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June 6, 2012

COMMUNITY

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

Man’s best friends get a paw up from local woman

By Lillian Tucker

Contributed

Kim Scott shows off some of her homemade dog biscuits which she sells to raise money for animal-related charities.

Kim Scott has always had a soft spot for dogs.

Her lifelong love for man’s best friend started when she was a child. She would color on the living room floor with her Irish setter, Ginger, who preferred eating stray crayons. Now, the mother of three works full time at Amazon and spends her evenings baking to raise money for animal rescues.

“I don’t remember my life without a dog,” she said. “They are just the greatest things. They can keep a secret. They don’t expect anything from you. They just have this unconditional love, and you just want to give it back.”

Last year the Scott’s family dog, Nyima, died. Scott had often whipped up homemade treats for her giant German shepherd and continued to do so after the dog’s death. Many of her co-workers at Amazon were eager to buy the snacks and pretty soon Scott was buying ingredients like flour and peanut butter in bulk.

“I thought – why don’t I start a dog bakery,” said Scott. She launched the Nyima Bakery in October. “Then I started reading all these really fun local blogs, but a lot of them are not too fun.

You hear tragic stories. The one thing about rescues and shelters is that every single dollar counts.”

As she already had a career, Scott said she decided to use the bakery to give back to the fourlegged community. Each month,

through her Rescue of the Month program, she picks a different rescue or shelter as a recipient of 10 percent of her sales. At the same time, she uses her bakery website and Facebook page to feature dogs from those organizations that need a new home.

But the giving doesn’t stop at 10 percent. When Scott learned that Last Hope Canine Rescue needed leashes and collars, she used her work connections to start a collection. Between donations and some she purchased herself, Scott is sending the res-

“I am not going to retire from Nyima Bakery. I just want to give back and it makes me smile.”

– Kim Scott, Dog biscuit maker –

cue nearly 200 leashes and collars.

“She is really great at getting people involved,” said Jennifer Geese, whose Seattle shop, Health Mutt, carries Scott’s treats. “She finds stories that she knows people can get behind.”

After reading about three dogs at Valhalla Rescue who needed wheelchairs, Scott launched a fundraiser. Buffy had been shot in the back and partially paralyzed. Badger and Honey were both born without front paws.

Scott raised $1,500 and the three are now mobile.

“I love to help these rescues.

I love to raise awareness,” said Scott. “I am not going to retire from Nyima Bakery. I just want to give back and it makes me smile.”

To keep it all going, she said, she gets to her Sammamish home after work, gets her children situated and gets to baking. For better or worse, she said, her youngest daughter, Ava, is her sous chef. The 15-month-old is especially fond of the honey cream cheese frosting that Scott uses to decorate her made to order doggy birthday cakes. Other items include wheat-free peanut butter sammies and carob-dipped bones.

“She has a great passion for making quality, organic dog biscuits,” said Julie Schuster, who sells Scott’s baked goods at her dog friendly espresso bar, Lucky Jack’s Latte. Schuster said she likes to tell customers that Scott’s husband often teases her that the dogs eat better than him.

“It’s really cool because, not only do they (customers) love the treats. They love that they are local, healthy and they are really interested in how she gives back,” said Geese. “Kim is just open to whoever is involved with a rescue.”

Scott started her program, Rescue of the Month, in February when she contacted A Paw Up Rescue in Prosser. Until last winter, the Eastern Washington rescue was primarily run in Yvette Fitzgerald’s 1,200-square-foot house. Scott heard about its goal to build a new facility and conSee SCOTT, Page 9

Local youths join forces with the Sammamish Rotary

By Lillian Tucker A life of leadership and service to others is something the Rotary Club of Sammamish and Eastside Catholic School have in common.

And now, they also have the newly formed Interact Club.

Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 12 to 18.

While there are 10,700 clubs in 109 countries, this is the first time one has been chartered in Sammamish.

For several years, the Rotary Club of Sammamish has awarded scholarships and honored students-of-the-month from all three high schools on the plateau. During that time, Eastside Catholic has shown a growing interest in starting up a youth club, said Cary Young, secretary of Sammamish Rotary.

“One of the touchstones of

Eastside Catholic is about servant leadership. It celebrates the spirit of an active community and being involved,” said Bob Sprung, the high school’s college counselor, who is also the club’s adviser.

After the club’s chartering ceremony May 24, he said several students headed to his office to sign up. “Our students have to do 100 hours of service before graduation, and this provides and opens up some doors.”

The club’s official name, Eastside Catholic Interact Fidelis, helps to set it apart from others, Sprung said, because fidelis is Latin for faithful.

“I think it is a great point to have in our title,” said newlyelected club president Nicolette Dworkin, who is finishing up her junior year at the high school. “It kind of just brings out that we are a Catholic school and brings out the touchstone of our school.”

