and their families through educational, emotional and nancial support.
CCNW Foundation o ers limited nancial support for basic necessities such as transportation, prescriptions, groceries, rent, and support groups. CCNW Foundation also supports the advancement of cancer research.
DONATE
Your donation helps ensure that Inland Northwest cancer patients and their families have the support they need throughout their journeys with cancer.
To make a donation, please visit www.ccnwf.org or text CCNWF to 44321
e mission of the CHAS Health Foundation is to promote healthy communities by strategically investing in patients, partners, and programs that support overall wellbeing.
At the CHAS Health Foundation, we are dedicated to fostering a healthier future for all. rough the generosity of our donors, we are able to support programming and services that meet the needs of patients and enhance community wellbeing in our region, making the following impacts possible:
• Ensure CHAS Health and the Foundation can respond quickly when urgent health needs arise in our community, delivering care where it’s needed most, especially in times of Greatest Need
• Provide direct patient support by covering essential medical supplies and health services for those facing nancial barriers
• Assist Community Health Programs that address the evolving needs of various communities we serve
• Support children’s health to ensure that kids in our community receive medical care, access to medical supplies and equipment, and wellness support they need to thrive
• Expand the reach and impact of our School-Based Health Centers, ensuring more of our local students can access essential, convenient care that is located just down the hall
• Support women’s health by providing personalized care at every stage of life, from preventive screenings to pregnancy care and beyond.
• Make a di erence in a speci c rural community, ensuring that support stays local and helps meet the unique needs of each community including Cheney, Deer Park, Moscow, or the LC Valley (Lewiston and Clarkston).
DONATE
By supporting any of our dedicated gi funds, you help remove nancial barriers, expand access to care, and deliver vital health services directly to those who need them most.
At FailSafe for Life, our goal is not easy, but it’s simple. We want to end suicide attempts and deaths in our community. We provide life-saving education that equips our community to recognize and respond to someone having thoughts of suicide. We host events that promote connection, and we provide activities that instill hope.
• Sign up for one of our upcoming trainings.
• Sign up to volunteer at our next event.
• Purchase items o our Amazon Wish List or from a local store that we can use to promote hope.
• Donate funds to be used to purchase items to support our upcoming activities.
Hospice Of Spokane
509.456.0438 www.hospiceofspokane.org
INVOLVED Northeast Washington’s long-standing nonpro t hospice, serving anyone of any age with any terminal condition through a holistic approach to end-of-life care.
Hospice of Spokane focuses on ensuring patient comfort and supporting quality of life. From delivering specialized care right in the home day or night, to around-the-clock phone support and grief counseling for family members, we are here for our patients and their family.
Hospice volunteers help in a variety of ways, such as providing companionship to a patient, helping with light housekeeping or yard work, meal preparation, playing a musical instrument or singing; helping in the o ce with mailings or other o ce tasks, or helping with one of our community or fundraising events throughout the year. Background check is required, and training is provided.
Community Cancer Fund
855.998.4223 CommunityCancerFund.org info@communitycancerfund.org WHAT WE DO
Community Cancer Fund is dedicated to providing necessary resources to cancer patients, their families and the Inland Northwest organizations that serve them.
Community Cancer Fund devotes resources to cancer screening, emergency expenses, lodging, and quality care in the Inland Northwest. We work collaboratively with our partner organizations to identity and fund gaps in services to bene t local cancer patients and their families.
GET INVOLVED
• FIGHT CANCER with every step at e Boulevard Race on Sunday, September 21 in downtown Spokane
• DONATE TODAY using this QR code
NAMI Spokane is a local a liate of NAMI National. We connect community members to mental health services, provide support, education, and advocacy for those living with a mental health condition and their loved ones.
NAMI Spokane serves E. WA and surrounding communities. We empower people to live their most ful lling lives as we build a stigma-free future. anks to donors and volunteers, we provide education and support to individuals and their families at no cost so people needing services can begin rebuilding.
$25
$50
Northwest Autism Center
528 E. Spokane Falls Boulevard # 14 • Spokane, WA 99202
WHAT WE DO
509.328.1582 nwautism.org info@nwautism.org
We exist to build, facilitate and coordinate comprehensive services for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities using community-based approaches.
e CDC reports the prevalence of ASD is 1 in 36 children, with an estimate of 48,000 children a ected in Washington State. Northwest Autism Center utilizes multi-disciplinary care to provide holistic and individualized treatment options. Our vision is to promote the worth of every individual, ensuring access to early diagnosis and treatment; best practices in public education and healthcare; and the social supports necessary for optimal personal growth and meaningful participation within family and community.
What we o er:
• Free screenings for ASD
• Family navigation by a PEER certi ed specialist
• On-site, remote and in-home consultation and therapy
• Occupational therapy, speech & language therapy and ABA
• Augmentative & alternative communication device support and picture exchange communication expertise
GET INVOLVED
• Evidence-based practices and progress reporting
• Schools and community trainings
• Skills and recreation programs for teens and adults
• Care collaboration with community health teams
Donate: Philanthropy is a critical element of meeting the needs of the most vulnerable and underserved. You are invited to participate in the work of providing services, advocating for resources and building inclusion through a monthly or one-time donation.
Community Events: Join us for the annual Steps for Autism 5k awareness event in April or participate in the annual Giving Tree, purchasing and wrapping gi s during the holidays for those with autism and other developmental disabilities living in residential homes.
Volunteer: Support youth and adults at our Skills & Recreation Center. We are looking for people who have a passion for making a positive di erence and helping us create a safe and inclusive environment for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Partners with Families & Children prevents, interrupts and repairs cycles of abuse and neglect within families.
Partners provides mental health services for parenting adults and children, substance use disorders treatment for parenting adults, and parenting classes. Partners Children’s Advocacy Center is a safety net for abused and neglected children providing holistic services like medical exams, forensic interviews, mental health, and legal advocacy.
Donate, one-time or monthly, to help stop child abuse Provide in-kind donations like clothes and hygiene products Follow us on social media, @pfcspokane Learn more about our mission: www.partnerswithfamilies.org
Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and North Idaho 123 E. Indiana Avenue • Spokane, WA 99207
We provide exceptional reproductive and complementary health care, honest education, and fearless advocacy for all. For over 55 years, local communities have turned to Planned Parenthood for the resources they need to stay healthy, plan their families, and achieve their dreams. Your support will help over 40,000 people annually access the health care services they need to plan their families, plus advocate for comprehensive sex education—giving youth the knowledge to stay healthy, safe, and plan their futures—and protect reproductive freedom during unprecedented attacks on these civil rights.
DONATE to support essential care.
TELL YOUR STORY to end stigma. VOLUNTEER to defend reproductive rights. BECOME A PATIENT and access expert care.
Providence Community Wellness
1313 N Atlantic Ste 4900. Spokane WA 99201
WHAT WE DO
509.473.6007 wellness.wa@providence.org
Providence Community Wellness provides health education to the community through group classes, one-on-one coaching, community events, presentations, and outreach. We o er programs in nutrition and diabetes management, childbirth preparation, blood pressure self-management, Mental Health First Aid, tobacco cessation and CPR. We have regularly scheduled classes that can be found at providence.org/communitywellness or email us if you want a class at your location.
VOLUNTEER
Interested in volunteering? We have many roles that you can choose from: O ce support
Events
Classroom Assistance
Email wellness.wa@providence.org for more information or to receive a volunteer registration form.
Providence Inland Northwest Foundation funds projects and programs to help ensure comprehensive, compassionate health care for all in Spokane and Stevens counties. Your generosity helps us care for the most vulnerable in our community and supports breakthrough technology that saves lives.
Donors to Providence Inland Northwest Foundation funded the Gira e Omnibeds for the NICU to support the tiniest patients at Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. Cameron was born premature, weighing only 1 pound and 6 ounces. He grew stronger in one of those beds
“It’s like a miracle womb outside my womb, it has been the best thing to keep him going,” said Tanisha, Cameron’s mom. “ ose who donated to make that technology available are absolute heroes.”
In 2024, thanks to donor generosity, Providence Inland Northwest Foundation distributed:
• $536K in patient care needs
• $2.2M for state-of-the-art equipment
• $1.6M for life changing programs
With donor support, we help fund everything from art supplies for the art therapy program to a $1 million surgical robot to ensure stateof-the-art technology in our hospitals.
DONATE
• $50 could help provide patients support for transportation, housing, and other non-medical needs.
• $100 could give our nurses scholarships and training opportunities to empower learning and develop new skills that help reduce stress and burnout.
• $250 could help purchase infusion chairs for patients with cancer to provide a more comfortable care experience.
• $1,000 supports leading-edge technologies and new treatment methods to ensure our patients have the clinical excellence they need, close to home.
We provide essential services that remove barriers, strengthen families, and promote healing when children need healthcare
“ e support we received went beyond a warm meal, or a comfortable bed. Everyone saw us as the Gabriel Family, not just a family with a critically ill child. It provided a sense of normalcy and strength that we wouldn’t have otherwise gotten.” - e Gabriel Family
Give today to help families feel at home this holiday season, even when they’re far from it.
SAN - Spokane AIDS Network
715 E. Sprague Avenue #115 • Spokane, WA 99202
509.844.1758 sannw.org support@san-nw.org
SAN provides support and services to those living with HIV, their families, and the greater 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Our services include peer navigation & support, outreach services, HIV/STI prevention, testing and education, weekly public food pantry, holiday boxes, emergency nancial assistance, SAN/PRIDE Community Center, safe space events & so much more! Without community support, SAN would not exist. We were founded by community members for community members: all donations stay local. We also accept non-perishable food donations.
Our events include: September: Spokane AIDS Walk, Red Dress Party, December: World AIDS Day, Holiday Boxes, March: Red Ribbon Gala, April: Drag on Ice, June: Big Gay Dance Party, Spokane PRIDE.
GET INVOLVED
SAN needs your help! Volunteer your time or talents, donate to support our programs or attend an event! Visit our website to stay informed.
• Camp STIX is a week-long summer camp for youth ages 9–16, o ering education, connection, and fun in a diabetes-aware environment.
• Camp TWIGS serves children ages 6–8 with a shorter, age-appropriate daycamp focused on safety and friendship.
• Adventuring With STIX is our newest program for youth 16+, building con dence and outdoor skills through rock climbing, skiing, ropes courses, and orienteering.
• Community Outreach connects with families from the moment of diagnosis and supports them year-round through monthly events—like the annual Pool Party, seasonal gatherings, Highland Cows farm tour, and family lake days—that build friendships, share experiences, and keep the STIX community strong.
• Our annual fundraising auction supports program funding including camp scholarships. is ensures no child is turned away due to inability to pay.
• Ongoing resources, support, and education help families manage diabetes while fostering community year-round.
• Donate: Make a tax-deductible gi to support camps and year-round programs—one-time or monthly.
• Fundraiser: Sponsor, attend, or donate to our annual auction and help make the night unforgettable.
• Volunteer: Apply to support youth with Type 1 Diabetes through camps, outreach, or event planning. STIX Diabetes Programs serves youth with diabetes and their families in Spokane, Washington and surrounding areas.
11707 E Sprague Ave, Suite 106 • Spokane Valley, WA 99206
World Relief is a global Christian humanitarian organization whose mission is to boldly engage the world’s greatest crises in partnership with the church.
We envision thriving, welcoming communities where families ourish, and people experience restorative relationships with God, their neighbors, themselves, and all creation.
DONATE
When you give today, your support powers our work as together we: World Relief’s work in the United States focuses on helping refugees and other immigrants in vulnerable situations rebuild their lives in a new country. Donating ensures that each member of our community is welcomed and belongs.
GIVE GUIDE NATURE
Sharing Some TLC
The Lands Council celebrates four decades of environmental work in the Inland Northwest
BY BEE REISWIG
Drinking water straight from the tap. Looking up while walking through Spokane and seeing trees in the city. Taking a deep breath and feeling clean air rush into the lungs.
It’s easy to take for granted the small things in life. The Lands Council has worked for 40 years to keep the little — and big — things safe for all of us.
The Lands Council’s mission is to “work to protect the forests, rivers, lakes, mountains that make our lives in the Inland Northwest so rich.” Originating in 1983, the nonprofit emphasizes citizen oversight and participation in the environment and decisions that impact it.
Founder Dr. John Osborn noticed forest clear cutting that had become rampant in the ’80s. He gathered a group of physicians into a club that would become The Inland Empire Public Lands Council in 1985, the first iteration of the nonprofit.
Amanda Parrish has led as the executive director since 2021, when she took over from Mike Petersen. She started as an AmeriCorps member in 2009, moving to the Lands Council’s beaver program coordinator, watershed program director and then working in operations before taking on her current role.
“Throughout The Lands Council’s history we have been educators, and that’s a big part of what our job is, to help educate people — ‘These are your public lands, here’s where you have access to them, here’s how you access them,’” Parrish says.
One way to do this is by directly showing it all to citizens via field trips to Mount Spokane. Each winter, 30 groups of high schoolers and middle schoolers snowshoe, learn about snow science and measure the snow water equivalent. This measures how much water is trapped in the snowpack, which will affect the Spokane River.
At its foundation, though, each trip shows students Mount Spokane State Park as a real place that they can visit.
The nonprofit’s work is also focused in the city, including with the SpoCanopy project. Parrish estimates that close to 5,000 trees have been placed in urban areas, with tens of thousands of trees planted overall so far.
But these trees can’t be left to fend for themselves. Many of them need watering, especially the 700 saplings along the Appleway Trail. The Lands Council and Dignified Workday, a low-barrier employment program for those experiencing homelessness or job insecurity, have partnered to provide jobs caring for these trees.
Workers can self-refer for the program, and can receive transportation and are provided a meal with $20/ hour pay. It took a lot of paperwork and time to set up the program, more than it would be to hire the same people ...continued on page 18
The Lands Council collaborates with the City of Spokane — and local volunteers — for the SpoCanopy tree planting project.
PHOTO COURTESY LANDS COUNCIL
COEUR D’ALENE CASINO: COMMITTED TO OUR COMMUNITY
At Coeur d’Alene Casino, giving back isn’t just something we do—it’s who we are. Over the years, we’ve contributed more than $36 million to local schools and continue to support hundreds of nonprofits, organizations, and deserving individuals each year.
Our team members continually stay involved, volunteering at community events like Tools 2 Schools. In 2019, we launched Coeur Connections, giving our community initiatives a dedicated name and focus.
Supporting our community is at the heart of what we do. From sponsorships to hands-on volunteer work, we’re proud to make a difference in Idaho and the Inland Northwest—today, and for years to come.
GIVE GUIDE NATURE
GET INVOLVED
Donations can be made at landscouncil.org.
Volunteer on Oct. 18 for Reforest Spokane. A free meal will be provided. Four earlier dates to help plant trees should also be available soon on The Lands Council website.
On Nov. 6, attend a free storytelling series called “Campfire Stories” at the Wildland Cooperative in Colbert. Listen to people tell stories from their own experiences on public lands.
“SHARING
for the whole summer. But for Parrish, it’s worth it.
“I think this is another great example where when we talk about climate justice and environmental justice, we talk about housing and homelessness and trees,” Parrish says. “I think it’s a false dichotomy to say we can either care about one or the other.”
The Lands Council had only just started planting trees with SpoCanopy when Parrish took over four years ago. That’s also when the nonprofit started working with biochar kilns that she put in her own backyard. She is currently working with the Spokane Climate Resilience and Sustainability Board as the vice chair to add biochar amendments to city parks.
Biochar is the result of organic waste products being burnt without oxygen, and can hold seven to eight times its weight in water, Parrish says. That could help reduce the amount of water used for irrigation, protecting another of our precious resources: the aquifer.
“Water conservation is such an important issue in our community right now,” Parrish says. “It is really important for people to understand that that water is abundant and it is clean currently because we have worked really hard … not to overuse that resource.”
The Spokane community, in fact, recently voted to rejoin the county’s Aquifer Protection Area. Residents pay an annual fee to keep it maintained.
The Lands Council hopes to provide resources for locals across environmental needs.
Through a partnership with Gonzaga’s Climate Institute, as well as Manzanita House and Refugee and Immigrant Connections Spokane, the council is distributing 400 free portable air purifiers that clean up to 1,000 square feet of a home. Participants fill out a survey about the ways in which they are impacted by air quality, and they are able to better protect their household air.
“That’s a real tangible benefit that’s happening in our community right now,” Parrish says. “I think we are so lucky in Spokane. I think people should really know that everyone in the nonprofit industry is so willing to work together. We can all partner together to leverage the highest good for ourselves.” n
Lands Council staff move a massive biochar kiln in Exeuctive Director Amanda Parrish’s backyard. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
Good Stewards
Inland Northwest Land Conservancy’s successful Glen Tana campaign offers hope for the Little Spokane River
BY ELLIS BENSON
As the United States faces unprecedented federal rollbacks on conservation and stewardship efforts, local initiatives are more pertinent than ever in preserving natural areas for future generations.
In June, the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust, completed a $4 million capital campaign that secured protection and stewardship for 1,000 acres of land along the Little Spokane River. This multiyear effort, named “It’s in Our Nature: The Glen Tana Story,” safeguards these acres for ecological restoration and future public access.
Although the campaign itself has been a few years in the making, the conservancy has had its eyes on Glen Tana for more than 20 years, back when a member of the family trust that owned the land was on the conservancy’s board. After bringing together members of the trust, a decision was finally made to allow the nonprofit to purchase the land.
The Glen Tana area, which was once a dairy farm, comprises 900 acres of ponderosa pine forest and two miles of the Little Spokane River. Situated near the northeast edge of Riverside State Park, the land, which has enduring cultural significance to local Indigenous communities, provides indispensable riparian habitats.
The Inland Northwest Land Conservancy plans on transferring most of the land to Washington State Parks, to add onto Riverside State Park, and to the Spokane Tribe.
Out of the 1,000 acres, 120 acres, mostly along the river, will be owned by the Spokane Tribe. Carol Corbin, director of philanthropy and communications for the conservancy, describes salmon reintroduction as one of the vital aspects of the longterm stewardship plan for the Spokane Tribe.
“Their goal for that land is that it serves as a space for salmon-rearing,” Corbin says. “The Little Spokane River is one of the best salmon habitats in the state of Washington, and one of the tribe’s needs for a long time has been a place to rear juvenile salmon.”
While the Spokane Tribe has already bought most of the 120 acres, Washington State Parks plans on finalizing its land purchase in 2026. The Inland Northwest Land Conservancy intends to keep a small corner of the land to use as a native plant nursery.
Until Washington State Parks takes over its portion of the land, Corbin advises against visiting the area, since it is not yet ready for recreational use.
For those who want to help with future projects, Corbin encourages donating directly to the land conservancy and volunteering with local stewardship groups. n
Free Rein is a non-pro t organization in Spokane, Washington dedicated to providing health, hope, and happiness for children and adults with special needs through equine-assisted services.
