Huge donation: Chateau Retirement residents, employees hand off more than $10,000 to Red Cross for Japan relief efforts

When Bothell Chateau Retirement residents gather for their regular discussion group, five-year resident Ray Gould said the topics range far and wide. "We often get together and talk about what's going on in the world, and surely the disaster in Japan is just awful," he said. "The people here are very caring, and thus came all the contributions." Chateau Retirement residents, employees and ownership contributed $10,025 collectively to support Red Cross relief efforts in Japan following the recent earthquake, tsunami and damage to nuclear reactors. Significant contributions came in from individual resident checks, employee payroll deductions and owner matching incentives.

By Andy Nystrom • April 20, 2011 2:54 pm
Bothell Chateau Retirement resident and president of the executive council Howard Scheinholz
Bothell Chateau Retirement resident and president of the executive council Howard Scheinholz

When Bothell Chateau Retirement residents gather for their regular discussion group, five-year resident Ray Gould said the topics range far and wide.

“We often get together and talk about what’s going on in the world, and surely the disaster in Japan is just awful,” he said. “The people here are very caring, and thus came all the contributions.”

Chateau Retirement residents, employees and ownership contributed $10,025 collectively to support Red Cross relief efforts in Japan following the recent earthquake, tsunami and damage to nuclear reactors. Significant contributions came in from individual resident checks, employee payroll deductions and owner matching incentives.

Employees and residents participated from Chateau’s three communities in Bothell, Lynnwood and Renton, as well as from home-office employees based in Bothell.

“It’s sort of tough the last few years, for both the residents and the staff … residents living on fixed incomes,” said Chateau owner Jim Godfrey at the check handing-off on Tuesday. “(I thought) I’m just not sure how well this is going to do, but I’ll try it anyway. So, by golly, we made the (matching) offer, and I’d probably say the staff and residents just sort of blew us away. I’m very proud of everybody involved. They were kind and thoughtful and generous people trying to help other people in the world who are less fortunate than ourselves.”

Kristi Myers, fund-raising director of the Snohomish County chapter of the American Red Cross, grew up in Bothell and graduated from Inglemoor High. At Tuesday’s gathering, she noted that the American Red Cross has contributed $103 million to the Japan Red Cross and other partner agencies, mobilized more than 450 medical teams (with 150 more presently deploying) and supplied 131,000 blankets to people living in shelters, 183,000 pieces of clothing and 61,000 instant food meals.

“All of the donations which you guys have given us, we will send right over to Japan and make sure that those people who have lost everything (are aided),” she said.

“I hope it makes a difference in Japan,” Gould said. “I know it will and we’re proud of the job the Red Cross does.”