Ram Construction, Hotel Bellwether raise $6K with benefit concert

Guests enjoy the barbecue and the Lowdown Brass Band outside the Hotel Bellwether on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, in Bellingham, Washington. (Photo by Ray Deck III)

BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, July 31, Lowdown Brass Band performed a benefit concert for local foster care nonprofit Skookum Kids to an audience of over 200 people. The event was hosted by The Hotel Bellwether, but it was Ram Construction CEO Mike Hammes who convinced the band to stop in Bellingham on their west coast tour.

Hammes heard the band while on a trip to Chicago and booked them to visit Bellingham.

“He made it a benefit, which was good news for us” Ray Deck, Skookum Kids executive director, said.

Hammes donated $10 for every ticket that was sold. The event raised $6,197 total.

Skookum Kids provides a variety of support services for social workers and foster families. Their flagship program, Skookum House, is an emergency shelter for kids who’ve just entered foster care. The money raised is enough to provide personalized care from trained volunteers at Skookum House for five days for 12 kids who’ve just entered foster care.

Skookum Kids was founded in 2014 by Ray Deck III in Bellingham, Washington. It exists to repair the foster care system by eliminating the pain points that make life unnecessarily difficult for foster parents and social workers. It is staffed by 12 full-time, seven part-time employees and over 130 volunteers. For more information, visit their website at www.skookumkids.org.