Drago secures retired Metro van for Boys & Girls Club of King County Southwest Branch

October 22, 2010

Summary

Van will help connect White Center and West Seattle youth to fun, safe activities

Story

On October 21, Metropolitan King County Councilmember Jan Drago delivered a retired King County Metro Vanpool van to the Boys & Girls Club of King County, Southwest Branch. It was the second of three donated vans delivered by Drago to non-profit organizations that help the homeless, the hungry and young people in neighborhoods in south Seattle and White Center.

“The economic downturn has really put the pressure on groups like the Boys & Girls Club, with more students and more parents relying on them to be a safe place for kids to go,” said Drago. “Donating this van will go a long way towards stretching their resources and reaching more families in need.”

Since 1995, the County Council has been donating retired vans from Metro’s Vanpool program to local nonprofit organizations. This year, Councilmember Drago secured vans for three organizations in Council District Eight, including the Boys & Girls Club of King County, Southwest Branch.

“The kids were so excited to see the new van pull up, and once they were inside checking it out, it was hard getting some of the kids out. We ended up doing a test run around the block before they headed back into the club to finish their homework,” said Boys & Girls Club branch director Emily Slagle. “There are so many incredible uses for this van, and we are grateful to Councilmember Drago for her generosity and drive in getting it to us.”

The van was immediately put into service, taking Boys & Girls Club members to activities around the neighborhood and around the region. The club organizes numerous activities like trips to the University of Washington for college prep tours, trips to other Boys & Girls Clubs around King County for coordinated activities like International Fall Festival or Brain Games, and a weekly trip to Northwest Harvest for the food that supplies the nightly dinner program.

The King County Council donates retired vans to local nonprofit groups to help meet the transportation needs of low-income, seniors, youth, or people with disabilities in King County. The groups are responsible for licensing, insuring and maintaining the vehicles. The retired vans have been part of Metro Transit’s vanpool fleet for at least six years and have reached the end of their service life. When the vans reach this age, they are considered surplus. The council uses an annual application process to donate the retired vans.