PORT ANGELES — The Feiro Marine Life Center was their favorite place in Port Angeles even before they moved to town, so Amelia and Jonathan Bridges auctioned off some of their toys to help support it.
Amelia, who turns 11 today, and Jonathan, 9, raised $1,222.65 for the center at 315 N. Lincoln St.
They found the center on City Pier while their mother, a dentist, did a working job interview in March 2015.
They explored the touch tanks and other exhibits four of the five days they were in Port Angeles during that visit and when they returned to Louisiana — where the family had homes in New Orleans and Baton Rouge — they decided to make “de-cluttering” for the move to the North Olympic Peninsula a fundraiser for their favorite place.
The marine life center was “where we had the most fun,” said Amelia, who moved with her family to Port Angeles in March.
“We needed to get rid of some stuff, so we dedicated it” to the center, she said.
The two — with the help of their parents, Sam Bridges and Julie Vignes — sorted through their treasures, which were auctioned off, their father said.
Among the toys sold were an outgrown wooden rocking train, several model train sets, Legos and Jonathan’s Hot Wheels collection “which he is trying to rebuild now,” his father said, “but a year ago he wasn’t interested.”
The money the children raised will grow. The family is donating it to Feiro through the Seattle Foundation’s Give BIG campaign.
The annual campaign sets aside one day — this year it will be Tuesday — for donors to give to participating nonprofits.
Donations made to nonprofits through the foundation’s website at https://givebig.seattlefoundation.org/ will result in a percentage match to each of the agencies. The percentage is unknown until all donations have come in.
To see if an organization is participating, type in the name in the search box. No searchable list is available on the website
The Feiro’s page is at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-feirogivebig.
Donations will help the organization fill a revenue gap in Feiro’s budget from the loss of more than $20,000 a year in funding from the city of Port Angeles, said Melissa Williams, Feiro executive director.
Feiro, which has an annual budget of some $400,000, was one of several organizations that lost city funding in 2016.
City officials faced a $940,000 shortfall in August, the majority of which consisted of $660,000 in lost electric tax revenue from Nippon Paper Industries USA after it shut down one of two paper mill runs, City Manager Dan McKeen has said.
Feiro, United Way of Clallam County, the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center and city youth and family recreation programs all lost funding after the city undertook a priority-setting process in which public safety was rated the top priority and funding for outside agencies rated the lowest.
The Port Angeles City Council has since restored funding for the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society, the Economic Development Corp., and the Port Angeles Kids Fishing Derby, but McKeen has said that budget priorities remain intact.
Vignes said she was glad her children found Feiro.
“We wanted them to have a connection to the city, to feel like they belonged,” said Vignes, who has joined Van Dyken Family Dentistry.
Sam Bridges, who is retired from a career in health care, said he hopes his children’s actions will inspire others.
“It is our hope others can see the value in ‘de-cluttering’ and find a way to support a great place for learning,” he said.
Williams is grateful for the contribution.
“It’s exciting to see that learning and giving are such a strong part of the Bridges’ family tradition,” Williams said.
“We are incredibly thankful to Amelia and Jonathan for their donation and so glad they have become a part of the Port Angeles community.
“It’s a wonderful example, for all of us that a spirit of giving doesn’t have to wait until you are an adult.
“Youth can and do make a difference in our community.”
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Executive Editor Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3530 or at lleach@peninsuladailynews.com.
Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb contributed to this story.
