Groundbreaking for Bellevue youth organization

Youth Eastside Services (YES) will celebrate the groundbreaking of its new headquarters in Crossroads Park in Bellevue on July 30.

The need for a larger building was prompted by the Eastside's rapid growth — which brings with it more teenagers and rises in youth substance abuse, depression and violence. The organization hopes the expansion will allow it eventually to serve 43,000 youth and families a year with counseling, mentoring, violence prevention, treatment for sexual abuse and substance abuse, and other services.

The groundbreaking will be held at 4 p.m. on July 30 at 999 164th Ave. N.E.

Also, YES is kicking off a campaign to raise $10.7 million to finance the expansion and also furnish and equip new satellite offices in Kirkland, Sammamish and South Bellevue.

More information about YES is available online at: www.youtheastsideservices.org or call Mel Baer, 425-586-2328.

Bellevue

"Fill the Boot" begins next week

Bellevue firefighters next week will start their "Fill the Boot" campaign to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The firefighters will have boots to be filled with donations at the Bellevue Festival of the Arts in downtown Bellevue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 27-29. The festival is in the Cost Plus World Market parking lot at 10300 N.E. Eighth St.

Last year, Bellevue firefighters raised more than $4,000 for the MDA.

Other fire departments in the region also are doing "Fill the Boot" campaigns at various times this summer.

Seattle Times Eastside bureau