Free Rein believes horses empower humans. We improve lives through our adaptive riding & horsemanship programs and military horsemanship program. ese programs focus on increasing individual riding & horsemanship skills while providing a therapeutic bene t.
DONATE
• Join our Stable Strides Club with a monthly pledge
• Donate to our Merete Larson Scholarship Fund
• Sponsor a Horse
• Make a purchase from our Wish List
Master Gardener Foundation of
mgardener@spokanecounty.org
WHAT WE DO
We provide nancial support to the Spokane WSU Master Gardener Program which educates the public about environmental stewardship & sustainable gardening practices.
Plant Clinic - Open for the public to receive research-based diagnoses and treatment plans for horticultural & pest issues. Open March - October Satellite Clinics - Clinic services o ered remotely at Cheney Public Library & Shadle Park Library
Youth Program - Hands on horticultural lessons for Spokane students and consults for school gardens Gardening Classes - In person gardening classes each Spring at WSU Extension WSU Master Gardener Training & Certi cation - 120 hours of WSU online education, in person labs, certi cation & yearly volunteer service to the Spokane Community WA Green School – For community members who aren’t able to attend labs or give yearly volunteer service, WA Green School is a great option Community Gardens Project – Fostering urban access to green spaces & educating community members how to grow their own food
• Become a Certi ed WSU Master Gardener Volunteer! Application deadline is August 30th.
• Attend our events: Cabin Fever, WA Green School, Garden Fair & Plant Sale, Fall Bulb Sale
• Become a Friend of the Master Gardener Foundation! With a yearly membership fee of $25, you’ll receive discounts at 18 major horticultural businesses with your membership card and help us keep our doors open with your generous donation.
• Individual Donations also accepted.
Ongoing Outreach - Cabin Fever Symposium, Garden Fair & Plant Sale, Waterwise Demo Garden with tours, Seed Library and Annual Fall Bulb Sale MASTER GARDENER ANNUAL FALL BULB SALE. Shop online through Sept. 12th at master-gardener-foundation-of-spokane-county.square.site/
dinner and auction, 3/21/26
• Join the RACHEL Project board to help adults with autism
• Sponsor a kids’ field trip to the NW Museum of Arts & Culture
• Expand health care access by donating to the CHAS Foundation Inlander.com/GiveGuide
e Spokane River Forum’s mission is to create materials, events and activities that promote regional dialogues for sustaining a healthy river system while meeting the needs of a growing population.
We serve as a public clearing house and information exchange on topics ranging from recreational access to restoration and pollution prevention. e Forum hosts community gatherings and provides online resources to inspire individual and collective stewardship of the Spokane River watershed.
DONATE
Your contribution will help us keep you informed by expanding our public outreach and education e orts to ensure the health of our river and aquifer for future generations.
Since 1897, Spokane Humane Society has been dedicated to supporting people and pets across the
rough compassionate sheltering, accessible veterinary care for low-income families, and adoption programs, we ensure every companion animal has the chance at a better life. We receive no government funding and rely on donations, grants, partnerships, sponsorships, and the generosity of our community to continue this lifesaving mission.
GET INVOLVED
Adopt. Volunteer. Donate.
ere are so many ways to make a di erence! Open your heart and home by adopting or fostering, volunteer your time to care for animals and support events, or give a gi that provides food, shelter, and medical care. Mark your calendar for November 22 at e Davenport Grand—an elegant evening with dinner, auctions, live music, and adoptable pets—all in support of the lifesaving work we do together.
DONATE
Together, we make second chances possible.
Your support powers accessible veterinary services for low-income families, our community pet food pantry, foster care, the transportation and rehoming of at-risk animals from rural areas, and essential programs for rehoming, surrender, and adoption right here in Spokane.
With rising expenses—like an eightfold increase in liability insurance— your donations are more critical than ever. Every gi sustains these services, ensuring pets and people receive the care and compassion they deserve.
Tribal
Solid
Waste Advisory Network
PO Box 527 • Tekoa, WA 99003
510.284.7042 tswan.org bbarnowsky@tswan.org
We bring tribes together to combine our voices to pursue natural resources, cultural and environmental protection for our Communities through waste management, recycling, and environmental planning.
TSWAN is a nonpro t tribal consortium uniting tribes in WA, OR, ID, and AK to improve solid waste management, recycling, composting, and environmental policy. We provide training, resources, and advocacy to help tribes build sustainable, resilient, and culturally rooted communities.
DONATE
• Scholarship for a student, elder, or tribal member to attend the Tribal Green Summit
• Outreach materials for on Sustainable living, Recycling, etc
• Additional technical assistance for tribes beyond grant funding
• Recycling containers for tribal communities
• Scholarships for training
Navigating New Territory GIVE GUIDE PEOPLE
Manzanita House ensures immigrants and refugees in Spokane understand their rights and helps them navigate the legal system
BY COLTON RASANEN
Estella Orellana spent the earliest part of her life in the scorching southwestern Mexican state of Guerrero. She was 11 years old when her family moved to Spokane and navigated the complicated yearslong process to eventually naturalize as U.S. citizens.
Because there weren’t many resources available to immigrant families at the time, she says adapting to a new home was nearly impossible. Things that seem easier to locals — enrolling your kid in school, finding and applying for a job, knowing who to call if there’s an emergency — were just added stepping stones amid the already complex immigration process.
“I know what it is to come and not have any help and
feel lost,” Orellana says. “When we came in 1990, you wouldn’t see all the assistance that there is now, so I’m glad to see how Spokane has flourished in that area.”
Today, she works at Manzanita House, a Spokanebased nonprofit organization founded in 2021 to help families like hers by hosting educational events and providing legal aid and resources to help them through the immigration system.
“My father passed away crossing the border years ago when I was a little girl, so I always see that person that I’m helping like my father,” she says. “He died for us to be here, to reach the American dream, so it means a lot to me to be able to do this type of work.”
Orellana is one of two U.S. Department of Justice accredited representatives who work for the organization. These representatives, who don’t need to be attorneys, are certified to assist people with their immigration cases — she can help with an adjustment of status, green card applications and the naturalization process.
“We can help low-income people and provide those legal services that are needed, especially right now,” she says. “Immigration assistance, like a private attorney, it’s so expensive. So with us having two DOJ representatives, we can reach out to more people in the community and give them access.”
Earlier this year, Orellana was chosen to lead the
Estella Orellana works to make the naturalization process easier for immigrants. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS
nonprofit’s naturalization program. Funded through a state grant, this free program is meant to help those who receive state benefits apply for naturalization — the process when a lawful permanent resident has been in the country for long enough and passes English and civics tests to become a U.S. citizen.
“A lot of people don’t know that they can apply for naturalization after they have their permanent resident card for at least four years and nine months, of course, if they meet all the requirements,” she says.
Orellana can attend U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services interviews with them and also provides a study guide to ensure they’re equipped to pass their tests. And if Manzanita House is unable to assist an immigrant or refugee, they refer them to other nonprofits in Spokane, such as Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP), Latinos en Spokane, Mujeres in Action and Nuestras Raíces.
“If we had that back in the ’90s, I see myself going to places like Manzanita House,” she says.
Fleeing persecution in her home state
HOW TO HELP
Learn more about Manzanita House’s upcoming events and services, or donate at manzanitahousespokane.org.
of Monagas, Venezuela, Genesis Gonzalez arrived in the U.S. with her husband and daughter in January. They settled in Spokane because their friends in the area said it was a calm and pretty city to move to.
“Here, I feel good. But, I do have a fear of returning,” Gonzalez says, as Manzanita House bilingual intake specialist Litzy Soltero helps translate her story from Spanish. “They wouldn’t let us do anything or work and on two separate occasions we were threatened … I have recurring nightmares of going back to Venezuela.”
Soon after she arrived, she was meeting with some of her friends when she learned that Manzanita House was hosting an asylum overview presentation. As people seeking asylum for their family, Gonzalez and her husband attended the meeting where they learned everything about the legal process.
There, someone with the nonprofit asked Gonzalez if she would like them to review her case. After meetings with some attorneys and more of Manzanita House’s staff over a few months, she and her husband were able to apply for asylum two months ago. Now the Gonzalez family is waiting to pass their 180-day waiting period before they can apply for an employment authorization document (work permits).
“We left everything that we had. We left family, material, items, everything which just makes us vulnerable,” she says, via Soltero. “It’s just me, my husband and my kid. We don’t have any more family. So Manzanita House really helped orient us with just the process in general, and helped us submit the asylum application, which is a basic step in becoming more stable here.”
As Gonzalez works to traverse the asylum process, one of her first goals is to learn English. Then, she plans to enroll in cosmetology school so she can work as a nail technician to support her family. n
MORE THAN JUST A THRIFT STORE
Always supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families in the Inland Northwest.
North Spokane 11008 N. Newport Hwy Spokane, WA 99218 (509) 822-7748
Spokane Valley 1441 N. Argonne Rd. Spokane Valley, WA 99212 (509) 960-7777
Manzanita House’s lobby is filled with resources and information.
DONATE
GIVE GUIDE PEOPLE
Where Love Lives
Family Promise of Spokane will celebrate a new play area for the families staying at its shelter
BY MARTA SZYMANSKA
Material goods are not what make a house a home. Home is where you find strength, stability, and often, family.
Family Promise is a shelter in Spokane that prioritizes keeping families together. Gwyn Griffith, the nonprofit’s marketing and communications manager, notes that this includes keeping parents with their children as well as keeping household pets, siblings and other guardians together.
At the end of August, the nonprofit will finish construction of a new playscape for guests staying at their shelter.
“Kids need a safe place to just be kids,” says Joe Ader, CEO of Family Promise of Spokane.
GET INVOLVED
“Our playscape gives them a chance to take a break, have fun, and focus on building lasting positive memories.”
Family Promise of Spokane accepts donations and maintains a list of resources needed at familypromiseofspokane.org.
Attend the 2025 UnGala on Oct. 2: “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” ($100/person)
The staff focuses on providing families experiencing homelessness with the resources and support they need to obtain housing and address underlying issues. Keeping families side by side as they face a housing crisis makes a world of a difference when it comes to transitioning back into housing and mediating trauma, Griffith says.
According to its website, when Family Promise of Spokane was first founded the nonprofit could take three families at once, but over time with support from the community it has been able to expand to helping more than 1,100 family members a year.
Griffith says the playscape will give families staying at the shelter a place to play and strengthen connections in a safe and supportive environment. The new feature being installed by Oldcastle construction includes a swingset, a play structure, slides, a basketball hoop and a garden.
Shelter guests and staff will celebrate the playscape’s opening on Sept. 12. It will be dedicated to a former guest who played a large part in its construction and has since died.
Family Promise just hosted a fun run earlier this month, and in coming months the nonprofit is hosting other events and fundraisers to rally support from the community.
“I think that everyone can agree that we want to see an end to homelessness, and Family Promise is actually doing it,” Griffith says. n
Family Promise assists more than 1,100 family members each year. COURTESY PHOTO
is
GIVE GUIDE PEOPLE
KIDS • SOCIAL SERVICES • CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS • EDUCATION
Provide women in need with professionally tted bras in a fun and caring environment.
Breast Intentions travels all over Eastern Washington and North Idaho in the Bra-Mobile®. Each woman in need is tted in a private dressing room and receives two new bras and a washbag with care instructions. We partner with various charities such as Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, Union Gospel Mission and various HUD housing facilities for low income adults. We t all females from prepubescent to elderly, sizes 28AA to 58M, including training, nursing, disability and exible t bras.
VOLUNTEER
Volunteer to set-up and take-down for bra tting events
Volunteer to help professionally t women in need
DONATE
Donate your time, energy and money - every $20 donated provides a woman in need with a new bra and wash bag.
Volunteer in event planning oct 30, 5:30pm Montvale Event Center
Our only fundraiser, Bra-lloween, is on OCTOBER 30, 202 • 5:30-8:30 PM at Montvale Event Center • More info breastintentionsofwashington.org
The City Gate
170 South Madison • Spokane, WA 99201
WHAT WE DO
509.720.7034 thecitygate@qwesto ce.net
e City Gate exists to Reclaim, Rebuild and Restore, Lost and Broken Lives, transitioning from homelessness
e City Gate was initially formed as a church to serve the homeless and low-income of inner-city Spokane. Under the newly reorganized leadership we strive to become more holistic and now have a limited clothing bank and food bank. We have 28 low-income studio apartments, including 2 emergency shelter rooms. We have Sunday services and serve breakfast for anyone in need.
GET INVOLVED
Donations of all kinds are always welcome to support our clients. Donations of seasonal clothing, non-perishable food and paper products, co ee, and cash all of which will go to support those we serve. Cash donations may be made directly via PayPal or Venmo.
Akin (formerly Children’s Home Society of Washington)
2323 N. Discovery Place • Spokane Valley, WA 99216
WHAT WE DO
509.747.4174
akinfamily.org
spokane@akinfamily.org
We believe in building a brighter future together, rooted in family. We envision a world where all families ourish, nurtured by the strength of community.
We know that when we strengthen families, we all bene t. At Akin, we’re committed to reimagining better futures through family health and well-being, deepening our work with families through holistic support to identify and meet their unique goals for lasting success. We have more than 30 team members in Spokane to support services and programs including:
• e Little Care (TLC) Closet: A free resource for diapers, wipes, feminine products, clothing, and household items.
• Early Head Start Child Care partnership: Partnered with Lilac City Early Learning Center to provide high quality childcare for children and comprehensive support for families.
• Early Head Start Home Visiting: Our home visiting team holds weekly visits with families of children prenatal to age 3, o ering resources, engaging in activities and group socialization.
• Child and Family Counseling: Our counseling and therapy groups provide a safe place to build loving families. Your support helps bridge gaps between struggle & security, providing stability, compassion & hope. e need is great. Together, we’re greater.
Children and families do better when they’re able to stay together. With the right support and access to tailored resources and services, they’re more likely to have greater well-being. Our comprehensive spectrum of services can help connect families with resources to t their needs. In partnership with local organizations, schools and community leaders, our community-focused approach removes barriers to care. ere is no one-size- ts-all in family well-being. What works for one family won’t necessarily work for others. At Akin, we o er support to t and accommodate the speci c situations of each family.
“When it comes to dreams, every parent I’ve met has wanted good things for their children; Akin is able to help pave the way.”
– Nick Flett, Spokane Regional Director
GET INVOLVED
Akin embodies the kinship we nd with one another through relationships, unity and belonging. Every family deserves a chance to thrive. Right here in Spokane, families are working to overcome unimaginable challenges. Your gi to Akin is more than a donation—it’s a lifeline, a catalyst for change, and a chance at a brighter tomorrow. You have the power to make a di erence —will you use it?
DONATE
Your support helps bridge gaps between struggle and security, providing a lifeline of stability, compassion and hope. Help elevate families. Gi s of all sizes make a di erence.
$50 Support sustainability. Your gi provides backpacks for kids, shelf-stable food, formula, warm blankets, and weatherappropriate clothing.
$100 Keep the room ready. Your donation helps keep our Little Care Closet shelves stocked with essential needs and ensures every visitor is treated with dignity and care.
$250 Wrap a family in care. Your generosity covers essential supplies, exible aid, and personalized guidance to help families access long-term resources. Your participation is a powerful commitment that o ers stability, hope, and a path forward for families in Spokane.
Every dollar you give makes a real, tangible impact in supporting family success and well-being for brighter futures in Spokane. Make a gi today: Scan the QR code or visit us at akinfamily.org.
Family Promise of Spokane is a nonpro t dedicated to ending the cycle of family homelessness in Spokane County. We focus on prevention, shelter, and long-term stabilization for the entire family.
Family Promise of Spokane helps families get and keep housing, ensuring they have the tools needed to thrive.
GET INVOLVED
• Donate $60 to provide one night of safe shelter for a child
• Donate $150 to equip a family with housing and application fees
• Attend a Come & See
• Listen to our Podcast “On the Corner of Homelessness &”
e mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
Prepare young people to become responsible, participating citizens, and leaders, guided by the Scout Oath and Scout Law. is will be achieved through skill development, social development, personal growth, and physical health in the outdoors.
GET INVOLVED
Donate to Scouting or attend one of our fundraising events:
Fire N Ice Gala (February 6, 2026)
Golf Tournament (May 30, 2026)
Sporting Clay Tournament (September 18th, 2026) Buy popcorn during the popcorn season (August - October 30th)
509.924.6976 mowgsc.org info@mowgsc.org
Improving the health and quality of life for seniors by ensuring no one is le hungry or isolated. rough collaboration and community, we create greater opportunities to provide seniors with the nutritional support and additional resources they need to thrive, while living in a place where they feel the greatest sense of comfort, safety, and familiarity, and maintain their independence and quality of life. By addressing more than just nourishment, we strive to reduce social isolation and loneliness, fostering meaningful connections and enhancing the overall well-being of the seniors we serve.
Senior hunger and isolation in Washington State is a pressing issue:
• 1 in 4 seniors live alone, making Washington 14th in risk for social isolation.
• 46% of seniors lack the income for basic living needs.
• 1 in 4 seniors have limited or uncertain access to food.
In 2024, Meals on Wheels Greater Spokane County served over 235,000 meals and is set to serve even more in 2025. e demand for our services is growing each year, and we need to adapt to meet this increasing need. Seniors across the county depend on us for daily meals, regular visits, and access to other community resources.
DONATE
GET INVOLVED
• Attend an upcoming event to help provide meals to seniors in need
• Visit www.mowgsc.org/events for more info
• $35.00 supplies a week’s worth of meals for a Spokane County senior Join us this fall for our STEP UP! FOR SENIORS 5K run and 1-mile walk SEPTEMBER 27, 2025 • 9:30 AM For more information, visit: secure.qgiv.com/event/stepupmowgsc/
100% local & privately funded through donations, Meals on Wheels Spokane provides food, support, and human connection to homebound Spokane seniors.
Meals on Wheels Spokane provides so much more than a meal. With the help of our dedicated volunteers, we provide hot meals, human connection, and support to homebound seniors and their pets.
DONATE
$5 provides one meal for a homebound senior.
$35 feeds a senior for an entire week.
$0.89 cent of every dollar donated supports Spokane’s homebound seniors.
Northwest
Christian
6607 N. Maple St. • Spokane WA 99208
WHAT WE DO
Schools Thrift Store
509.326.1522 nwcsthri .org trose@nwcs.org
Help support the ongoing mission of Northwest Christian Schools by allowing your unused items to contribute to the lasting impact of our gospel-centered education.
Northwest Christian Schools’ 75-year legacy is focused on a mission to provide gospel-centered education every day for every student. We strive to raise up students who are prepared to go into the world and equipped to change it through their unique and God-given strengths and callings.
