YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO THE
SOUTHWEST SEATTLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY SPRING GALA
Tickets are available tonight at Salty’s. We are in the first floor space!
Celebrate the connections that allow our peninsula to thrive! Join the Southwest Seattle Historical Society for our annual Spring Gala at Salty’s on Alki. Hear from community leaders who are forging connections and making lasting impacts in our neighborhoods, enjoy the Chief Sealth High School Jazz Ensemble, bid on unique West Seattle experiences in an exciting Live Auction, and indulge in delicious food and drinks!
And most importantly, support local history! Your participation allows the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and the Log House Museum to continue its mission to promote local heritage through education, preservation an advocacy.
Help us celebrate our connections as we look back at our accomplishments of this past year and share with you about future plans!
In addition to the Spring Gala on May 5, you can support our work at our Spring Gala ONLINE Auction! Opening Monday, May 1 and closing Thursday, May 4.
Tickets are available tonight at Salty’s. We are in the first floor space!
HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE:
Register for the May 5 Spring Gala here:
Register for the ONLINE Auction (May1-4) here:
| We are honored to announce the guest speakers for our 2023 Spring Gala: | |
| Stacy Bass-Wolden – Alki Beach Pride | |
  Stacy Bass-Wolden is a co-founder of Alki Beach Pride. She and her wife Jolie Bass-Walden started with a simple idea: to gather with their LGBTQ+ friends, those looking for something to do in celebration of Pride other than the local club scene, and do it around a bonfire each year. Through these gatherings at the beach, a reputation had blossomed for hosting wonderful, fun-filled celebrations intended for people to connect. People began asking if Stacy and Jolie had considered doing something bigger, so in 2014, Alki Beach Pride was officially created in order to build new ways to better connect and strengthen our community in West Seattle. Alki Beach Pride has a mission is to unite Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community and celebrate Queer culture in a dignified way that acknowledges the intersection of race. | |
| Joanna Florer – West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group | |
  Joanna Florer is an Environmental scientist with over 20 years experience specializing in evaluating risk and toxicity associated with cleanup and restoration projects. She currently works for the Port of Seattle on the cleanup of the Lower Duwamish Waterway. She is also a mentor for Women In Environment. She is a South Seattle College and Huxley College alumni and West Seattle resident for nearly 30 years. Joanna is also a member of the volunteer team conducting the water quality monitoring in Puget Creek. The West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group is a community-based organization with a mission to create a larger Duwamish Peninsula trail system, with a spur to the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center, focused on native species restoration, serving the hiking and walking community with space for other uses. | |
| Mesha Florentino – Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association | |
 Mesha Florentino is co-director of Housing and Finance for the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association. Mesha was born and raised in and around Washington State. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Social Sciences from University of Washington, and eventually her Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on leadership from University of Maryland while living in Okinawa, Japan supporting the military. Mesha has 10+ years in the affordable housing industry ranging from assistant property manager to development director. Mesha loves being able to couple her expertise in housing to further strengthen the integration of art, nature, and neighborhood. She’s very passionate about everyone having access to affordable housing as well as understanding and feeling empowered by the process. She spent some time on the board of directors for DNDA getting to work alongside the staff and board, and now brings a unique prospective that can bridge further connection between the two. Outside of DNDA, Mesha is a mother to two beautiful daughters and a rambunctious mini golden doodle and together they love to explore the Delridge neighborhood they live in, attend local events, and go to movie theaters.The Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) is a non‐profit organization devoted to social, racial and environmental justice. We are dedicated to preserving and increasing affordable housing for a range of incomes, enhancing the natural environment, and providing such vital resources as arts and cultural opportunities, education and youth programs for our neighbors. Our programs for affordable housing and wetland restoration have become models for other communities. | |
| Rosa Lopez – Reconnect South Park | |
  Rosa Lopez is on the Reconnect South Park Organizing Team. She works as a promatora (community health worker) and community connector. As a resident of South Park, Rosa has worked with the Community of Burien, White Center and the Duwamish community for over two years. Rosa’s work is in favor of social justice. Gathering information through assessments about community needs in relation to obtaining resources for overcoming basic issues with housing, access to resources, and health is the priority of her work.Reconnect South Park is a grassroots coalition that wants to remove the segment of SR-99 that cuts through South Park and create a land trust to ensure the 40 acres it will free up are developed equitably. | |
| Christine Mackay – West Seattle Junction Association | |
  Christine Mackay has been the Executive Director of the West Seattle Junction Association since November 2022. Formerly, Chris founded a non-profit community tourism organization called Crooked Trails where she developed humanitarian projects in countries as diverse as Nepal, Peru and Kenya. After twenty years as the organization’s Director, she stepped down to consult and create a non-profit establishing Blackfeet cultural events in the Puget Sound Area. She is passionate about place making and events which bring together all ages and backgrounds to celebrate community. Chris is an ideas woman and brings energy and dedication to her work. She has lived in West Seattle for over 25 years and raised her daughter here, who now attends South Seattle Community College. On any given weekend you will find Chris in the mountains hiking or skiing or on the water kayaking. The West Seattle Junction Association is a nonprofit which produces community events throughout the year including Art Walk, Wine Walk, Summer Fest, Outdoor Movies,Harvest Festival, and Hometown Holidays. The Junction helps to keep the streets of the Junction safe, clean and beautiful. With the help of the public,we fund the flower baskets that beautify the Junction each summer, and put up the banners and lights that make the junction so pretty. |