Contributed

Members of Eastside Catholic’s Interact Club pose for a photo at the Sammamish Rotary.

With 25 members already signed up, the club plans to collaborate with its adult cousin on many of Rotary’s annual local projects. Those include the

soapbox derby later this summer, Rotary First Harvest and Nightmare at Beaver Lake.

“This is just huge for us,” said Young. “A big part of our forward

legacy is getting the youth on board and getting them interested in these service projects.”

See INTERACT, Page 9

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sports

June 6, 2012

SAMMAMISH REVIEW

No senior slump for Eastlake athlete Megan Wotherspoon

By Brittany Cardoza

Photo by Michelle Huenink Photography

Megan Wotherspoon wears her letterman jacket, showing off her many athletic accomplishments.

For Eastlake High School senior, Megan A. Wotherspoon, placing in Washington’s top 35 golfers four years in a row was just a sliver of her high school success.

In her time at Eastlake, Wotherspoon was a stand out golfer, a competitive swimmer, Young Life leader, top-notch student and volunteer.

Capping off her golf career May 22, at the Meadowwood Golf Course in Spokane, Wotherspoon participated in her fourth 4A State Championship Golf Tournament.

This year she took 31st place, which concluded a “very solid senior year of high school golf,” according to Eastlake golf coach Pat Bangasser.

Wotherspoon grew up surrounded by golf. Her home is on the Plateau Club’s golf course, and her father, Bruce, and brother, Alexander, are golfers as well. She began playing at age 8 and transitioned into a thriving golfer.

“Megan is a very steady golfer with a beautiful swing and a great

short game,” Bangasser said.

When it comes to golf, Wotherspoon describes herself as superstitious.

She places circular purple stickers on each of her Titleist golf balls and wears teal socks on the second day of tournaments.

Wotherspoon recalls car rides to district and state tournaments.

“She leads by example and is a role model to so many people.”

– Breanne Powell, Young Life leader –

“I would always watch ‘Hairspray’ the first day and ‘Mama Mia’ the second day,” she said.

During her sophomore year, Wotherspoon was cut from the Eastlake soccer team. She turned the disappointment into an opportunity and picked up a new sport.

With no experience, she joined the swim and dive team and quickly became a strong mem-

ber competing in women’s 100 breaststroke, 200-yard medley relay and 200 free relay.

In addition to athletic success, Wotherspoon shines academically maintaining a 3.9 GPA. Wotherspoon said her faith is a driving force in life.

“At district or state tournaments I would sneak away from the course to pray with my mom,” she said.

Wotherspoon’s dedication to faith led her to Young Life at age 11. She is now a leader in the Young Life community.

Last year, Wotherspoon began leading a group of seventh grade girls by accompanying them to Young Life camps and leading a weekly Bible study.

Her dedication to the organization has touched the lives of many.

“She leads by example and is a role model to so many people,” said Breanne Powell, Wotherspoon’s Young Life leader.

“Young Life gives me the opportunity to get away and bond with people on a different level.

It gives you a support group and See MEGAN, Page 13

Eastside Catholic lacrosse brings home silver at state

By Lillian Tucker

Sammamish’s Peter Kimble, a junior at Eastside Catholic, scored After a nearly flawless seatwo of his team’s four goals durson, the Eastside Catholic boys ing the title game. His first one Lacrosse team finished second came in the second quarter and overall in the state. he netted his last with 5 minutes For the first time in school and 16 seconds remaining in the history, the Eastside Catholic game.

Crusaders had “Peter is worked their probably the “Whenever you get to way to the top best athlete on state, you start getting and landed in the team,” said the May 26 Ratcliff. “He a little greedy. We are Washington very fast, happy that we made it is State champivery explosive. there, but we wish we onship game.

He can pretty On their way much create would have won, to a 11-3 seahis own shot obviously.” son record, whenever he they had wants.”

– Lewis Ratcliff, already defeatOther Coach – ed their oppoSammamish nent, Bellevue, players on the 12-11 in March. team include However, history did not repeat Henry Jarvis, Marek Kossik, Jeff itself. The Crusaders lost 13-4.

Foreman, Arend Broekmate, “It was a huge thrill for us,” Dylan Mahosky and Cole Ivanoff, said Eastside Catholic coach who has just been named captain Lewis Ratcliff. “Whenever you of next year’s varsity team. get to state, you start getting a The Crusaders are graduating little greedy. We are happy that five of its seniors this month, two we made it there, but we wish we would have won, obviously.”

See LAX, Page 13

Contributed

The seniors of Eastside Catholic’s lacrosse team hold the second-place trophy the team won in the state lacrosse tournament. From left are Drew Beggs, Kevin Curtis, Will Bassetti, Josh Harms and Scott Bowman.