DONATE
ere are many ways to support Northwest Christian Schools: Shop our ri Store! Great items at great prices. Donate to Educate! We need quality used goods. Volunteers needed! Join our mission to fund quality education for local children.
e mission of Northwest Fair Housing Alliance is to eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal housing opportunity for the people of Washington through education, counseling and advocacy.
NWFHA serves thousands of families annually in 17 counties of E. WA with fair housing advocacy, counseling, stabilization, and homeless prevention. Most live in poverty: seniors, immigrants, BIPOC, children, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities. Federal 2026 funds budgeted: $0.
Project Beauty Share is a 501(c)(3) non-pro t agency that provides personal hygiene, cosmetics, and beauty products to nonpro t organizations that serve women and families overcoming abuse, addiction, homelessness, and poverty to help restore hope and dignity in their lives.
We are a pass-through agency that collects, sanitizes, and distributes these items to over 120 other non-pro t organizations in the Inland Northwest including Catholic Charities, Partners INW, Salvation Army, Union Gospel Mission Crisis Centers, HRC Ministries, Partners with Families and Children, Idaho Youth Ranch, and many more.
• Host a hygiene drive. For details, contact us via the email address above
• Donate funds or supplies directly to Project Beauty Share
• Purchase Hygiene supplies via Amazon Wishlist
The RACHEL Project
WHAT
WE DO
509.868.7220
therachelproject509.org
therachelproject509@gmail.com
Realizing Abilities. Creating Hope. Empowering Lives. We are the only non pro t in the Spokane and surrounding communities to support adults with autism without the red tape.
We give direct client based nancial support for adult individuals with autism. We provide Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices, medical needs and mobility support, basic housewares and hygiene supplies, employment and scholastic assistance, complimentary therapies, and more.
GET INVOLVED
• Donate money to directly fund vital programs and individuals.
• Become a Board Member and help guide our mission.
Refugee and Immigrant Connections Spokane
509.209.2384 ricspokane.org rics@ricspokane.org
RICS supports and empowers refugee and immigrant communities by providing services, fostering community bonds, and advocating for refugee and immigrant rights in the Inland Northwest.
At RICS, we believe everyone belongs. We walk alongside our refugee and immigrant neighbors, helping them connect with community and work toward self-su ciency.
We o er one-on-one support, guided tours of the city, connections to local resources and activities for all ages that nurture friendships, con dence, and emotional well-being.
Our services include:
• Support navigating U.S. systems, nding stable housing, and applying for new jobs
• Access to household goods, clothing, hygiene supplies, and fresh produce
• Holistic mental health support that is culturally-informed
• A er-school and summer activities for children from 0-18 years old
• Fun activities, outings, and enriching educational workshops for refugee Elders In 2024, we connected over 1,000 individuals with vital support and services.
GET INVOLVED WHAT WE DO
We welcome volunteers who are interested in o ering English tutoring and driving lessons, assisting our youth program, supporting fundraising, and o ering peer support. Come join our newly-launched advocacy team!
DONATE
$25 provides one family hygiene supplies for a week.
$50 distributes fresh food boxes to two newly-arrived families.
$100 connects refugee Elders to workshops on health and safety.
$250 sponsors one child for this summer’s soccer camp.
Union Gospel Mission
1224 E Trent Ave • Spokane, WA 99202
509.535.8510 uniongospelmission.org info@uniongospelmission.org WHAT WE DO
Since 1951, Union Gospel Mission has partnered with the Inland Northwest to provide a pathway out of homelessness. What began as a soup kitchen in downtown Spokane has expanded into a comprehensive ministry spanning two states and including ve shelters, three recovery programs, three transitional housing complexes, four enterprises, and an outreach program and summer camp for low-income youth.
DONATE
$32 for 3 meals and a bed
$224 for a week of shelter, food, and care
$365 for a week of holistic recovery
87% of every gi goes toward program services.
3128 N. Hemlock • Spokane, WA 99205
509.328.6702
TransitionsSpokane.org info@help4women.org
Transitions works to end poverty and homelessness for women and children in Spokane.
Moving Lives Forward
WHO WE ARE:
We believe in the right to self determination.
We believe in advocating for what is right, honest, and moral.
We believe each individual is a work in progress on a journey toward integration of mind, body, and spirit. We believe that the fullness of each person is realized in relationship with others.
Community: Women’s Hearth is a drop-in day center in downtown Spokane providing a safe space for women, trans-women, and non-binary individuals during the day.
New Leaf Café provides support services for adults with traditional barriers to employment. Our vocational services help build resilience, con dence, and community.
Housing: Our housing services are a ordable, supportive, and o er on-site case management.
VOLUNTEER
Volunteering looks di erent to each of us:
• Advocate for housing rights at the Spokane City Council
• Drop o meals at the Women’s Hearth
• Help us sort donations
• Grab a rake and help us with yard work
• Fill out ank-You cards for our donors
Women & Children’s Free Restaurant & Community Kitchen 1408 N. Washington Street • Spokane, WA 99201
WCFR is a vital safety net lling nutritional gaps for women and children in need while fostering dignity and respect, within our restaurant and in the community.
At Women & Children’s Free Restaurant & Community Kitchen, we believe that access to not just food but healthy food is a basic human right. We serve women, children, seniors, and teens who struggle with nutrition insecurity and poverty stemming from various root causes. Now in our 37th year, we are a two-time AGORA award recipient for nonpro t excellence. In March 2020, we made a transformative shi to address our community’s growing need for nutritional support. Since then, we have provided more than 5 million meals to our community.
We also prepare and deliver nutritious meals to organizations throughout our community, working collaboratively with agencies providing housing, DV support, childcare and protection, job training, and LGBTQ+ support. ese unique partnerships connect our most vulnerable citizens with basic needs for improved quality of life.
Please consider donating or volunteering with us. Together, let’s ensure that no woman or child goes hungry in our community.
DONATE VOLUNTEER
• Holiday Dinner - $1,000
• Oven-Roasted Pork Loin - $500
• Lasagna - $250
• Pulled Pork Taco - $100
• Herb-Roasted Chicken - $50
Give online at wcfrspokane.org/donate
• Curbside meal and grocery distribution team member
• Kitchen team assistant or meal packager
• Food inventory team member bag & stock food
Learn more at wcfrspokane.org/volunteer SCAN TO DONATE NOW!
AgWest Farm Credit presents Dinner on Blossom Hill, celebrating 37 years of service to women and children. SEPTEMBER 26, 2025 • 6:00-9:00 PM For more information, visit: dinneronblossomhill.org
YFA provides prevention, intervention, education, and treatment services to youth, families, and adults experiencing con ict or crisis.
Founded in 1969 as a non-pro t agency, our services have grown alongside Spokane’s needs. We proudly o er counseling and treatment programs for youth, adults, and families. Our programs support clients in the process of tting the pieces of their lives together in healthy and productive ways.
DONATE
$25 Group therapy session for an individual
$55 Individual or family therapy session
$100 A bounty of art supplies or journals for participants
We give everyone a safe place to learn, grow & thrive by strengthening the foundations of our community through healthy living, youth development & social responsibility.
e YMCA is addressing major challenges facing our community, including:
• Lack of childcare and early learning which impacts children’s potential and parent’s ability to remain in the workforce
• Signi cant health disparities which increase the risk of illness for more vulnerable groups
GET INVOLVED
Your donation helps ensure all families in our community can access high quality childcare and every individual can pursue their health journey regardless of their nancial constraints. Make a di erence today at ymcainw.org/donate
Provide free, con dential services for individuals and their children who are impacted by domestic violence, poverty, homelessness, & unemployment.
For over 120 years, YWCA Spokane has worked to disrupt cycles of violence and strengthen communities by working to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. We specialize in services for survivors of intimate partner domestic violence.
OUR SERVICES:
• 24hr Domestic Violence Helpline: Call - 509-326-2255 available for anyone experiencing DV, as well as friends, family, and others concerned about someone’s safety to call for support
• Emergency safe shelter
• Supportive services for survivors of DV including safety planning, resources and referrals to other services, housing and legal support, and mental health therapy
• Free women’s clothing boutique
• Job readiness, skill development & healing classes for women
• Healing classes & support groups for survivors of DV
• Free preschool serving eligible children & their families
• Community education & prevention classes
DONATE
Together, we can create a sustainable community where everyone is able to live with dignity & respect. Your gi helps a survivor of domestic violence nd hope, safety, stability, & success.
• Support these programs with a one-time or monthly gi today
• Ensure the future of this mission with a gi to YWCA Spokane’s endowment in your will or estate plan
• Donate new hygiene products like toothbrushes, toothpaste, menstrual products, socks, and underwear.
2024 GRANT RECIPIENTS:
NORTHWEST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
ASSOCIATION is seeking proposals from certified micro-lenders, economic development and/or workforce development companies, or technical assistance providers that will utilize the award funds to support business development outcomes through micro-lending programs, entrepreneurial training/incubator space, scholarships to students, or workforce development among any or all of the following targeted populations:
• Veterans
• Women
• Minorities as defined by SBA
• Youth ages 18-24
• Individuals with Disabilities
• Underserved areas
Note: One or more successful bidder(s) will be awarded up to $50,000.00 in grants to carry out the above-mentioned work. The grant is non-renewable and during the period of project NORTHWEST BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION will require quarterly outcome reporting to evaluate the impact of the investment through economic development and job creation, and/or number of clients served. Grants can range from $10,000 – $35,000 due to applicant coverage.
COMMUNITY Empowerment Through Kindness
The Made with Kindness Foundation aims to empower young women and college students
BY ELLIS BENSON
“In all of our endeavors, we are guided by the belief that through unity, compassion, and education, I believe that we can turn tragedy into triumph.”
So reads the final paragraph of the Made with Kindness Foundation’s mission statement, a profound sentence that represents the organization’s foundational calling. Made with Kindness was established in 2024 to honor the three University of Idaho women murdered in 2022 — Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle — and to carry on their legacies. A similar organization, Ethan’s Smile Foundation, honors Ethan Chapin, the fourth victim of the devastating off-campus homicides.
Founders and mother-daughter duo Angela Navejas and Ashlin Couch came up with the name, Made with Kindness, after thinking about what Madison, Kaylee, and Xana all embodied: kindness. Couch was friends with all three women and had previously lived with them.
Made with Kindness follows the principles of kindness and compassion in all its work. From providing grants and scholarships to hosting self-defense classes, the foundation goes above and beyond to ensure future generations of young people feel safe, welcomed and supported.
For its first annual scholarship giveaway in May, the nonprofit awarded 12 high school seniors each $2,500, for a total of $30,000.
Navejas and Couch find that the scholarship program is one of the most personally fulfilling aspects of the foundation.
“They’re such amazing kids,” Couch says of the recipients. “I think that some of us were tearing up at their stories.”
Made with Kindness also started Maddie May Day, Kaylee Jade Day, and Xanapalooza in honor of Mogen, Goncalves, and Kernodle.
“This year on Kaylee Jade Day — she was big on education, and so every year we’ve planned on giving a grant away to the kindest teacher in Kootenai County — we gave a sponsorship away to a teacher,” Navejas says. “So she’s able to provide stuff for her class for next year, and we gave her a little makeover.”
For Maddie May Day on May 25, Made with Kindness gave a young woman $1,500 to help start her own clothing line.
On Xanapalooza, held on July 5, Made with Kindness provided a $1,000 scholarship for a high school student to attend the Musicians Institute in Hollywood.
Made with Kindness also hosts an annual Make it Pink black-tie gala to raise money for the organization. The second-ever gala was hosted on June 13 at the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s Hagadone Event Center. Navejas estimates they raised $60,000.
“It’s a really great time for the community to come together and celebrate the lives lost,” Couch says. “We do our dessert dash, we have a live auction, a silent auction. There’s lots of opportunities for businesses and individuals to sponsor.”
Made with Kindness works hard to engage the local community in its initiatives. This year, the nonprofit hosted a community barbecue, safety training seminars and self-defense classes.
The organization is looking to expand soon, with hopes of starting a wellness-focused club, The Kindness Club. It would be open to anyone and meet virtually. While still in its planning stages, Navejas and Couch plan for the club to be held monthly or quarterly and to feature guest speakers.
Although Made with Kindness is based in Kootenai County, its emphasis on spreading kindness has made a global impact.
GET INVOLVED
Donate and sign up for the newsletter at madewithkindnessfoundation.com.
Attend the annual Make it Pink Gala, held every summer (2026 date TBA). Learn more about the Ethan’s Smile Foundation at ethanssmile.org.
“Something that I would say surprised me is feedback we’ve gotten from people around the world,” Couch says. “We’ll get messages from people from Brazil or India, saying like ‘I’m over here keeping their legacy and their love alive by spreading kindness.’”
Navejas and Couch have high hopes for the future of Made with Kindness, with aspirations of continuing to bring kindness and hope into young people’s lives. Following the success of this year’s gala, Navejas hopes that they can give out even more scholarships.
“I think that if we can make a difference in one person’s life, we did our job,” Navejas says. “We are hoping with the kindness that we share, more people will be more apt to show more kindness in the world.” n
Musical Healing
New Developed Nations utilizes a unique therapeutic approach for at-risk youth in the Inland Northwest
BY COLTON RASANEN
Rickey “Deekon” Jones’ New Developed Nations has been around in one form or another for 20 years. In 2005, it was a prototype of the therapeutic music program for chemically dependent and at-risk youth that it is today. Jones says the program started out at the Boys and Girls Club of the Nez Perce Tribe in his hometown of Lapwai, Idaho.
Then, in 2009, he brought his program to an inpatient facility in the region, the Healing Lodge of the Seven Nations. There, he was the director of clinical support until he moved on in 2014. Afterwards, he took a break from his nonprofit.
“It was just an opportunity to expand my toolkit and try my hand at some new things that were still closely related to New Developed Nations,” he says.
Designed to use the power of music to spark personal growth, emotional well-being and healing for youth, Jones says the program is supported by his team of creative coaches (typically called certified peer specialists), care coordinators and mental health therapists. Participating youths go through the program for a minimum of 12 weeks, six hours per week, and work through their issues with music, spoken word or poetry assignments.
HOW TO HELP
Donate to the nonprofit or refer youth to the program at newdevelopednations.com.
In 2022, Jones felt the urge to reopen the nonprofit in the Inland Northwest, this time as a Washington state-licensed behavioral health agency, with an evidence-based therapeutic practice that he created: Healing Through Hip Hop.
“That program brings in a lot of the cultural elements that I learned growing up on the reservation,” he says. “Music was the thing that kind of steered me into my own direction and kept me from falling into a lot of the traps that a lot of my peers were in.”
“Our creative coaches are also audio engineers and music producers, so we make the music with the kids from scratch, and we help them kind of write their stories or their narratives through music,” Jones says. “So if a kid is coming in and we’re working on their service plan and they need to hit a particular goal, such as working on abandonment issues, that’s the song that we write.”
This creative work is vital to those who haven’t had success in traditional therapeutic spaces, Jones says.
“We put them in an environment where we give them tools at their disposal, something that they engage in that they love, and they just thrive,” Jones says. “You know, everything opens up. Their confidence grows tenfold, and they become a youth that finally has some empowerment in their life.” n
Deekon Jones has been working with youth for close to two decades. COURTESY PHOTO
GIVE GUIDE COMMUNITY
THE ARTS • SPORTS
NEIGHBORHOODS • FAITH-BASED
SOCIAL SERVICES
Second Harvest
1234 E Front Avenue • Spokane, WA 99202
WHAT WE DO
509.534.6678 2-harvest.org info@2-harvest.org
Since 1971, all of us at Second Harvest have been rolling up our sleeves to serve people facing hunger and build healthier communities. As the local charitable food distribution center with a long reach, we bring together volunteers, donors and partners to feed our neighbors in need across 26 counties in Eastern Washington and North Idaho.
Currently, 1 in 7 people in our community faces hunger, including 1 out of 5 kids. at’s why our scrappy team and incredible volunteers work tirelessly to source and share donated food with 250 partner food banks, meal sites and other programs.
We also use our Mobile Market—a food bank on wheels—to bring free food to convenient locations. For kids relying on school meals, Bite2Go provides weekend food support.
Selina, a mom of two, lights up as she drives through Second Harvest’s Mobile Market. Her family gets by on a tight budget, and she describes the free food as a lifeline. “I gave my son the last orange today,” Selena says. “ ese bananas will last the rest of the week, maybe longer.”
ank you for joining Second Harvest to put food on tables and hope in hearts so that moms like Selina can keep their kids nourished. Together, we’re ending hunger—one family at a time.
GET INVOLVED
You can be part of creating a hunger-free community! Roll Up Your Sleeves: Pack food, ll Bite2Go bags. Feed Hope: Your donation, big or small, helps nourish our community. Create a Lasting Impact: Consider other ways to give, including remembering Second Harvest in your will, creating a legacy of generosity that will serve people facing hunger for years to come. Learn more at 2-harvest.org/legacy.
208.651.8986 AltrusaCoeurdAlene.org altrusacda@gmail.com WHAT WE DO
Altrusa of Coeur d Alene is a non-pro t volunteer organization dedicated to making a di erence in our communities through service and literary projects.
We are dedicated to making the communities around us a better place to live. Our service projects have included Children’s Book Giveaways, Pet Food Drives for local food banks, Gi wrapping for local Disabled Veterans, School supplies for underserved students, and Habitat for Humanity projects.
Join us! We enjoy building friendships and having fun as we work for our community. We invite you to meet with us the 2nd ursday of every month at 6 pm, downstairs at the CdA Eagles, 209 E Sherman Ave, CdA. Together, we can make a di erence!
American Red Cross, Greater Inland Northwest
315 W. Nora Avenue • Spokane, WA 99205
WHAT WE DO
509.309.9325
redcross.org/northwest lacie.clark5@redcross.org
e American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human su ering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.
Our Northwest Region brings together local volunteers to care for their neighbors, trains hundreds of thousands of people each year in life-saving skills and responds to local disasters. We shelter, feed and provide comfort to people a ected by disasters; supply about 40% of the nation’s blood supply; teach skills that save lives; distribute international humanitarian aid; and support veterans, military members and their families. e humanitarian work that we do at American Red Cross would not be possible without our volunteers. In fact, 90% of the Red Cross’s workforce is made up of volunteers. We have a variety of disaster relief volunteer opportunities available, as well as potential positions focused on facility management, health and safety, Service to the Armed Forces, and more. By volunteering with the Red Cross, you join a network of as many as 275,000 volunteers in about 230 chapters across the U.S. who support the Red Cross mission of preventing and alleviating human su ering in the face of emergencies.
GET INVOLVED
Getting involved with the Red Cross is easy. We o er a variety of opportunities such as blood drives, disaster relief, and monetary donation drives. We want to ensure that you’re prepared in an emergency do we o er classes in CPR, AED, babysitting, nursing, and rst aid. We serve the people, businesses, and communities of Chelan, Douglas, Gran, Okanogan Ferry, Lincoln, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Spokane, and Whitman Counties in Washington; and Kootenai, Bonner, Boundary, Benewah, and Shoshone counties in Idaho.
