Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club gets “retired” County van

With the help of Metropolitan King County Councilmember Jane Hague, the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club will be the recipient of a retired Metro Transit vanpool van which will be used to provide increased access for kids to the many and varied activities offered by the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club.

Blair Rasmussen, Executive Director of the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club, said the donation will provide the club—which serves youth from 6 to 18-years old—with options on the activities they can provide. “Throughout the year, Club staff transport groups of kids to and from a variety of options: school pickup/dropoff, camping, hiking, swimming, bowling, museums, fun parks, etc… the list goes on and on. The choices are based on the types of activities the kids want to do on a given day – we facilitate positive activities that kids want to do. Jane Hague has been a tireless supporter of our programs and we are sincerely grateful to her for her continuing efforts to provide resources to serve kids in our community.”

“It is such a pleasure to be able to direct another van to the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club,” said Hague after the County Council unanimously approved the King County Vanpool Program. “They fit the criteria in every way and they are making a real difference in the lives of so many of our youth with their programs. Utilizing these retired vans is a win for everyone.”

“This van will have tremendous impact in meeting an underlying need and it will allow me as well as my staff more flexibility to do our jobs effectively,” said Joan Caldon, the club’s Director of Childcare, Programs and Teens. “Thank you Jane for answering my request for this van, based on the growth of programs in our Club that serve Mercer Island kids.”

The retired vans are designated for uses that increase transportation options for local governments and non-profit organizations throughout King County. The King County Council approved the donation of a van to the Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club at their October 8th meeting. The policy of donating retired vans to nonprofit groups and local governments has been in place since 1995 and its focus is on the transportation needs of low-income, elderly, disabled, and young people throughout the county.

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system.  Type in “2007-0489”