It never hurts to have a rock-and-roller cranking up interest in a fund-raising campaign. In the 1980s, musicians banded together with USA for Africa, Band Aid and Hear N’ Aid (the last two for famine relief in Ethiopia), and recently, artists tuned into Hope for Haiti and recorded a new version of “We Are the World.”
On a Northshore note, enter Chris Walla, guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie.
The 1993 Bothell High graduate and three-time Grammy Award nominee with his group was back in town Feb. 2 for the Northshore YMCA Partners With Youth Campaign kickoff at Alexa’s Cafe. Last year, he was one of many donors who helped the local YMCA raise about $320,000 to fund its youth and family programs (that monetary goal is the same this year). This time out, he took a break from his busy schedule of recording bands in his Portland, Ore., home studio to speak about his involvement in person.
“Partners With Youth provides so much for the community; it allows families and kids access to YMCA programs that they may not otherwise be able to afford,” he wrote in an e-mail on Monday.
“What is really appealing to me is the opportunity it provides to invest in and connect a community. I haven’t lived in Bothell for 11 years, but it is my hometown, and I do love it. It’s a good place to return to.”
Gretchen Walla — Chris’ younger sister and co-director of the Northshore YMCA’s School Age Care Program — may have pulled a few strings to get the Death Cab axeman on board, but she said his heart has always been in the right place on the giving front.
“With Death Cab, they help out in so many ways, but they don’t get to see it first hand. And to actually see it, that he’s genuinely giving back to the community (is special),” said Gretchen, 1998 Bothell High grad. “It’s really apparent when he showed up at Alexa’s Cafe, and there’s teenagers there, there’s volunteers — and he actually knew a few of them. He loved it and he said, ‘I’ll speak, I’ll do whatever you want.’
She added about his reaction the following morning before flying back to his music world in Portland: “This is real, this is home base, we love Bothell and it totally showed how much he was passionate about it.”
Leigh Henderson, Alexa’s owner and member of the Northshore YMCA board of directors, chipped in with, “It was exciting to have that much community energy inside the room to raise money for these kids.” About 100 folks attended and Henderson donated the use of her cafe for the event.
For donating $2,500 or more, Chris Walla and others have banners with their names emblazoned on them hanging in the YMCA gym. This year, some 140 community leaders are volunteering to raise money, starting with the kickoff through March 9 to reach their goal (YMCA began accepting major donations in November).
Gretchen Walla has been involved with the school program for 10 years and helps kids at Kokanee Elementary in Woodinville before and after school with service learning projects, art and homework. The service projects include adopting families for Thanksgiving and Christmas and raising money for Haiti and PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society).
Northshore YMCA, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary later this fall, hosts the school program at eight local schools and two churches, welcoming in about 400 kids ages 5-12. It’s a structured program with standardized curriculum through the YMCA that fits according to the Northshore population, said Christine Howeiler, director of development for Northshore, one of 14 Seattle-area branches.
“Fund-raising keeps providing support to this community,” said Howeiler, noting that YMCA staff members look at projected scholarship need for the upcoming year and base the campaign partially upon that information. “It has a powerful connection between the Northshore community and these key volunteers.”
Over the years, Gretchen Walla has bonded with the Kokanee kids and their families and said she can’t imagine some of the students thriving in the activities without the scholarship help.
She noted that one parent stood up and shared her experiences at the kickoff: “It hit home, it was amazing. She said, ‘I’m a single mom who goes to school full time, I need help raising my child, at Kokanee I just have all the trust.’
“It just sends goosebumps,” Gretchen added, “And I don’t need any other reason — I’m gonna volunteer my time. And I think it just shows with Chris — he sees me light up, he sees me get excited and it’s enough for him, right there, to just say, ‘I’m gonna come help you out.’”
Added Howeiler about Chris’ kickoff speech: “I thought his message was so beautiful because it was all about community. ‘This is the small town that I grew up in and this is what’s important to me, and if I can be instrumental and help, I’m back, I’m here to do that.’ His reason was solid and he’s so well grounded.”
Chris will be volunteering his time, as well.
“Bothell and Woodinville gave my sister and I so much as kids,” he wrote. “In a time of tight budgets at home, work and in the schools, it’s a great feeling to make some calls to give a little back.”
For information about the campaign, visit