VOLUNTEER, DONATE
Visit redcross.org/donate to make a nancial gi and make a di erence in someone’s life Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Red Cross. Join us at redcross.org/volunteer Disaster Action Team volunteers help local families cope with emergencies. Join us. redcross.org/dat
Home res claim seven lives every day. Join the local Red Cross this spring to install free smoke alarms in homes in our community. To lean more, visit redcross.org/nwhome re
CCEW empowers Eastern Washington: Compassionately serving and upli ing communities through holistic care, safe housing and equitable paths to health and wellbeing. rough collaborative partnerships with parishes, businesses, government and nonpro t organizations in Eastern Washington, we advance innovative programs that bring hope to our clients.
VOLUNTEER
Help us create an Eastern Washington where everyone can thrive. For volunteer opportunities, please visit: cceasternwa.org/volunteer
DONATE
To support programs and services that help members move toward healthy and stable lives, please visit: cceasternwa.org/donate.
Childhood Cancer Coalition
202 E Spokane Falls Blvd Ste 301 • Spokane, WA 99202
Lighting the Way for Children with Cancer & eir Families
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the entire family’s world changes in an instant.
509.995.5431
cccnw.org
leslie@cccnw.org
e Childhood Cancer Coalition walks alongside them, making sure no one faces the journey alone. We provide practical relief, emotional care, and nancial support—meeting families where they are and staying with them every step of the way. anks to the generosity of donors and community partners, we are able to o er:
• Emergency Support Funds – Covering rent, utilities, groceries, and urgent expenses so families can focus on their child’s health, not unpaid bills.
• Energy Assistance – O ering year-round help with power bills, no matter where families live in our service area, which ensures a warm home in winter and a cool, safe place in summer.
• Grief Support – Walking with families and care teams through loss, providing compassionate spaces for healing and remembrance. We also provide a Grief Retreat for Parents whose children did not survive their cancer diagnosis.
• Support Groups – Teens, Parents, Survivors, and Grieving Parents
• Family Events & Connection – Creating moments of joy, celebration, and togetherness during treatment, reminding families that hope and community still surround them.
• Community Partnerships – Building strong networks of support across the region, so more children and families receive the care and encouragement they deserve.
• Light the Way Gala – Our Light the Way Gala is in September to culminate the September Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. is event is our main fundraiser to support or mission program.
e Childhood Cancer Coalition is more than a resource—it’s a light in the community of hope, li ing burdens so families can hold tight to what matters most: love, strength, and time together
DONATE
Your gi helps light the way through the darkest times. Give today at cccnw.org
Christian Youth Theater Spokane
WHAT WE DO
509.487.6540 cytspokane.org o ce@cytspokane.org
CYT Spokane aims to serve our community by providing quality, educational theater arts programs and productions at an accessible price to all interested families.
We believe in validating and celebrating the artistic expression and hearts of our youth in a safe, compassionate environment. Unfortunately, ticket sales and tuition cover only a portion of our operating budget. We need loving, service-minded donors who believe in our mission to partner with us to provide tuition scholarships and performance supplies for our participants.
Every dollar contributed assures that CYT will continue to deliver top-notch a ordable programming to all who need it. Please consider joining us as we continue to develop character one stage at a time.
Companions Animal Center (CAC) is an independent, nonpro t 501c3, non-government privately funded organization dedicated to the welfare of animals. We practice the No-Kill philosophy.
Formerly Kootenai Humane Society, CAC has been serving homeless and unwanted animals for over 46 years. O ering low-cost medical services like a spay/neuter clinic, vaccinations and microchipping for your pets, adoptions, and a safe haven for unwanted animals are just a few of the ways CAC supports our animal population. CAC is open Tuesday – Sunday at noon.
GET INVOLVED
By volunteering your time, sharing your good fortune, or o ering your home to a pet, you will help continue our lifesaving mission for years to come.
Future Song Foundation
816
WHAT WE DO
Futuresong.org
Contact@futuresong.org
Future Song Foundation works to ensure that young people achieve their full potential through the power of music and mentorship.
Future Song celebrates 10 years of inspiring local young musicians with lessons, instruments, and opportunities where creativity can ourish. We strive to empower individuals with the invaluable gi of music, recognizing its profound impact on academic achievement, self-con dence and well-being.
DONATE
Music inspires and transforms lives. Your donation helps provide instruments, lessons and opportunities to those who may not otherwise have access. Every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to building brighter futures through the power of music. Go to futuresong.org for more information.
Goodwill Industries of the Inland Northwest 130 E. ird Avenue • Spokane, WA 99202
WHAT WE DO
Together, we create opportunities that change lives and strengthen communities.
Every year, we help our neighbors in eastern Washington and north Idaho through employment, training, housing support and nancial stability programs. When you donate to Goodwill, or shop in our stores or online, you are helping support these programs. For every item sold, more than 85 cents of every dollar goes to program support.
Goodwill has been serving the Inland Northwest for 85 years. Since 2008, our programs have helped more than 93,000 people overcome barriers like poverty, unemployment, incarceration, equity gaps, homelessness, and disabilities.
Whether you are donating stu you don’t need anymore, a car, or money, you are helping people change their lives, with support from Goodwill.
Join us as a donor, shopper, volunteer, employer, partner, or property manager. Together, we create opportunities that change lives and strengthen communities. Read about some of the lives you’ve helped change at discovergoodwill.org/news.
GET INVOLVED
• Visit our stores or shop online for great deals.
• Apply online to become a Goodwill in uencer.
• Hire participants from our employment programs.
• Rent your apartment or home to those in need.
Your contributions and involvement greatly impact our community. ank you for supporting Goodwill!
DONATE:
• Bring your gently used items to our donation centers.
• Make a nancial donation on our website.
• Donate cars, boats, or RVs to support our cause. Visit our website.
DO
Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope. Since 1987, Habitat for Humanity-Spokane has built, rehabbed and sold over 450 a ordable homes. Families help build and renovate their own homes alongside volunteers and community partners. A er completing the program, they buy their home and pay an a ordable mortgage. Together, we build equity.
SHOP - DONATE - VOLUNTEER. With your support, we can tackle the a ordable housing crisis in Spokane County. Shop at the Habitat Store. Donate goods or funds. Volunteer to help build homes!
FUTURE SONG FOUNDATION
KSPS PBS
3911 S. Regal Street • Spokane, WA 99223
WHAT WE DO
509.443.7700
ksps.org
ksps@ksps.org
Public broadcasting was founded six decades ago to serve everyone. KSPS PBS remains committed to bringing free, factbased, and enriching programming to our community.
KSPS PBS delivers four free broadcast channels and the free PBS App, o ering trusted news, inspiring documentaries, beloved dramas, and safe, educational children’s content. We are a lifeline during emergencies, a classroom for learners of all ages, and a gathering place for conversations that strengthen our region.
• Delivering free, research-based educational programs for Pre-K children that prepare them to succeed in school
• Broadcasting trusted PBS shows that inspire, inform, and entertain across the Inland Northwest and Western Canada
• Serving as the backbone of the emergency alert system, especially critical during wild re season
• Sharing local stories that strengthen civic life and community connection
• Remaining one of America’s most trusted institutions, with strong bipartisan support for our mission
Because federal funding is gone, everything KSPS PBS provides now depends more than ever on support from Viewers Like You.
GET INVOLVED
You can protect the future of local public broadcasting. When you give, you ensure that trusted, commercial-free media remains available to everyone in our community— whether they can a ord a subscription service or not. Donations of any size make a di erence.
DONATE
• Give online at KSPS.org/protect
• Become a monthly sustainer for dependable support.
• Make a special one-time gi in honor of our nearly 60 years of service.
Lutheran Community Services Northwest
210 W Sprague Ave • Spokane, WA 99201
WHAT WE DO
509.747.8224 lcsnw.org lcsnwSpokane@lcsnw.org
Behavioral Health, Crime Victim Advocacy, and Refugee Foster Care services for trauma recovery. Partnering with individuals, families, and communities for #HealthJusticeHope
We believe all children deserve safe and loving homes, stand with refugees who’ve endured the unimaginable, and support crime victims along their healing journey. We partner with thousands to break generational cycles of trauma and make positive impacts on people and communities.
GET INVOLVED
Volunteer on our 24/7 support line. Learn about becoming a foster parent. Join our Client or Youth Advisory Boards. Attend an event, Join our Team, or Donate.
Mission Community Outreach Center
1906 E. Mission Ave • Spokane, WA 99202
WHAT WE DO
509.536.1084 4mission.org mcoc.spokane@gmail.com
Mission Community Outreach Center is a free clothing, housewares, hygiene and diaper bank dedicated to serving those in need in our community.
Mission Community Outreach Center provides gently used clothing, basic household goods, and hygiene items every 60 days as well as diapers and wipes every 30 days. We operate an independent, 501(c)(3) nonpro t organization intent on reaching out with care to those in need in the Spokane community.
DONATE
Your nancial support and donations of gently used clothing, kitchenware, and bedding items, and of new diapers and hygiene items keep our shelves stocked. Email mcoc.spokane@gmail.com for interest in volunteering, donate online, or drop o donations Mon & urs 1:00-4:00pm and Wed 10 am-1 pm.
MiA Mujeres in Action
318 E Rowan Avenue Suite 208 • Spokane, WA 99207
509.869.0876 miaspokane.org
MiA advocates for survivors of domestic violence and/or sexual assault, helping them reach their full potential and educating our community from a Latine perspective to end family violence.
At MiA, we advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, helping them reach their full potential while educating our community from a Latine perspective to eliminate family violence.
Behavioral Health: Trauma-informed therapy in English and Spanish. Sliding scale fees, insurance accepted, free services based on need. Individual and group sessions create healing spaces.
Legal Advocacy: Comprehensive DVPO support including court accompaniment and documentation assistance. We ensure survivors’ voices are heard and safety prioritized.
Housing Navigation: From crisis to stability - we help secure housing, connect with partners, navigate applications, and access rental assistance programs.
Our culturally responsive approach honors Latine values while challenging harmful practices through community education. Your support ensures no survivor is turned away due to inability to pay.
Building a future free of violence, where families thrive and cultural strengths celebrated.
DONATE
Your donation can help us provide essential services to survivors of domestic violence and/or sexual assault. Every contribution makes a di erence. To donate, please visit www.miaspokane.org
GET INVOLVED
Eradicating violence from our communities is collaborative work. We welcome volunteers, donors, and partners to participate in the work towards a community free of violence: Opportunities include:
• Participating in community events
• Provide support to survivors
• Engage in power building through policy advocacy
We connect, advocate, and educate to strengthen Washington’s nonpro ts, building a thriving sector that serves communities across the state.
e Nonpro t Association of Washington connects, strengthens, and champions nonpro ts of all sizes and missions. rough advocacy, education, and resources, we help nonpro ts thrive and amplify their impact in communities across Washington State.
GET INVOLVED
Join NAWA to strengthen nonpro ts in Washington—whether you’re a business, household, nonpro t, government, or higher education institution.
North Idaho College Foundation, Inc
1000 W. Garden Avenue • Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814
North Idaho College is committed to meeting the diverse educational needs of students, employers, and the communities of northern Idaho.
NIC Foundation, Inc. is an independent, non-pro t charitable organization. rough contributions and prudent stewardship, the NIC Foundation provides scholarships for students and invests in programs and services to enhance educational excellence and student success at North Idaho College.
GET INVOLVED
Make a contribution today! Gi s of any size make an incredible di erence in providing scholarships for students as they pursue education and training.
Northwest Mediation Center empowers people to shape their own solutions to resolve con icts through a ordable services. Northwest Mediation Center provides mediation, education for parents and businesses, certi ed mediator training, and restorative practices for Spokane, Whitman, Lincoln, Stevens, Ferry, and Pend Oreille counties, and North Idaho. We foster, provide, and teach peaceful problem solving.
Join our Circle of Peace and make a donation! Just $5 per month fully funds tuition for two parents to take our Sharing the Children seminar.
e MAC sparks curiosity and creativity in thousands of young learners through interactive experiences that open doors to new ideas and perspectives.
rough special youth programs, eld trips, and classroom visits, the MAC engages 6,000 students each year with the Inland Northwest’s art and history. Your support helps broaden reach, eliminate cost barriers, and inspire children to explore, imagine, and create.
DONATE:
$170 takes a class of 30 kids on a eld trip
$75 sends our educators on a school visit
$25 gives hospital patients’ families a museum day pass
Feeding, clothing, and empowering our neighbors. When local families, vulnerable youth, and impoverished elderly face signi cant obstacles, Partners INW is here to provide a safety net for those in need. With roots of compassion dating back over 60 years, Partners INW has grown to meet the needs of the community as the largest social services agency in Spokane Valley.
GET INVOLVED
• Donate cash, food, clothing & diapers
• Every $1 donates provides roughly 10 meals
• Career Clothing Bank, sponsored by Humanix, provides clothing at no cost, and your donations of professional attire may help men and women get a much needed job.
• Senior Box Packing, 1000 senior boxes are packed each month to bene t low income seniors all across Spokane County.
• Host a Food Drive
The Salvation Army Spokane
WE DO
509.325.6810 makingspokanebetter.org
rough numerous programs and services, e Salvation Army Spokane helps transform the lives of local vulnerable families and individuals so that they can become self-su cient.
Since 1981, our commitment has been to help the whole person physically, emotionally, and spiritually without discrimination and always with dignity and respect. $.90 cents of every dollar donated to e Salvation Army Spokane goes to life-changing programs that bring hope and results to those in need.
$50 provides food for a week for a local family
$300 provides one week of transitional housing for a family of three $1,000 provides a month of safe and loving care for a foster child, age 2-12, at Sally’s House
SCRAPS Hope Foundation is a non-pro t organization dedicated to supporting Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service in their e orts to care for lost and abandoned animals throughout our area.
Established in 2009 as a 501 (C)(3) non-pro t, SCRAPS Hope Foundation is a board of volunteers that raises money to support the medical care of the pets at SCRAPS. e funds we raise give a second chance to pets in need. In 2024, the foundation saw over 5,000 animals that came through SCRAPS.
DONATE
$10: Provides vaccinations and ea treatment for one dog.
$50: Provides necessary blood work for a senior animal.
$100: Provides specialized veterinary care such as tooth removal, for an animal in need.
$200+ : Provides for seriously hurt animals that need major surgery or special medications.
Spark Central o ers free programs in arts, writing and technology that spark imagination, build skills and open doors to creative and personal growth for all ages.
We provide free, hands-on arts, writing, and technology programs led by professional teaching artists, designers, and innovators. From a er-school arts wellness clubs to all ages writing and tech classes, each experience sparks imagination, builds skills, and connects people with resources.
We couldn’t do what we do without you. Your support keeps creativity free and accessible for all ages. Give monthly, make a one-time gi , or volunteer to share your talents to provide resources and opportunities that spark imagination, build skills, and create a thriving community.
Spokane Pride
715 E. Sprague Avenue Suite 111 • Spokane, WA 99202
We are dedicated to organizing and hosting inclusive, queer-centered events throughout the Inland Northwest year-round. We strive to create meaningful spaces for celebration, connection, and healing.
We aim to carry the torch of the global Pride movement by strengthening connections and support among LGBTQIA2S+ organizations, individuals, and allies, fostering a healthy and united community that celebrates and ampli es social healing, and advances activism for all marginal people.
DONATE
• Provide support to Prides in rural communities around our region
• Help us li up other progressive organizations and coordinate our community
• Stand up to hateful rhetoric and spread love for all people
• Provide a physical space to spread resources for all
Spokane Youth Sports Association
800
509-328-(SYSA) 7972 sysa.com receptionist@sysa.com WHAT WE DO
SYSA provides year-round, a ordable, safe and fun opportunities for our young people to play a sport, instill a healthy lifestyle, and participate as a team member. SYSA served nearly 14,000 young people last year alone though the transformative power of sports.
DONATE e mission of SYSA is to provide sports activities for all youth where everyone plays, develops skills, learns good sportsmanship, and appreciates the value of being a team player.
SYSA is committed to:
Ensuring every child plays
Removing nancial and social barriers to participation Help us make sports a reality for all youth regardless of skill or nancial circumstance, by donating your time, talent or treasure here:
509.321.9614
SpokaneArts.org
artshelper@spokanearts.org
WHAT WE DO
Build and support arts & culture in the Spokane region through ongoing programming, grant opportunities, and advocacy work.
Spokane Arts is a 501(c)3 nonpro t dedicated to amplifying and supporting arts and culture in the greater Spokane region. We lead public art programs including murals, sculptures, and signal boxes throughout the region, curate the Chase Gallery at City Hall, manage the Spokane Poet Laureate and Poetry Out Loud programs, and organize the city’s annual Arts Month and Spokane Arts Awards celebrations, along with so much more. We invite you to explore everything this creative region has to o er!
Spokane Arts is thrilled to bring the 47th Annual Spokane Arts Awards to life this September 13 at the beautiful Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center at Gonzaga University! With the theme of “Homecoming,” this year’s red carpet gala is sure to be the biggest - and best - yet! Come share in an evening of inspiring stories and spectacular performances as we honor the artists and organizations that make Spokane an arts city!
GET INVOLVED
• Apply for a SAGA grant!
• Check out and hire artists from our Artist Roster!
• Volunteer to help paint and maintain public murals!
• Attend the Annual Arts Awards Gala and other artist meet-ups!
DONATE
• Your gi in ANY amount helps ensure a vibrant, art- lled community!
• Every dollar goes right back into arts programming in our region!
• Sponsor the Arts Awards to promote your organization!
• Your donation to Spokane Arts is tax-deductible!
e 47th Annual Spokane Arts Awards September 13 2025 from 6:30 to 9:30pm • e Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center Register today using the QR code or visit our website for your FREE tickets!
e Spokane Symphony, led by Music Director James Lowe, is a 74-piece orchestra committed to bringing the power of music to life for everyone in our community.
Now in our 80th season, we celebrate the transformative power of music— a universal language that reaches across age and background to ignite passion, foster inspiration, and deepen our connection to the world and to one another. Student programs are at the heart of the Spokane Symphony’s mission, driven by a deep commitment to serving Spokane and its surrounding communities. We strive to connect people of all ages with the power of music—whether in the concert hall, in classrooms, or woven into everyday life.
Your donations make a meaningful di erence, allowing the Spokane Symphony to bring live music into classrooms, o er free concert tickets to K–12 students, and share the joy of music throughout our community.
