SPOKANE – The Association of Washington Business has honored 18 companies throughout Washington for contributions to their communities.

The annual AWB Community Service Awards were presented during the association’s Spring Board Meeting in Spokane.

In addition to the companies selected, AWB also honored Dean Strawn, owner of Kennewick’s Dependable Janitor Services, with the Bruce Briggs Award. This award recognizes an individual’s efforts on behalf of his or her community.

Strawn has been a Kiwanian since 1970 and was club president in 1974. He helped to organize the Kennewick Chamber of Commerce in 1986 and was president in 1986-1987. He has been on the board of the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau since 1986 and was president in 1990 and 1998.

In 1998, Strawn was named Tri-Citian of the Year. He was also chosen as Kennewick Man of the Year in 1999, for his various community involvements over time.

This year’s Community Service Award winners include:

• Alcoa, Wenatchee, for volunteering 100,000 hours of community service for numerous projects, including installing drip irrigation, landscaping, park and cemetery maintenance; fundraising for troop support; participation in Habitat for Humanity builds; and planning the local Ridge to River Race, sponsored by Alcoa.
• Boise Paper Solutions, Wallula, for its sponsorship of and its employees’ involvement in many educational programs.
• Bon Macy’s, Seattle, for its CARE (Community Action Reveals Excellence) leadership program, which helps Bon Macy’s associates develop leadership skills through volunteer program and project management.
• Brown & Brown of Washington, Tacoma, for its community involvement, including providing thousands of dollars to local charities from spaghetti feeds and auctions, employee volunteers providing seniors at nursing homes with Christmas presents and conversation, and volunteer efforts that made $80,000 worth of improvements to the G Street Shelters.
• CHOICE Regional Health Care, Olympia, for its Regional Access Program, which has helped over 18,000 uninsured low-income people find medical care.
• Destination Harley Davidson, Tacoma, for significant involvement in fundraising for local charities.
• Dishman Dodge, Spokane Valley, for its superb new sales center, which greatly enhances the appearance of its community.
• Faith in Action, Issaquah, for mobilizing volunteers to assist frail neighbors by providing transportation, chore services, respite and visitation.
• Fluor Hanford, Richland, for developing an innovative vocational program for the Pasco School District, where students built, landscaped and sold full-sized three bedroom, two car garage houses. To date, the seven houses have had a median value of $180,000 and have yielded a profit of $160,00 that provides college scholarships, new tools and building lots.
• Hewlett-Packard, Vancouver, for its Community Technology Center grant to the Southwest Washington Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
• John L. Scott, Bellevue, for helping to raise over $7.3 million for Children’s Hospital through event sponsorships totaling over $200,000.
• Port Blakely Tree Farms, Tumwater, for its Environmental Education Program to better promote public awareness and understanding of forest ecology and management in the Pacific Northwest.
• Providence Hospice of Snohomish County, Everett, for developing “Camp Erin,” a free bereavement camp, in response to the needs of grieving children and teens.
• Providence Mt. St. Vincent, Seattle, for its partnership with the Seattle Public Schools in a worksite training program for special education high school students.
• Superior Insurance, Auburn, for major contributions to its community, including rescuing the Auburn Food Bank.
• Unico Properties, Seattle, for providing up to 12, eight-hour paid workdays per year for employees to volunteer in the charitable organizations of their choice.
• Tiz Doors, Everett, for extensive community involvement, including participation on the Everett Community College Foundation.
• Weyerhaeuser, Federal Way, for mobilizing its workforce in the fight against cancer. In partnership with the American Cancer Society, Weyerhaeuser raised $250,000 in donations.

“These companies realize the importance of being good neighbors in their communities,” said AWB President Don Brunell. “All of them have invested substantial time, money and other resources to improve their corner of the state.”