Your donation:
• Keeps FREE concerts in our parks
• Sends 4th graders to Symphony Day at e Fox eater
• Sends musicians to schools to enrich music curriculum
• Sends classrooms to attend a symphony concert for FREE with Class Pass Tickets
• Keeps the historic Fox eater a vibrant, treasured landmark in Spokane
• Supports the continued prosperity of arts and culture in our community
GET INVOLVED
It is the generous support of individual and corporate concert sponsors that make it possible for us to bring premier guest artists. For more information on Concert Sponsorship, please visit spokanesymphony.org
TOGETHER WE’RE BETTER
For generations, the Kalispel Tribe has embraced a tradition of giving, strengthening the community we call home. Since 2000, the Tribe has donated more than $25 million to non-profits in Washington State with an emphasis on those located in Pend Oreille and Spokane Counties. These contributions reflect our deep-rooted belief that strong communities are built through compassion, collaboration, and shared success.
We believe in the power of giving because we are all better together, and it is a way to honor our past and invest in a better future for everyone.
“This one lady brings a chart of all the things that she’s allergic to,” he says. “She gives us the list, so we make sure we work around that. But I’ve seen them in here like three or four times already.”
Family is at the heart of Remi’s. The kid’s menu was designed by Gill’s 5-year-old granddaughter, Veda, and includes playful items like pancake tacos ($6.95): three mini pancakes served in metal taco holders that are filled with a choice of sausage, scrambled eggs or fresh fruit, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles.
The kid’s menu is especially affordable to match small appetites and each dish is served with milk, apple juice or soda.
“We have weird things on here that my granddaughter said that I had to have,” says Gill, noting the kid’s menu’s butter noodles ($6.95), which are tossed in butter and topped with Parmesan.
Remi’s partnered with Spokane-based Roast House Coffee for its signature beans, a dark roast with notes of maple, oak and molasses. Drink it diner-style and black or as your preferred espresso-based drink, like a latte or a mocha.
Fresh-squeezed orange juice anchors the mimosas ($6.95). There’s also a mimosa flight ($17.95) which includes flavors like Hawaiian, cran-apple and Grand Marnier. The bloody mary ($5.95) is also a customer brunch favorite topped with peppers and celery.
Remi’s has a full bar, which stocks cans of Green Bluff-based Big Barn Brewing’s craft blonde, lager, red ale and IPA.
Gill, a native of West Covina, California, moved to Spokane in 1989 to work as the executive chef at Clinkerdagger. His extensive food career also includes stints at establishments like now-closed C.I. Shenanigans and 26 years running Papa Murphy’s Pizza locations.
Now, at 62, he’s back to 3 am starts and late
nights, sometimes even staying at Remi’s until midnight. He knew opening his own restaurant would be no easy feat, but he didn’t think it would be this challenging.
“Our front of house is really strong, but finding people that want to work that hard and that fast has been the issue,” Gill says. “And people walk off their shift in the middle of the shift, going to the restroom and they never come back. But we’re starting to piece things together and the shifts are getting better.”
Family members pitch in, too. His 85-year-old mother-in-law comes daily to clean sugar caddies, polish salt and pepper shakers, and dust the 32 framed black-and-white photos of Spokane landmarks that line the walls, taken by local photographer James Richman.
Remi’s Cafe took over a building formerly home to Shari’s Cafe & Pies, which closed in June 2024. An extensive remodel stripped away dated elements for a modern, open design. The restroom entrance was moved, bussing stations were removed and natural light now fills the dining room. Outside, rose bushes and retaining walls were replaced with open manicured landscaping.
The cafe’s name honors Gill’s 5-year-old cavapoo dog, Remi. A photo of the pup in a chef outfit is set to soon join other framed artwork on the walls.
Amid the challenges of opening a restaurant and the long hours on his feet, Gill looks forward to a day off.
“I’d like to retire someday and have the restaurant continue on with someone else running it,” he says.
Until then, though, he’s committed to the daily grind: flipping pancakes, greeting customers and watching kids dash through the dining room. n
“SERVING UP SUNSHINE,” CONTINUED...
Remi’s co-owner Paul Gill had planned to retire, but is back in the kitchen again. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
REVIEW
PARADISE LOST
An idyllic island retreat turns violent in enjoyably lurid true-crime thriller Eden
BY JOSH BELL
Although most viewers are likely to be unaware of the true story behind director Ron Howard’s Eden, an opening title card offers a foreboding indication of how things will turn out: “Inspired by the accounts of those who survived.” Even before violence erupts on the tiny Galapagos island of Floreana off the coast of Ecuador, that tension hangs over every interaction among the small group of German settlers who come to this remote location with very different goals in mind.
Initially, there’s only Dr. Friedrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his wife, Dore Strauch (Vanessa Kirby), who’ve been living alone on Floreana for four years before the 1932 arrival of the Wittmer family. Ritter is a former medical doctor and self-styled philosopher who’s been working on his perpetually unfinished manifesto for humanity, while sending missives home to newspapers and magazines.
Thanks to those letters, Ritter has become a bit of a celebrity in Germany, which inspires World War I veteran Heinz Wittmer (Daniel Brühl) to pack up his wife Margret (Sydney Sweeney) and his young son Harry (Jonathan Tittel) and bring them to Floreana to start a new life. They hope the environment will be beneficial to Harry’s health as he recovers from tuberculosis, just as Ritter claims it has done wonders for Dore’s multiple sclerosis.
The Wittmers are genuine homesteaders, willing to put in the effort it takes to survive in such a harsh, unforgiving climate, but the prickly Ritter just wants to be left
alone with his pompous proclamations. They achieve an uneasy coexistence by mostly staying out of each other’s way, but that’s shattered by the appearance of Baroness Eloise Bosquet de Wagner Wehrhorn (Ana de Armas), a beautiful and manipulative opportunist who’s granted herself a noble title and has grand plans to build a luxury hotel on the island. She storms the beach carried by two male associates who are also her lovers, and quickly asserts herself as the ruler of this untamed land.
De Armas is fantastic as the cruel, seductive Baron ess, whose arrival shifts the movie from a survivalist adventure into a tense, slightly erotic thriller, as the characters learn that the real threat to their well-being isn’t nature but each other. “Everything on this island can kill you,” Dore warns the Wittmers when they arrive, but the native flora and fauna are mild dangers compared to the treachery of the Baroness. The movie comes alive when she’s scheming to take out her perceived opponents, and it falters when focused on the everyday drudgery of the dutiful Wittmers.
The prolific but prosaic Howard is an odd choice to direct such a dark, sexu ally charged thriller, and it’s not hard to imagine a more bitingly satirical or brutally twisted version of Eden. Howard at least offers a surprising amount of fullfrontal male nudity, along with a threesome among the crashing waves upon the Baroness’ arrival, and his star-studded cast is clearly up for portraying their characters’ debauchery and deviousness. But Eden is often pokey in between violent outbursts, and the potential humor gets muted in favor of blunt exposition.
Brühl is the only member of the main
cast who’s a native German speaker, and the accents from his international co-stars could charitably be described as “variable.” Everyone is unrealistically speaking English anyway, so it hardly matters, but Sweeney especially struggles with her intonation, sometimes taking away from the biggest dramatic moments. The most intense scenes, including Marget’s harrowing delivery of a baby while menaced by feral dogs, don’t require any dialogue, and Howard is a seasoned craftsman who can reliably generate suspense.
Howard’s extensive filmography encompasses nearly every genre, with plenty of duds (anybody remember the 2011 Vince Vaughn/Kevin James buddy comedy The Dilemma?) along with acclaimed true-life dramas like the Oscar-winning Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind Eden isn’t in the same league as those movies, but it benefits from Howard’s diligence and attention to detail, and it’s never less than engrossing. He’s the cinematic equivalent of the hard-working Wittmers, and while the story might have benefited from a Baroness-like flamboyant stylist, Howard still does his best to honor the actual events.
In reality, no one knows exactly what happened on
Eden Rated R
Directed by Ron Howard Starring Sydney Sweeney, Ana de Armas, Jude Law
Ana de Armas wants to rule an equatorial isle in Eden
The Man Who Sat by the Phone
Relay is a gripping, yet goofy, thriller given life by the magnetic screen presence of Riz Ahmed
BY CHASE HUTCHINSON
Corrupt corporate lackeys and a lonely man looking to cut a deal with them do battle in Relay, an engaging little film about connection, deception and the dangers truth can bring in a world of lies. The latest from Hell or High Water director David Mackenzie, it’s a solid thriller that’s both perceptive and preposterous.
It’s also got a great lead in Riz Ahmed, who consistently captures an understated sense of emotion similar to his career-best performance in the sublime film Sound of Metal. Playing a man who helps wannabe whistleblowers who’ve found themselves in a tight spot and have now changed their minds after facing intimidation, Ahmed brings nuance to a troubled character that the larger film around him, for much of its nearly two-hour runtime, preserves.
Rated R
a misguided conclusion, it’s in the recurring phone calls and the more grounded moments of tension where this thriller grabs hold of you. Though not as good as Hell or High Water, it shows how Mackenzie can make even the most shaky of material into something more thoughtful and entertaining when given the room to work.
Similarly good at his job is Ahmed’s mysterious New York broker. Though Relay calls back to more old-fashioned thrillers like The Parallax View, he is a distinctly modern operator, aware of how everything in our technologically connected world can be tracked.
Relay
Directed by David Mackenzie
However, the initially focused film that recalls everything from iconic ’70s thrillers like Francis Ford Coppola’s The Conversation to the recent modern classic that is Tony Gilroy’s Michael Clayton nearly comes apart the longer it goes on as it throws in one silly twist after another that threaten to rob it of its promise. That Relay still manages to steal victory from the jaws of defeat is a testament to not just Ahmed’s excellent performance, but the care that Mackenzie brings to the quieter scenes. While things do eventually get chaotic in
Starring Riz Ahmed, Lily James, Sam Worthington, Willa Fitzgerald
An expert in how to avoid getting seen, he does so by utilizing the talk-to-text relay service meant to help deaf people make phone calls. For his purposes, it provides a simple yet clever way for someone like him to communicate in a way his voice will never be heard and where he’ll never be traced due to the strict protections the service provides. The service instills each of the conversations (which requires the person speaking to say “go ahead” when finished talking) with a unique dynamic that Relay effectively uses and subverts at key points throughout to keep you on your toes. Though the broker has this system down, the distance he’s created from the world comes crashing down with new client Sarah (Lily James).
Nothing else should be divulged about
ALSO OPENING
THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN
Judd Apatow’s comedy classic featuring Steve Carrell as a nice guy just looking for love (and a lay) returns to the big screen for its 20th anniversary. Rated R
HONEY DON’T!
Ethan Coen’s latest neo-noir finds the private eye Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley) investigating the death of a woman only to get mixed up with a cult led by the charismatic Drew Devlin (Chris Evans). Rated R
TRAINWRECK
Amy Schumer’s career apex as a messy woman with a fear of commitment heads back to theaters for its 10th anniversary. Rated PG
NE ZHA II
You may not be familiar with this CGI-animated film based on Chinese mythology, but it’s by far the biggest box office hit of 2025. It’s made almost twice as much as No. 2 (Lilo & Stitch), despite barely playing in the U.S. Now it gets a full American theatrical run to bump those numbers even higher. Not rated
NEW TO STREAM
PEACEMAKER (SEASON 2)
James Gunn’s hilarious not-for-kiddies superhero black comedy — featuring John Cena as the titular endearingly dumb and relentlessly brutal jingoistic super mercenary — returns to pick up the DC Universe plot in the wake of the events depicted in the recent box office hit Superman HBO Max
this job to preserve the electrifying energy that Relay taps into. Shot by cinematographer Giles Nuttgens, who Mackenzie worked with on Hell or High Water, this is a confident film about process that works best when it’s about immersing us in the details. It’s about getting a package from one place to another while being surveilled and giving someone the slip in an airport without coming into contact with them. When the broker must go out into the field in disguise, each costume change Ahmed makes is a delightful joy, just as well-drawn stakes never let the tension go slack. It’s filmmaking often without flair, but it’s the more tactful patience Mackenzie brings that makes it all that much more enrapturing.
For much of it, Ahmed says few words, but you can’t take your eyes off him in every scene. He’s got presence to spare and never overplays his hand, capturing all the layers of his character that make you feel his every emotion even when he isn’t speaking. Even when the film’s story does overplay its hand, one standout scene midway through where we get a sense of who the broker is and why he is doing this work sees Ahmed crack it all wide open with delicate precision.
That it provides an honest confrontation with what is the right thing to do in a world where justice is in short supply gives the experience just the right amount of urgent thematic heft. It makes you not just willing to forgive Relay for its flaws, but always happy to say “go ahead” one more time. n
Riz Ahmed elevates Relay.
WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG
Nostalgic acts are sweeping Inland Northwest stages this week
BY AZARIA PODPLESKY
Ihate to be the bearer of bad news, but we’re getting old.
The songs we Gen Xers and Millennials grew up loving have been relegated to the throwback, “’80s, ’90s and today” radio stations, even though “today” plays more like 2005 (at the latest) than like 2025.
But the good news is, even though we’ve gotten older, the bands we listened to in those formative years are still touring, bringing new songs and old favorites with them.
Nostalgia, it turns out, is a moneymaker. Festivals like When We Were Young, Lovers and Friends, and Just Like Heaven, tours like I Love the ’90s and album anniversary shows keep bands on the road and fans coming back time and time again.
Maybe it’s because we’ve tied their songs to major moments in our life: first kisses, heartaches, celebrations and sorrows. These songs soundtracked bus rides to and from school, then played in our cars when we finally got our license. They saw us off to college and into adulthood, sticking with us through thick and thin. And yes, now they’re considered “classics,” but I guess that makes us classic, too. Is it really so bad then that we have to tune into the throwback station to hear them?
These songs stand the test of time. They’re still catchy, still heartfelt, still just plain fun to sing along to. In the next week, five tours are bringing pop, rock and emo favorites to Spokane stages. If one of these tours makes you think “I used to love them!” then treat your younger self to a night reliving the good ol’ days, singing at the top of your lungs just like you did while driving to school.
POP 2000 TOUR
Hosted by Chris Kirkpatrick of NSYNC, featuring O-Town, Ryan Cabrera, LFO and Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray
The bubblegum pop hits, the frosted tips, the intricate choreography — it’s all back on the Pop 2000 tour, hosted by Chris Kirkpatrick of boy band juggernaut *NSYNC.
Created on the reality show Making the Band, O-Town debuted toward the end of the ’90s pop music fever pitch. The quintet released two albums and singles like “Liquid Dreams” and “All or Nothing” before disbanding in 2003. A decade later, the group, now a quartet, reunited. They’ve since released two more albums.
Just over 20 years ago, it seemed like you couldn’t turn on MTV or VH1 without seeing the video for Ryan Cabrera’s “On the Way Down.” The song, from his major label debut Take It All Away, was certified gold, as was his follow-up single “True.”
LFO set themselves apart from other boy bands, blending pop with hip-hop and R&B influences, and found success with the smash hit single “Summer Girls.” The band separated and reunited several times over the years, but after the deaths of former members Rich Cronin, Brian Gillis and Devin Lima, LFO is now the project of Brad Fischetti.
Mark McGrath and Sugar Ray don’t necessarily fit the boy band label, but after the success of “Fly” — much poppier than their previous releases — the band, well, flew to the top of the charts with subsequent singles like “Every Morning,” “Someday” and “When It’s Over.”
Fri, Aug. 22 at 8 pm • $50-$134 • All ages • Spokane Tribe Resort & Casino • spokanetribecasino.com
BLUES TRAVELER, GIN BLOSSOMS, SPIN DOCTORS
It took four albums for Blues Traveler to hit the big time, but once they did, they really hit. After forming in New Jersey in 1987, the band earned some buzz from college radio with the single “But Anyway.”
An endorsement from David Letterman turned up the buzz, and with the release of four, which features singles “Run-Around” and “Hook,” the band went to the top of the charts. “Run-Around” earned a Grammy Award, and nearly three decades later, the band received a second nomination for Traveler’s Soul, a collection of blues covers.
The first time Gin Blossoms set to work on a major label album, things didn’t go exactly to plan. They did, however, get the Up and Crumbling EP, which featured “Allison Road,” out of the deal. The next time was a bit more successful. New Miserable Experience spawned the megahits “Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You.” The band’s next record, Congratulations I’m Sorry, found similar success thanks to “Follow You Down.”
Before hitting it big with Blues Traveler, vocalist John Popper played harmonica in a band called the Trucking Company. After his departure, the band changed its name to Spin Doctors and went on to release hits like “Two Princes” and “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong.” Spin Doctors and Blues Travelers have been known to join one another onstage so don’t be surprised if the show turns into a multi-band jam session.
Sat, Aug. 23 at 6 pm • $45-$85 • All ages • Northern Quest Resort & Casino • northernquest.com
RETRO POP
Dashboard Confessional
Goo Goo Dolls
Five for Fighting
Gin Blossoms
Spin Doctors
EMO NITE WITH J.T. WOODRUFF
Break out your studded belts and eyeliner, and push that hair over your eyes: Hawthorne Heights singer J.T. Woodruff is hosting an evening of emo classics at the Knitting Factory. Hawthorne Heights burst onto the scene with The Silence in Black and White and its singles “Ohio Is for Lovers” and “Niki FM.” The band followed that success with If Only You Were Lonely and the single “Saying Sorry.” The 2007 death of member Casey Calvert put a somber note on the band’s third album Fragile Futures, but Hawthorne Heights has carried on, releasing four more albums since.
Sat, Aug. 23 at 8 pm • $24.25 • All ages • Knitting Factory • sp.knittingfactory.com
FIVE FOR FIGHTING AND VERTICAL HORIZON
John Ondrasik entered the music scene in a glam metal band called John Scott. After the rise of grunge led to the downfall of hair metal, Ondrasik turned to piano rock, releasing music under the name Five for Fighting. His first album, Message for Albert, didn’t stand much of a chance at success, as EMI Records’ American division, which released the record, closed just months later. After moving to Aware Records, his second album, America Town, fared much better thanks to singles “Easy Tonight” and “Superman (It’s Not Easy).”
Those chart-toppers, along with later singles like “100 Years” and “The Riddle,” have appeared in, by Ondrasik’s count, more than 350 films, TV shows and commercials.
After two independently released albums, Vertical Horizon started catching the attention of major labels. After signing with RCA, the band, fronted by Matt Scannell, released Everything You Want. The album was a smash, featuring singles like its rocking title track, “You’re a God,” “Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning)” and “We Are.”
The band’s building momentum was halted after their next album, Go, was released during a label restructuring and, as a result, got little support. In spite of that hurdle, Vertical Horizon has continued to write, releasing three more albums,most recently 2018’s The Lost Mile
Sun, Aug. 24 at 8 pm • $45 • All ages • Knitting Factory • sp.knittingfactory.com
GOO GOO DOLLS WITH DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL
In a press release, Goo Goo Dolls singer John Rzeznik promises the band’s Summer Anthem tour will feature songs from its upcoming 15th album as well as “all the songs you know and love.”
After the band’s lengthy career, they have a lot of songs to choose from. There’s the breakout single “Name,” mega-hits like “Iris” and “Slide,” more recent releases like “Give a Little Bit” and “Come to Me.” The list goes on and on.
This year, the band is celebrating the 30th anniversary of A Boy Named Goo, but they’re also looking forward to spending time with new fans and old friends.
“Every tour we do is about making new friends and reuniting with everyone who’s been with us since Day 1,” Rzeznik said.
With the release of their 2000 debut album The Swiss Army Romance, Dashboard Confessional cemented themselves as emo poster boys. “Screaming Infidelities” helped the Hot Topic crowd get over their first heartbreak, and “Hands Down” matched the butterflies of early love.
As the band’s gotten older, their sound has moved from emo to more straightforward rock, but the emotionally expressive lyrics remain a constant, helping fans cope with all adulthood has thrown their way. n
Thu, Aug. 28 at 7:30 pm • $39.50 • All ages • Northern Quest Resort & Casino • northernquest.com
Jundt Art Museum
20, 2025 JundtArtMuseum.org
Urinetown: the Musical November 6-9, 2025
Candlelight Christmas Concert December 6-7, 2025 Gonzaga Symphony Orchestra Presents: Gil Shaham February 10, 2026
Dance Thumbelina January 23 - 25, 2026
Shown Above: Gina Freuen, Landscape Water Vessel with Sparrow and Stick Trivet, n.d., porcelain and stoneware, stains and glazes, soda fired, with silver
of the artist.
THE LATEST CRAZE
Hoarding a collection of history’s hottest songs about fads
BY SETH SOMMERFELD
It’s 2025, and Labubus seem omnipresent.
For those living under a rock, Labubus are little plush toys of bunny/elf monsters with disturbingly sharp teeth, created by Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung. Sort of like demented Beanie Babies for our modern post-irony age, they’ve exploded in popularity since a member of superstar K-Pop group BlackPink was spotted with a Labubu keychain in April 2024. China-based Pop Mart, the exclusive sellers of the toys, reported roughly $870 million in Labubu sales in the first six months of 2024, and they’ve only gotten much more popular since then. On Aug. 23, The Chameleon is even hosting the (copyright skirting) “LABOOBOO WUVS YEW,” a Labubu-themed night where patrons are encouraged to dress up and dance along as DJ Saffron City spins sugary hyperpop tunes. Granted, there are few things that have ever screamed “THIS IS CLEARLY A TEMPORARY FAD” quite like Labubus. As their popularity fades, they’ll take their rightful place in our nostalgic brains beside Furbies, pogs and fidget spinners. With that in mind, we figured a Labubu dance night is as good an excuse as any to examine some of the best and most memorable (decidedly not mutually inclusive) songs about fads.
“THE STREAK” - RAY STEVENS
It remains wild that people getting naked and running around in public places as a “prank” was a huge pop culture touchstone in the 1970s. Ray Stevens capitalized on the moment with this country comedy song centered on spoken-word sketches of a reporter interviewing a yokel about seeing streakers in the grocery store, at a gas station and at a basketball game. When people say that culture has gotten worse, remind them that “The Streak” was the No. 1 song on the Billboard charts for three weeks in 1974.
“TAMAGOTCHI” - DAZE
Also known as “Together Forever (The Cyber Pet Song),” this electronic club banger by Danish Eurodance group Daze just feels like pure distilled 1997. The group’s Aqua-esque turbo-pop provides a fitting digital backing for singer Trine Bix to sing what at first appears to be a metaphor for her love being like that of the trendy cyber pets (“we should be together forever and ever”) but soon reveals itself to be sung from the literal POV of a Tamagotchi (“I see you as my new Mom and Daddy / If you will feed me and nurse me, I’m happy”).
“THONG SONG” - SISQÓ
While thongs as we know them have been around for almost a century (apparently first appearing in the U.S. at the 1939 New York World’s Fair?!?), they went fully mainstream in the late 1990s. The revealing panties rose in popularity at the same time as low cut jeans, leading to a cavalcade of women showing off their “whale tails.” Sisquó’s undergarment anthem came out at the perfect time to vault the craze into the stratosphere, and the song was damn near inescapable in 2000.
“VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR” - THE BUGGLES
Me making a completely original observation that no one has ever made before: “Hey, remember when MTV used to play music videos?”
“PAC-MAN FEVER” - BUCKNER & GARCIA
As video game arcades became hot spots for youngsters to blow their allowances one quarter at a time in the early 1980s, proto-gamers needed an anthem of their
DERRICK KING ILLUSTRATION
own. Enter novelty rockers Buckner & Garcia and this undeniably catchy and groovy ditty with lyrics laying out the process of playing Pac-Man and getting caught up in the pixelated excitement of munching dots and chasing ghosts.
“2600” - JONATHAN COULTON & JOHN RODERICK
Essentially a companion piece to “Pac-Man Fever,” this rocking Christmas song (from Jonathan Coulton and John Roderick’s underrated and elite holiday album One Christmas at a Time) captures the childhood one-track mind for a certain Xmas gift. In this specific case, that toy is the Atari 2600, the first major video gaming console to really be a commercial smash and bring the arcade fad into the home.
“THE HULA HOOP SONG” - GEORGIA GIBBS
This pop bop about plastic hula hoops exploding in popularity in the 1950s very much fits that carefree spirit of the body-swiveling toy, though Gibbs’ lyrical suggestion that “anyone can play the hula hoop… from three to 110” feels like propaganda from the hip replacement surgery lobby (please, ignore that fact that the procedure post-dates the song).
“THE BEAT GENERATION” - LOUIS ARMSTRONG
While fad songs tend to be a bit comedic, jazz legend Louis Armstrong took the old man yells at cloud approach to this tune about the literary beatniks. As is still the case, the best way to win over alienated countercultural youths is always by scolding them for not being polite conformists!
“WORLD CUP WILLIE” - LONNIE DONEGAN
In 1966 England hosted the first World Cup with an official mascot, a football playing lion named Willie. Lonnie Donegan (aka “The King of Skiffle,” the genre that’s the U.K.’s own interpretation of American jazz and Southern folk) memorialized the ferocious feline with this jaunty number, which became all the rage as England actually won that World Cup! They haven’t won since… obviously due to the lack of soccer cat songs.
“GIRL ALL THE BAD GUYS WANT” - BOWLING FOR SOUP
Nu metal has become trendy once again over the past couple of years. But as the genre was originally petering out in the early 2000s, Texas pop punk band Bowling for Soup delivered a wry musical sendup about being a nerdy punk and failing miserably at trying to woo a girl enamored with nu metal’s “edgy” masculine rage. The Grammy-nominated single remains one of the catchiest songs of the Warped Tour era, and hilarious lines like “her CD changer’s full of singers that are mad at their dad” still hit.
“DOUBLE
DUTCH” - MALCOLM MCLAREN
While best known as the forerunner of punk culture that put together and managed the Sex Pistols, McLaren also found his own musical success as an off-beat solo artist. This tune about the boom in double dutch jump roping among New York City’s Black community in the 1970s actually reached No. 3 on the U.K. singles chart despite being a pretty toothless version of early spoken word hip-hop over a light, repetitive house music sample.
“WE
DIDN’T START THE FIRE” - BILLY JOEL
Why sing about popular trends when you can just list them? Y’all are playing checkers while The Piano Man is playing chess. n
LABOOBOO WUVS YEW • Sat, Aug. 23 at 10 pm • $15-$20 • 21+ • The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com
WELCOME ZAGS!
9th Street Bistro
Our menu reflects an eclectic blend of comfort foods with seasonal changes that empower us to take advantage of the freshest, local produce. We offer many traditional favorites and homey foods prepared in a cleaner, healthier and in our opinion tastier way!
HIP-HOP BLUEPRINT
J = THE INLANDER RECOMMENDS THIS SHOW
Thursday, 8/21
ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS, Dallas Kay
BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Bolo’s Blues & Brews
J BRICK WEST BREWING CO., Buffalo Jones
J THE DISTRICT BAR, Mal Blum, Charlie Mtn.
J INDABA FLAGSHIP CAFÉ, Open Mic Night
JOHN’S ALLEY, Micky and The Motorcars
J LUNARIUM, Starlite Open Mic
J NORTHERN QUEST CASINO, Parker McCollum, Ashley Cooke, Vincent Mason
PJ’S PUB, The Dirty Champions
J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin
RED DRAGON (THIRD AVENUE), Thursday Night Jam
RED ROOM LOUNGE, Mickey Avalon
J RIVERSTONE PARK, Soul Proprietor
STELLA’S ON THE HILL, The Buckley Storms
J J THE FOX THEATER, Keb’ Mo’ & Shawn Colvin
J TRUE LEGENDS GRILL, Jimi Finn ZOLA, Stares of Vega, Tomboy, Frances Browne
Friday, 8/22
AK ASIAN RESTAURANT, Nate Ostrander
BERSERK, Mutual Aid Survival Squad Benefit: Elaine’s Gun, Dink, Green Warriors
DARK POST-ROCK TREASVRE
J THE BIG DIPPER, Thirty Seven:
I Always End Up Like This EP Release Show with No Home, Stares of Vega
J BLACK LODGE BREWING, The Groove Black, Index
J THE GRAIN SHED, Haywire
GREEN CITY SALOON, DJ KJ
J JAGUAR ROOM (CHAMELEON), Blueprint, Jaeda
JOHN’S ALLEY, Paper Flowers: Remembering Fleetwood Mac
NEATO BURRITO, Ben Jennnings, Bailey Allen Baker, Isaac and His Orchestra
NIGHT OWL, Four On The Floor Fridays
J ONE SHOT CHARLIE’S, Eclectic Approach
J PARK BENCH CAFE, Under the Trees Concerts: Curran Long
J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Tom Catmull
J PUEBLA MEXICAN RESTAURANT, Latin Dance Party
RED DRAGON (THIRD AVENUE), Bay 7
RED ROOM LOUNGE, The Birthday Sessions: B-Sinn, Sav, Imposter Sindrum, Klick
J J SPOKANE TRIBE CASINO, Pop 2000 Tour: Chris Kirkpatrick, O-Town, Ryan Cabrera, Mark McGrath
J ST. MARIES CITY PARK, JamShack
THE GOODY BAR AND GRILL, Midnight Open Mic
J TRUE LEGENDS GRILL, Gil Rivas
For two decades, Ohio’s Blueprint built up a sterling reputation in the Midwest’s underground hip-hop scene as a rapper and producer with a smooth talk-ish flow, calm vibe beats and introspective lyrics about the state of the world, the machinations of the rap game and more. When the COVID pandemic hit, Blueprint essentially dropped off the radar entirely (like so many other musical artists). He got a “regular” job, and fans figured they might’ve seen the last of the thoughtful MC. But Vessel, the rapper’s brand new album, is a declaration that Blueprint still has that hip-hop fire within him. Spokanites can be part of Blueprint’s comeback plan by checking him out at the Chameleon’s Jaguar Room.
— SETH SOMMERFELD
Blueprint, Jaeda • Fri, Aug. 22 at 8 pm • $15-$20 • All ages • Jaguar Room at The Chameleon • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • chameleonspokane.com
With so many new artists a mere click of our fingertips away, it can actually be more of a struggle now to find those diamonds in the rough, those hidden treasures. So why not go literal with the hidden TREASVRE. The San Francisco band’s dark-to-the-point-of-gothic brand of post-rock still keeps a melodic underpinning in large part to harmonic vocal interplay between Sabrina Simonton and Samantha Peña. Sounding sinister, synthy, catchy, industrial and rocking isn’t an easy blend, but TREASVRE pulls it off on the band’s freshly released debut LP, Kintsugi. You don’t even need a map with an X to find this TREASVRE, just head to The Big Dipper when the band comes to town.
— SETH SOMMERFELD
TREASVRE, Cruel Velvet, Accordt • Tue, Aug. 26 at 7:30 pm • $15 • All ages • The Big Dipper • 171 S. Washington St. • thebigdipperspokane.com
TRVST, Conobo ZOLA, Tired People Abroad
Saturday, 8/23
J THE BIG DIPPER, Squid Pisser, Spøøky, Lich, Weeping Slit
J BLACK LODGE BREWING, Chapter 13, Trash Planet, Dissonance
J BRICK WEST BREWING CO., Kyle Richard & Friends
J THE CHAMELEON, LABOOBOO WUVS YEW
EATS ON SPOKANE STREET, Prairie Fire Duo
J HAMILTON STUDIO, Love Dean
J INDABA FLAGSHIP CAFÉ, Rosethrow & Spro
JOHN’S ALLEY, Deal
J J KNITTING FACTORY, Emo Nite
LIVE AT ANDRE’S, Steve Everett, Mike Metz
MIKE’S BAR & GRILL, Slap Shot
NEATO BURRITO, La Cha-Cha NOAH’S CANTEEN, Just Plain Darin
The Great Outdoors Comedy Festival breaks away from typical convention (stuffy bars and slightly overheated venues) to deliver comedy in a more pleasant setting: the outdoors. In five Canadian cities — and one U.S.: Spokane — the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival takes the “festival” part to a next level. Joining headliners Fortune Feimster (above) and Derrick Stroup, Bert Kreischer brings his often shirtless, acclaimed comedy to ONE Spokane Stadium. Kreischer boasts four Netflix comedy specials and a successful podcast career. Feimster, hailing from North Carolina, interrogates Southern culture, relationships and sexuality through comedy and storytelling. Alongside these two comedy legends is Derrick Stroup, a stand-up comedian and self-proclaimed “Waffle House enthusiast.”
— ELLIS BENSON
Great Outdoors Comedy Festival • Sat, Aug. 23 from 6:30-11 pm • $67-$244 • ONE Spokane Stadium • 501 W. Gardner Ave. • greatoutdoorscomedyfestival.com
WORDS GATHER ’ROUND
Aimee Brooks took on an artist residency at The Hive (Spokane Public Library’s nontraditional library branch) in fall 2024 and shortly thereafter received a SAGA grant to fund her project Spokane Campfire Stories, an anthology full of gritty stories worthy of being told around the warm flames of a campfire beneath towering evergreen trees. To celebrate the book’s release, Brooks and a few of the other 23 writers involved are hosting a launch party around the Lawrence Rist Memorial Fireplace in Manito Park (near 19th Avenue and Browne Street). Come prepared with a blanket to sit on and hear tall tales read by the authors themselves. Also play campstyle games and even eat a s’more or two… or three… or four…
—
MADISON PEARSON
Spokane Campfire Stories Launch Party • Fri, Aug. 22 from 7-8:30 pm • Free • Manito Park • 1702 S. Grand Blvd. • spokanelibrary.org
COMMUNITY HILLY-ART
There’s no need to bring your own paintbrush to experience a slice of the arts scene when Spokane’s Hillyard Historic Business District transforms neighborhood shops into pop-up galleries featuring local artists and creators. This walkable event is organized in cooperation with business owners and the community to support and uplift creatives. There will also be live music from local musicians, along with nationally recognized performers like Joanna Serenko from NBC’s The Voice at Hillyard Heritage Museum Park. If all the art and music is inspiring, there are plenty of opportunities for attendees to express their own creativity through painting and craft activities. Help uplift one of Spokane’s most historic neighborhoods at this new event happening every third Thursday of the month.
— MARTA SZYMANSKA
Hillyard Art Walk • Thu, Aug 21 from 4-8 pm • Free • Hillyard • hillyardspokane.org/artwalk
GET LISTED!
Submit events online at Inlander.com/getlisted or email relevant details to getlisted@inlander.com. We need the details one week prior to our publication date.
COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER
Co-hosted by Spokane Zero Waste and Rogue Heart Media with support from the North Monroe Business District and Manzanita House, this family-friendly drop-in event at the Afghan Halal Market is aiming to show how a big community impact goes hand in hand with a tiny environmental footprint. Alongside complimentary tea and snacks, henna tattooing, outreach booths and hands-on activities for all ages, five sewists from Spokane Zero Waste’s ReCraft Lab will be upcycling materials into crosswalk flags for safer pedestrian crossings in the district. Meanwhile, local artist Mallory Battista guides the creation of a new street-facing community mural. It’ll also be a convenient opportunity to check out the market’s recently opened restaurant with authentic Afghani fare like kebabs and dumplings.
— E.J. IANNELLI
Cultural Connections Block Party • Sat, Aug. 23 from 11 am-3 pm • Free • Afghan Halal Market & Restaurant • 3004 N. Monroe St. • meetonmonroe.com • spokanezerowaste.org
VISUAL ARTS HEADS UP!
Tilt your head just a little to the left … eyes up … there! Pose for the Heads Up Portrait Club and receive a personalized drawing of yourself. The local social arts group meets every-other Saturday at the Terrain Gallery, so they’ve had a lot of practice capturing likeness. During this pop-up event at the MAC’s monthly After Hours event, in addition to paying half-priced admission ($4.50-$7.50) to the museum, attendees can make a donation to the International Rescue Committee, a nonprofit that works across 40 countries to provide health care, education and other support to help communities achieve self-reliance. By doing so, you can get a fun portrait of yourself drawn by a talented local artist in the MAC’s create space. So get your biggest smile ready and practice holding that pose just like… that!
Squatch Sez:
Heads Up Portrait Club Pop-Up
By donation
— BEE REISWIG
Wed, Aug. 27 from 5-8 pm
Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture
Local Brand, Global Reach
No-Li’s international flair fits right into Spokane’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Zone
Next year, the FIFA World Cup — one of the biggest and most anticipated events in international sports — is coming to the United States for the rst time in three decades. And Spokane is getting in on the action as one of only nine locations across Washington state selected to host a Fan Zone during the event.
e Fan Zone promises to bring spectators, athletes and die-hard soccer fans together to enjoy all the thrills and upsets as 48 national soccer teams from around the world vie for the coveted top spot. It’s a chance that only comes once every four years.
“ is is Spokane’s moment to rally around the global game, and we couldn’t be more excited to create a space that celebrates sport, culture and community right here at home,” says Ashley Blake, the CEO of Spokane Sports.
Of course, even as a midsize city, Spokane is no stranger to the international stage. Just think Expo ’74. But operating on a global level doesn’t just mean hosting events. By winning recognition for award-winning craft beer, local icons like NoLi have been putting Spokane on the world map for years.
“Our brand is more international than most people realize,” says No-Li owner John Bryant. “When we started in 2012, we were one of the early innovators in the Brewers Association Export Development Program. Part of that program is that you get to be involved with brokers or connections to sell beer around the world.”
SQUATCH SEZ!
No-Li already has big plans for its Bier Hall when the FIFA World Cup 2026 is stateside. If you’ve watched soccer — sorry, football — shows like Apple TV’s Ted Lasso or FX’s Welcome to Wrexham, you might find a familiar European-themed pub scene when you enter the Bier Hall in June and July next year. It’s a way of bringing some international flair to the heart of Spokane’s Fan Zone.
at’s why you just might come across NoLi’s beers being sold in countries like Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.
Another advantage of the Export Development Program is that brewers can enter their beers in international competitions. And those competitions are where No-Li has racked up more than 205 honors, earning Spokane a reputation as a craft beer hotspot. In fact, for four years running, No-Li has been the North American brewery with the most international wins.
Just like the FIFA World Cup’s presence will bene t cities all over Canada, the United States and Mexico, No-Li’s international honors are spreading the kudos around. e brewery’s collab with Eastern Washington University, a double Belgian ale named E Dubbel U in honor of the EWU Eagle mascot, earned both parties a joint international bronze brewing medal at the Asia International Beer Competition in 2023.
And in nding ways to tie into and enhance the FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Zone, No-Li is hoping to bring more attention to the city’s hometown soccer teams, Spokane Velocity FC and Spokane Zephyr FC.
Blake is excited to see such strong community support in building that fan base.
“ e brand that No-Li has built and the international reach they have certainly lends to the work that we’re doing to put Spokane on the map for sports tourism,” she says.
I SAW YOU
FOUND PURSE AT CHIMNEY TRAILHEAD
Sunday, Aug 10th. You were at the Chimney Rock trailhead with your family (two UTVs) going to play in the creek, and we were scouting the parking. You and my husband found a brown purse. We chatted regarding the best course of action, and in the end we put it in our vehicle for safety. It turns out the lady who “lost” it was the truck parked behind where we parked. We recognized her when we ran into her on the trail. All was safely returned to her, and it was a great way to end the day. Thanks, Jarad (?) for wanting to help with getting it back to her. I hope you read this!
PETER THE HORSE IS HERE.... I work at a big chain retail store and you came in on a sunday the 10th. You were wearing a peter griffin as miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball. I said I liked you shirt and then I saw your phone background and I said I liked your background too. You left the store but then you came back and left again. I really loved your aura and if you think this is you come back to the store from 11 to 3 on the weekends and ask for my number <3
YOUR SMILE MADE MY DAY What is this for?
CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU! I’m getting excited! I have seen the buses and now I’ve seen the commercials for the STA’s new double decker buses. Riding on the upper level in the front row on the freeway!? It’s going to be like riding a magic carpet. I hope there is a bridge to pass under somewhere on it’s route. I can hardly contain myself.
When I heard there were seven buses my very first thought was, The Magnificent Seven. They should have vanity plates of MAG 1 thru MAG 7. September is so close, yet SO FAR! I can wait but it will be hard.
CAPN PATTY You commented on my atmosphere tattoos, which is rare. You were at work or I woulda shot my shot (?) Anyways, there’s worlds definitely bitter, but you seem like cool soul! Let me know if you see this, otherwise I might be more courageous next time.
YOU SAW ME
FROM BEHIND A FAKE SHRUBBERY Dear Random Guy, I am so sorry I was rude to you. I’m writing to tell you that my rudeness was not about you at all. I have PTSD, and I’m most likely to have the worst flashbacks when I first wake up, if I’ve had nightmares all night. This was the case when you walked down my street, in the Garland area Wednesday morning. You stopped in the middle of the street, stared at me (I think, my eyes aren’t great) then you whistled to get my attention. I stared back, frozen, and I began panicking. I ducked down behind a fake shrubbery and pretended we were both invisible and nobody had whistled and nobody else had ducked behind a shrubbery like a complete weirdo. I feel bad for possibly hurting your feelings. I hope I didn’t ruin your day with my wacky mental illness and interesting social skills. It wasn’t about you, promise.
CHEERS
CHEERS TO THE CHEER-ER Thank you to the cheer-er who leaned upon our community to find more magic and beauty in our lives and connections with others and report it back. There is something every day to marvel at, be thankful for, to pay forward. Today I am thankful for you, to challenge graciousness. I like to think I surround myself with the yous of this world, and I can’t wait to bask in the glow of thankfulness together sometime.
AH, SPOKANE, CHEERS! To the warmth of a summer day. To the trees of the Westside, to the mountains of the North, to the sprawling fields and prairies to the South, and to the changing times to the East. If we all just stop and look around, we live in a great place... let’s keep it that way for all.
RE: IN MY DREAMS Your birthday is coming
up. 8-28. I’ll be thinking of you. You say you hate me but I can tell you that I don’t. Happy Birthday, I hope it’s everything you wanted.
HUMANITY To all the amazing people of Spokane who showed me and the world there still is humanity and are against the genocide in Palestine, thank you from the bottom of my heart. For almost 2 years so many have been
silent, seeing you all the evening of 8/13 in downtown brought so much joy to my heart. I cry multiple times a day because I feel so powerless to end the death and destruction. You all give me so much hope that we have not completely failed our fellow humans. We are better than this, we will not stop telling the truth, all oppressed people WILL be FREE of the insanity and control of the greedy. Much love and respect to you all. Free free free Palestine!
RE: DARK CLOTHES, HOT DAYS You don’t like my black T-shirt and black jeans because you’d most certainly rather see me walking down the street in my white T-shirt and white jeans in the middle of summer? Of course you would, darling(!), but I have ZERO interest in soaking them in the sink, wringing them out, and wearing them commando walking around town! There’s a reason why white T-shirts are worn for wet T-shirt contests! Thank you for your concern, but rest assured that although I am indeed hot I am most certainly NOT, as you say, “roasting my ass off” in the middle of summer.
LONESOME DOVE To the girl who came into my work and encouraged me to read “Lonesome Dove” a couple months back – I want to thank you for the recommendation. It was a remarkable book and I can’t wait to read more McMurtry. I no longer work at that store, otherwise I’d wait for you to come in again and tell you in person –hopefully this finds you, and I hope you enjoyed The Fifth Child, if you ever got around to it. Uva uvam vivendo varia fit.
JEERS
RE: DARK CLOTHES KAREN I don’t apologize for wearing dark colored clothing in hot
and sunny days, I don’t apologize that it inconveniences you to see my fashion choices, maybe find a hobby. P.S. my touqe feels fine in 90°F, b***h.
ROAD CONSTRUCTION So, let me get this straight. First, you decide to close many of the major roads in Spokane or at least reduce them to one lane. For example,
Greene Street/Market Street northbound is closed entirely so that drivers have to find another northbound street to get to the north side of the river. Then, after you close the road, you don’t work on it. Rather, you go on strike? Hmm. Sounds like a great way to really get Spokane drivers to sympathize with you. Spokane: near nature. near people who find any excuse not to work. Lazy.
WEAR BLACK Jeers to the weirdo who must not work in the service industry and just had to whine about people (gasp!) wearing black in the summertime. People who aren’t you need to do errands after work and I’m not driving home to put on a green shirt.
CAR HONKING Dear people with the stupid cars that honk their horns when they lock their vehicle, grow a brain! When you’re in a public parking lot and someone walks in front of your vehicle, do you really have to remotely lock your car and activate the horn? Do you not know how to do that without activating the horn? Do you not know how to lower the volume of your horn? While it’s true that the vehicle companies that design them that way are idiotic, you are just as much so for honking people when they walk in front of your vehicle. It’s alarming. So, don’t be surprised if you find a rock through your windshield, a%%hole!
TEN YEARS LATER… For 10 years I’ve had time to reflect on everything you’ve done to us. It’s unfortunate that the kids journey to this point was marred by your constant need to control and manipulate. You managed to twist the truth, steal precious time, and all for what? To satisfy your own narcissistic cravings. I hope it was worth it because you’ve shown them exactly what not to be. As for your husband, I suppose it takes a special kind of coward to stand by while you
rewrite history to suit your narrative. But then again, maybe he’s just as comfortable living in your web of deceit as you are spinning it. So, congratulations. You got what you wanted — control over a life that’s as empty as the lies you told to get here.
RE DARK CLOTHES HOT DAYS Why yes, I realize how hot it is to wear all-black clothes and a black hijab in 90-degree weather. I was doing so during a period of mourning. Next time, mind your own business.
WHERE DID IT GO WRONG?
• Marines in L.A. • National Guard in D.C.
• Stalemate Congress • ICE Thugs • Lying Chief (Google it) • Pedophile in camp
• Sucky politicians • Coverups I DON’T RECOGNIZE THE U.S.A. ANY MORE...
YOU COULD SAVE A LIFE Just obey the traffic laws. 90% of the traffic accidents are caused by people not obeying the law. Thousands of people are killed or injured in this country every year. The #1 offender is people using their stupid smartphone. There is nothing on your phone that is worth killing someone or yourself. I know it is possible; I have been driving for 55 years and have never caused an accident. Be smart!
THEN THE CHRISTIAN NATIONALISTS CAME FOR WOMEN’S AUTONOMY IN THE PHARMACY… Last week, a big-box retailer caved to pressure by rightwing Catholics/ Christians who are organized by Alliance Defending Freedom Legal (ADF Legal), a conservative Christian legal group which famously opposes reproductive rights for pregnant Americans as well as LGBTQ+ rights. ADFLegal is also a Project 2025 advisor. By promising it would never stock a legal & safe medication prescribed only to women, it re-defined its DEI commitment: diversity, equity and inclusion are reserved for everybody but women of child-bearing age. Anybody there heard of Martin Niemöller? Freedom is lost one exclusion and one shrug at a time. n
EVENTS | CALENDAR
BENEFIT
BLUEGRASS & BREWS A fundraiser for Spokane Area Jewish Family Services featuring live music, food, drinks and a silent auction. Aug. 21, 5:30-8 pm. $72-$108. The Grain Shed, 1026 N. Newark Ave. sajfs.org (509-413-8254)
SPOKANE SOUTH ROTARY BARN
DANCE A family-friendly event featuring live country music, dancing, food and drinks and a silent auction. All proceeds from ticket sales and auction items directly support programs benefiting Spokane-area children and youth. Aug. 22, 4-9 pm. $20. Big Barn Brewing Co., 16004 N. Applewood Ln. facebook.com/SpokaneSouthRotary
MUTUAL AID BENEFIT CONCERT A benefit concert for Mutual Aid Survival Squad featuring Green Warriors, DINK and Elaine’s Gun. Aug. 22, 9 pm. $5-$10. Berserk, 125 S. Stevens St. instagram.com/mutualaidsurvivalsquad
GIZMO GOES BOWLISTIC This second annual fundraiser features local artists and potters selling handmade bowls to eat ice cream out of. Proceeds benefit Gizmo CDA. Aug. 23, 2-5 pm. Free/$20 per bowl. Gizmo-CDA, 283 N. Hubbard Ave. Suite 102. gizmo-cda.org
BACK TO SCHOOL BRUNCH FUNDRAISER Support local families and kids by donating school supplies. The event also features live music and food. Aug. 24, 7 am-2 pm. By donation. Eats on Spokane Street, 106 N. Spokane St. eatsonspokanest.com (208-754-7766)
BLITZ & BLUNDERS ANNIVERSARY
BENEFIT A community chess event featuring a free casual game and a mini tournament with prizes. Proceeds benefit free Monday chess nights around Spokane by Blitz & Blunders and Spark Central. Aug. 24, 4-8 pm. Free. Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. spark-central.org (509-279-0299)
COMEDY
GREAT OUTDOORS COMEDY FESTIVAL A weekend of comedy performances from local, regional and national comics. Lineup includes Bert Kreischer, Fortune Feimster, Derrick Stroup and more. Aug. 22-23, daily from 7:30-9 pm. $80-$425. ONE Spokane Stadium, 501 W. Gardner Ave. greatoutdoorscomedyfestival.com
WILLIAM MONTGOMERY William Montgomery is the Kill Tony podcast’s longest running regular. Aug. 22-23, 7 & 9:45 pm. $37-$47. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)
EXPEDITION A family-friendly improv show featuring the Blue Door Theatre players playing a variety of improv games with audience suggestions. Every Saturday at 7:30 pm. $9. Blue Door Theatre, 319 S. Cedar St. bluedoortheatre.org (509-747-7045)
JORDAN JENSEN Jordan Jensen is a stand-up comedian who hosts the podcast RIP Jordan Jensen and cohosts the Bein’ Ian with Jordan podcast. Aug. 29-30, 7 & 9:45 pm. $27$37. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com
COMMUNITY
COFFEE IN THE GARDEN An event highlighting a new creative each week including demonstrations, activities
and refreshments. Artists include Shaun Deller, Lynn Walters, Bill Moore, Linda Cassella and more. Thursdays from 10 am-noon. Free. Create Arts Center, 900 Fourth St. createarts.org FIRE: REBIRTH AND RESILIENCE An exhibition exploring the catastrophic 1889 fire that destroyed more of Spokane’s downtown core. The exhibit features information on historic and contemporary fires, illustrating how destruction is a catalyst for rebirth and resilience. Tue-Sun from 11 am-5 pm through Sep. 28. $9-$15. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org
NORTH IDAHO STATE FAIR This year’s fair theme is “Keeping Tradition Alive”, it features a variety of family-friendly entertainment and attractions. Daily through Aug. 24. $9-$52. Kootenai County Fairgrounds, 4056 N. Government Way. nisfair.fun (208-765-4969)
THE QUILTING BEE’S ANNUAL SIDEWALK SALE A three-day sale of notions, publications, fabric, sewing machines and quilting supplies. Aug. 21-23; daily, times vary. The Quilting Bee, 16002 E. Broadway Ave. quiltingbeespokane.com (509-928-6037)
SHIBARI AND FLOW: EDM NIGHT A night of shibari performances from local talent and enter to win door prizes. Aug. 21, 7 pm. $35. The Chameleon, 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. chameleonspokane.com
MILLWOOD DAZE An annual community celebration featuring a car show, a street fair, a 5k, pancake breakfast and a parade. Aug. 23, 9 am-3 pm. Free. Bottles, 3223 N. Argonne Rd. millwooddaze.millwoodnow.org
SUMMERFEST A monthlong festival featuring food trucks, a car show, youth seminars, raffles, games, giveaways and more. See website for full schedule. Aug. 23-Sept. 27; daily from 6:30-9 pm. Free. Old Trolley Barn, 3038 E. Trent Ave. oldtrolleybarn.com
AIRWAY HEIGHTS DAYS A day-long community event featuring cornhole tournaments, watermelon races, a car show, live entertainment, kids activities and more. Aug. 23. Free. Sunset Park, 924 S. Lawson St. airwayheightsparksandrec.org (509-244-4845)
CULTURAL CONNECTIONS BLOCK
PARTY A collaborative event featuring community nonprofits and businesses. The event features cultural treats, crafts, info tables, cultural exchange activities such as henna and an opportunity to help create a new mural. Aug. 23, 11 am-3 pm. Free. Afghani Grocery Store- Halal Market, 3004 N. Monroe St. facebook.com/share/1CUuajV6w2
SIP AND SHOP VENDOR & ART FAIR
A vendor and art fair featuring local artisans, employee art, drop-in art activities and a beer and wine garden. Aug. 24, 11 am-5 pm. Free. Pinot’s Palette Spokane, 1919 E. Sprague Ave. pinotspalette.com (509-530-1334)
TREASURER Q&A WITH MIKE VOLZ
Join Mike Volz for a question and answer session where he will answer property tax questions and talk about how the government works. Aug. 26, 6-7 pm. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne. spokanecounty.gov
SOAP MAKING Explore the process of making bar soap and the science behind the craft. Aug. 27, 6-8 pm. $56. Spokane Art School, 503 E. Second Ave., Ste. B. spokaneartschool.net
EVENTS | CALENDAR
THE WALL THAT HEALS A 3/4 scale traveling replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. An opening ceremony will be held on Aug. 28 at 9:30 am with Taps playing daily at sunset and a closing ceremony on Aug. 31 at 1:45 pm. Tours available daily. Aug. 27-31, daily. Free. Dwight Merkel Sports Complex, 5701 N. Assembly. thewallthathealsspokane.com
COASTER CLASSIC CAR SHOW A classic car show featuring rides from across the Inland Northwest. Aug. 30-31. Free. Silverwood Theme Park, 27843 U.S. 95. silverwoodthemepark.com
FILM
SUMMER FLICKS: THE MUMMY At an archaeological dig in the ancient city of Hamunaptra, an American serving in the French Foreign Legion accidentally awakens a mummy who begins to wreak havoc as he searches for the reincarnation of his long-lost love. Aug. 21, 7-9 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)
SUMMER MOVIES IN THE PARK A screening of Home in Colfax’s Schmuck Park. Third Thurs. of every month, 8 pm through Aug. 21. Free. Colfax, Wash. explorecolfaxwa.com
MOVIE-IN-THE-PARK SUMMER FINALE: WILD ROBOT A showing of Wild Robot to end the city of Hayden’s summer movie in the park series. Concessions including popcorn are available for purchase. Aug. 22, 8-10 pm. Free. McIntire Family Park, 8930 N. Government Way. cityofhaydenid.us (208-209-1080)
MOVIES IN THE PARK: INSIDE OUT 2 A screening of Inside Out 2 in Pavilion Park. Movie starts at dusk. Aug. 23. Free. Pavillion Park, 727 N. Molter Road. libertylakewa.gov (509-755-6726)
CINEMA CLASSICS: THE GRADUATE Benjamin Braddock has just finished college and is already lost in a sea of confusion and barely contained angst when he becomes sexually involved with a friend of his parents’, before turning his attention to her college-age daughter. Aug. 24, 4-6 pm. $8. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)
STAGE TO SCREEN: DR. STRANGELOVE A stage adaptation of the 1964 Cold War comedy by Stanley Kubrick. Featuring Steve Coogan and adapted by Armando Iannucci and Sean Foley. Aug. 24, 2-4:30 pm. $20. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO Schoolgirl Satsuke and her younger sister, Mei, settle into an old country house with their father and wait for their mother to recover from an illness in an area hospital. Aug. 26, 7-8:30 pm. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-885-7110)
MOONLIT MOVIES: GREASE A screening of Grease under the stars. Film begins at sunset. Aug. 27. Free. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. commellini.com
FOOD & DRINK
SUNSET DINNER CRUISES A buffet featuring baked salmon, roasted beef, summer salads and more. Cruise length is two hours. Daily at 7:30 pm through Sept. 1, 7:30 pm. $57-$84. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdacruises.com
CANVASBACK WINE DINNER Nectar Catering and Events and Canvasback winery rep Karri Norton presents five
courses paired with five Canvasback wines. Aug. 22, 7-10 pm. $90. Fête - A Nectar Co, 120 N. Stevens St. nectarcateringandevents.com (509-951-2096)
RIDE & DINE SERIES Enjoy a scenic gondola ride, live music and a barbecue meal. Fri from 3-7:30 pm through Aug. 29. $9-$46. Silver Mountain Resort, 610 Bunker Ave. silvermt.com (208-783-1111)
AFTERNOON TEA A celebration of culinary artistry and the finest teas, curated to provide a sensory journey for guests and inspired by Spokane’s nickname, the Lilac City. Every Saturday and Sunday from 1-3 pm. 1-3 pm. $54-$64. Historic Davenport Hotel, 10 S. Post St. davenporthotelcollection.com (800-899-1482)
THE DINNER DETECTIVE TRUE CRIME MURDER MYSTERY DINNER SHOW
Solve a hilarious true crime murder mystery while you eat a catered dinner. Aug. 23, 6-9 pm. $83. Ruby River Hotel, 700 N. Division St. thedinnerdetective.com
GARLIC FAIRE This annual festival celebrates all things garlic with garlic-infused foods to sample, an artist fair, live music and wine tastings throughout the day. Aug. 23, 12-5 pm. $10. China Bend Winery, 3751 Vineyard Way. chinabend.com
HIGH COUNTRY CIDER FEST 2025 A cider fest with eight ciders on tap, live music from Joel Brantley, local vendrs, food and more. Aug. 23, 12-6 pm. Free. High Country Cider, 13760 N. Reflection Road. highcountrycider.com (208-215 9997)
WASHINGTON WINE POP UP TASTING
Ten wineries pour three of their favorite Washington wines. Each ticket holder will get to enjoy the tastings and a grazing table provided by Nectar Catering and Events. Aug. 23, 12-4 pm. $30. Fête - A Nectar Co, 120 N. Stevens St. nectarcateringandevents.com (509-951-2096)
PIG OUT IN THE PARK A food and music festival with over 60 food booths, 35 public market booths and 130 free concerts. Aug. 28-Sept. 1, daily from 11 am-10 pm. Riverfront Park, 507 N. Howard St. pigoutinthepark.com (509-625-6600)
FALL FEST 2025 Try more than 80 beers, ciders and seltzers from regional breweries and shop from local artisans and food trucks. Aug. 29-Sept. 1. Schweitzer, 10,000 Schweitzer Mountain Road. schweitzer.com (208-263-9555)
MUSIC
CAMPFIRE CONFESSIONS SONGWRITER SHOWCASE Experience an evening of all original music from four local singersongwriters: Austin Davis, Mel Dalton, Pamela Jean and Rusty Jackson. Aug. 29, 6-10 pm. Free. The Social Spokane, 6413 E. Trent Ave. instagram.com/thesocialbarspokane (509-703-7565)
DAVID LARSEN David Larsen performs jazz selections. Aug. 29, 7 pm. The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St. thejacklincenter.org (208-457-8950)
LUD KRAMER MEMORIAL CONCERT The Spokane Symphony plays iconic classics and crowd favorites by the lake on Labor Day. Aug. 30, 6 pm. Free. Pavillion Park, 727 N. Molter Rd. foxtheaterspokane.org
SPORTS & OUTDOORS
FLY TYING FOR BEGINNERS Create colorful, unique fly-fishing flies with your hands and a bit of this and that, while learning the basics of this time-honored art and making something irresistible to
fish. Aug. 21, 4-6 pm. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne. scld.org RIVERFRONT MOVES: ACRO YOGA A merging of communication and movement with a partner. Work together to find balance and breath while navigating your bodies in space. Aug. 21, 6-7 pm. Free. Spokane Pavilion, 574 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org (509-625-6000)
NIC COLOR FUN RUN An untimed, family-friendly run featuring live music, food trucks, and plenty of color along the way. Aug. 23, 1-4 pm. $20. North Idaho College, 1000 W. Garden Ave. nic.edu/ fun-run (208-769-3300)
MASTER GARDENER WATERWISE DEMONSTRATION GARDEN TOUR Tour the WSU Extension Spokane County Master Gardener Waterwise Demonstration Garden that showcases SpokaneScape principles to help reduce water use in home landscapes. Aug. 23, 9-10 am. Free. WSU Spokane County Extension, 222 N. Havana St. spokanecounty.gov
PLANT CLINIC WITH WSU SPOKANE COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS Get advice from WSU Spokane County Master Gardeners about plant selection, maintenance, environmentally friendly practices, pest management, effective landscaping practices and more. Aug. 23, 11 am-3 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org
RIVERFRONT MOVES: BARRE3 SIGNATURE An efficient barre workout combining strength, cardio and mindfulness. Instructed by Barre3. Aug. 23, 10-11 am. Free. Spokane Pavilion, 574 N. Howard St. riverfrontspokane.org (509-625-6000)
RUN THE NIGHT GLOW RUN 5K An illuminated 5k glow run with a foam after party. Aug. 23, 5-10 pm. $40. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. runthenight5k.com
CHARLIE’S RUN This run honors Charlie Reed who was an avid runner and organizer of the Run Perry Run Club until his death in 2024. Walk, jog or run three miles then enjoy a beer garden and other activities. Aug. 26, 6 pm. Free. South Perry Lantern, 1004 S. Perry St. lanternspokane.com (509-473-9098)
CITIZEN SCIENCE Stop by and visit the library’s mobile science center at Pine Street Woods. Field guides, microscopes, and binoculars are available to explore the wild ecosystem in your backyard. Collect data and report back to the science center which will help Kaniksu Land Trust gauge the health of the Pine Street Woods. Every other Wed from 10 am-1 pm through Aug. 27. Free. Pine Street Woods, 11915 W. Pine. ebonnerlibrary.org
PILATES & PROSECCO Unwind with a one-hour mat pilates session led by Kenzie from The Pilates Ritual. After your workout, mingle and relax during an all-inclusive cocktail hour featuring a curated selection of wellness drinks, handcrafted cocktails and prosecco. Aug. 28, 7-8:30 pm. $40. House of Brunch, 818 W. Riverside Ave. thehouseofbrunch.com
THEATER & DANCE
ANNIE With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s hearts despite a next-tonothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find the parents who gave her up as a child. Wed-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sat-Sun at 1:30 pm. through Aug. 25. $30. Regional Theatre of the Palouse, 122 N. Grand Ave. rtoptheatre.org
LINE DANCE A weekly exercise class designed for all ages and fitness levels, offering a fun and welcoming atmosphere. Presented by the Filipino American Association of the Inland Empire. 10:30-11:30 am. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org
IRISH CEILI DANCING Experience Irish culture through traditional social dancing and music. All ages, levels and abilities are welcome. Aug. 24, 2:30-3:30 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
SPOKANE FOLKLORE SOCIETY CONTRA DANCE A community dance starting with a beginner workshop 15 minutes before each dance. No partner needed. Every Wednesday at 7:15 pm. 7:15 pm. $7-$10. Woman’s Club of Spokane, 1428 W. Ninth. spokanefolklore.org
VISUAL ARTS
ANISH KAPOOR: DISSOLVING MARGINS A showcase of Anish Kapoor’s four-decade-long printmaking practice. Known for sculptural works like Cloud Gate, Kapoor’s prints are heavily pigmented and evoke a sense of awe. TueSat from 10 am-4 pm through March 14. Free. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson. museum.wsu.edu
ART FEST An art show and sale hosted by the Jacklin Center featuring local artists and vendors. Daily through Aug. 23. Free. The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. William St. thejacklinecenter.org
COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES This exhibit examines the ways artists have used color to question institutions, beliefs and expectations. Artists include Derrick Adams, Polly Apfelbaum, Antonius-Tín Bui, Iván Carmona Lauren Hana Chai, Caitlin Cherry, Sam Gilliam, Andy Warhol and more. Tue-Sat from 10 am-4 pm through March 14. Free. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU, 1535 NE Wilson Rd. museum. wsu.edu (509-335-1910)
EMILY SOMOSKEY: CONSTANTS Drawing inspiration from physics diagrams and elements of everyday life, the works transform abstract equations and scientific notations into layered visual narratives, bridging the empirical with the intuitive. Thu-Sat from 4-7 pm through Aug. 30. Free. Terrain Gallery, 628 N. Monroe St. terrainspokane.com
HILLYARD ART WALK Wander the historic Market Street Corridor to explore pop-up art galleries in neighborhood shops, live music, historic spaces, and hands-on art activities. Every third Thursday from 4-7pm. Free. Hillyard. hillyardspokane.org/artwalk
MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE PRINTS A display from the museum’s permanent collection featuring a selection of thirty mid- to late 20th century Japanese prints. Mon-Sat from 10 am-4 pm through Aug. 30. Free. Jundt Art Museum, 200 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu/jundt (509-313-6843)
TESA KAWAKAMI: WHAT IF YOU STAY Artwork from Seattle-based artist Tesla Kawakami whose oil paintings xplore themes of nostalgia, destruction, identity and transformation. Mon-Fri from 8 am-5 pm through Aug. 29. Free. Chase Gallery, 808 W. Spokane Falls. spokanearts.com
TRACKSIDE ANNUAL STUDIO SALE Everything in Trackside Studio is marked down 10% with many featured items marked down as much as 50%. Wed-Fri from 11 am-5 pm through Aug. 30. Trackside Studio, 115 S. Adams St. tracksidestudio.net (509-863-9904)
CELEBRATING THE SOUL OF BLUES
Nicholas Sironka displays vibrant acrylic paintings of blues musicians. Live music by John and Monique Dingledein and works by Bob Lloyd, John Thamm, Rick Davis, Roch Fautch. Fri from 1-7 pm and Sat 1-4 pm by appointment. Free. Shotgun Studios, 1625 W. Water Ave. ShotgunStudiosSpokane.com
ART AND GLASS FESTIVAL Over 60 local artists display their art and handmade goods. Bring your own food or dine in, enjoy wine from Arbor Crest. Aug. 23-24, 11 am-5 pm. Free. Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. arborcrest.com
INTRODUCTION TO SCRATCHBOARD
ART Try your hand at scratchboard art, the process of using a sharp utensil like a craft blade to scratch, or scrape, the ink from black scratchboard paper to reveal the white underneath, from artist-in-residence Missy Narrance. Aug. 25, 5:30-7:30 pm. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY PAINTING In this class, learn basic painting techniques and apply them to a canvas by working together and alone to start a painting that will be added to by community members. Aug. 27, 5-7 pm. Free. North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Rd. scld.org
HEADS UP PORTRAIT CLUB POP-UP
The Heads Up Portrait Club draws personal portraits in exchange for a donation to the International Rescue Committee. Aug. 27, 5-8 pm. By donation. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First. instagram.com/headsupportraitclub
WORDS
INSPIRATION IN THE ARCHIVES In this two-part workshop, find inspiration for creative writing in a personal artifact or a treasure from the library archive. Aug. 21, 6-8 pm. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spokanelibrary.org (509-444-5300)
BANANA SLUG BOOKS: SPOKANE CAMPFIRE STORIES Celebrate the launch of the Spokane Campfire Stories anthology with readings from contributors, s’mores and camp-style games. Aug. 22, 7-10 pm. Free. Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. bananaslugbooks.com
KAREN VIELLE: EVERYDAY WALKS
Karen Vielle discusses her new book Everyday Walks about things she notices on her daily walks and the micro seasons in the Inland Northwest. Aug. 24, 12-3 pm. Free. Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave. auntiesbooks.com (509-838-0206)
CLAIRE KINGSLEY: STORMS AND SECRETS Author Claire Kingsley discusses the next book in the Haven Brothers series, Storms and Secrets, signs books and hosts a Q&A session. Aug. 26, 6-7:30 pm. Free. The Well-Read Moose, 2048 N. Main. wellreadmoose.com
COLIN CONWAY: RUNNING AN INDIE
AUTHOR BUSINESS Indie author Colin Conway discusses the business of writing and self-publishing using stories from his own personal experience. Aug. 26, 5:306:30 pm. Free. Liberty Park Library, 402 S. Pittsburgh St. spokanelibrary.org
SCLD ONLINE AUTHORS SERIES: TASHA EURICH Learn how to master the daily grind and become shatterproof in a tumultuous world with key insights by Tasha Eurich as she talks about her newest book, Shatterproof: How to Thrive in a World of Constant Chaos (And why resilience alone isn’t enough). Aug. 28, 11 am. Free. Online. scld.org n
Thirst Quenchers
Stevens County family business Ray’s Lemonade is taking over the cannabis-infused beverage market
BY WILL MAUPIN
Ray’s Lemonade has been in the cannabis industry since Washington’s legal marketplace opened back in 2014. Brothers Dan and Ray Kinney got into the business like most others did, starting by growing flower at their Stevens County farm. Yet what began as a side project would eventually become the main thrust of their business.
“When we started the farm, the lemonade was kind of our desire to have a value-added product, and it was mostly a secondary product. For the first several years the lemonade was just kind of trucking along with a few dozen accounts, and we had a more limited set of flavors,” Ray Kinney says of his eponymous beverage.
Today, drinks are the company’s primary product.
“Rather than focusing on the grow, we focused on the lemonade,” Kinney says. “Do what you do best and do a lot of it.”
The lemonade he’s talking about comes in a 12-ounce bottle containing a total of 100 milligrams of THC, intended to be consumed in 10 mg single servings. Bottles sell for anywhere between $12 and $19 and can be found at dispensaries around the Spokane area using a handy map on Ray’s website, rayslemonade.com.
LOVE AND SCIENCE
What sets the company apart from competitors is its focus on methodically approaching every step of the product development process, which is led by a scientist.
“One of the things I think is our calling card is Dr. Geyang Wu [who] has created our own emulsion,” says Rodney Boast, chief of operations
at Ray’s. “We use an in-house emulsion to get the cannabis [oil] to mix with water. When you’re mixing oil and water, it’s a blend between art and science, and I think that Geyang has cracked the code.”
Wu isn’t an outside scientist — she’s an integral part of the team, and she’s married to Ray. The two met at Washington State University, where Kinney studied plant breeding and genetics, working with ancient grains; Wu was completing a Ph.D. in food science.
After graduating in 2016, Wu joined the Ray’s team full-time and the company’s focus began shifting from flower to beverages. She brought her scientific approach to product development.
“We want the cannabis beverage to provide good function to people, but most importantly it tastes good so people want to drink it,” Wu says.
Staff at Ray’s Lemonade serve as a tastetesting panel, giving input not only on flavor and smell, but other senses like vision, in terms of product color, and touch in relation to carbonation.
What was once just a side project with a few flavors now comes in over two dozen varieties — raspberry, mango, huckleberry, dragon fruit, pineapple and more — and is no longer limited to lemonade. In 2024, the company launched its Vice Cola brand, with 10 mg of THC per 12-ounce can.
Other infused beverage makers also now purchase the company’s proprietary emulsion for use in cannabis drinks.
“We have an amazing crew that works for us,” Kinney says. “They’re devoted to what we do and are growing with us as a company.” n
Ray Kinney knows there’s a lot of science behind infused bevs. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO
GREEN ZONE
BE AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and Senate Bill 5052). State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington state, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intoxicating effects; there may be health risks associated with its consumption, and it may be habit-forming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.
NOTE TO READERS
Be aware of the differences in the law between Idaho and Washington. It is illegal to possess, sell or transport cannabis in the State of Idaho. Possessing up to an ounce is a misdemeanor and can get you a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine; more than three ounces is a felony that can carry a five-year sentence and fine of up to $10,000. Transporting marijuana across state lines, like from Washington into Idaho, is a felony under federal law.
African Cuisine, Azar’s, Azar’s Fresh Pressed, Azar’s Deep Fried Haven, Azar’s Street Thai, Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs, Ben & Jerry’s, Berry-Ka-Bob, Best Buzz, Bibby’s Italian Sausage, Boba King, Character Cotton Candy, Charlie’s Cheese-Cake, The Churro Hut/Deep Fried Goodness, Cliff’s Southern Roasted Corn & Potatoes, Cliff’s Hand Dipped Corn Dogs, Dippin Dots, Elle’s Huckleberry, Footlong Corn Dogs, Gourmet Soul, Greek Flame Foods, Have Beans Will Travel, Hot Dogs Del Sur, J. J. Schnitzel, GT Gourmet Grill Cheese, Kettle Krazy, KONA Ice, The Lemonade Guy, Langostino Sushi Burrito/ Tornando Potato, Las Delicias De Isa, Las Chelaguas, Lonny Bill’s Hawaiian Shaved Ice, Le Mongolian Grill, Longhorn BBQ, Lylo’s Teriyaki, Mac Daddy’s, Makiel’s Lobster Rolls, Mary Lou’s Milk Bottle Desserts, NW Island Noodle, Old Fashion Kettle Corn, Oyster Bay, Philly Express/Deep Fried Cheese Curds, Philly Bros! Fry Guys!, Pigley’s BBQ, Pinas Coladas Acapulco Style, Porteus BBQ, Puget Sound BBQ, Puget Sound Pizza, Raspados del Sur/El Ceviche, Shishkaberry’s, Skewers, Stizzy’s Roasted Corn, Stizzy’s Sweet Tea and Lemonade/Stizzy Works, Sweet Snack Attack, Tacos Camargo, Taste of India, The Pancake Girl, Taqueria del Sur, Terriyaki Grill & Orange Chicken, Tin Lizzy Mini Donut and Deep-Fried Oreo Factory, Twisters Funnel Cakes, JW Corn Dogs
Sammy Eubanks, Too Slim & The Taildraggers, Tone Loc, Atomic Punks, BC/DC, Nu Jack City, Bobby Patterson Band, Victims of Love, Coyote Kings, Blues Beatles, Ak It’s Matik, Lex Love, T.S. The Solution, 2 Times, Savvy Saved, Alison Joy Williams & Indigo Edge, Cordell Drake, Nothing Shameful, Justyn Priest, Redline, Syndicate, Snacks at Midnight, Maney Axe, Baker Street Band, Fat Fox, Kozmik DreamZz, Master Class BB, Bay 7, Fire From Ashes, Nate Ostrander, Agents of Rock, Diego Romero, Tamarack Ridge Band, Pulling for Victory, Hassenpfefer, Sonic Groove, Kevin Shay Band, Barking Katz, Vertigo Bliss, Liam Russell, Jona Gallegos, Front Porch Rockers, Gil Rivas, Mad Moxie, Jason Evans, Max Malone, Headwaters, Meghan Sullivan, Doghouse Boyz, Redhawk and Good Trouble, Philosopher’s Daughter, Randy Campbell & The Woodpile, Kyle Richard, Rusty Jackson Trio, James Motley, Sasha Mae, Jeremiah Banks, Jim Elvidge, SideStep, Thirsty Boots, Jerry Rigged & the Humes, Blue Water, Strangers, Blue Canoe, 32 Flavors, Lyle Morse, Dave McCrae, Tabitha Smith, Howie King, Shaiden Hutchman, So You Know, Pamela Benton, Sydney Dale, Just Plain Darin, Ed Shaw, Retro Roger, Tim and Dave Olsen, Mike McCafferty, Daniel Hall, Mel Dalton, Dave Long, Jason Perry, Shawnna Nicholson, Pamela Jean, Austin Carruthers, Zack Pass, August to August, Micah Clay Lubben, Jorge Juarez, Patrick Piper
