Register for Mercer Island YFS Foundation Annual Breakfast

The Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) Foundation will celebrate “15 years of giving from the heart” at its annual fundraising event on Feb. 8.

This year, the name of the event has been changed from the “Giving from the Heart Breakfast” to the “Youth and Family Services Foundation Annual Breakfast.” Other past themes of the breakfast include “The Heart of Mercer Island” and “We are the Safety Net.”

The compelling personal stories shared by Islanders represent the profound impact Mercer Island Youth and Family Services has on people in the community. Donations to MIYFS Foundation directly support the eight programs and services offered through the city of Mercer Island’s Youth and Family Services Department.

This year’s master of ceremonies is Bill Radke, host of KUOW shows “The Record” and “Week In Review,” and a Husky alum. He works on behalf of suicide prevention by using his microphone and making sure journalism is part of the solution to bring mental health out of the shadows. The keynote speaker is Dr. Kevin Haggerty, a principal investigator on a variety of substance abuse prevention research studies.

Haggerty specializes in substance abuse prevention programs at the community, school and family level. For more than 30 years, he has focused on developing innovative ways to organize the scientific knowledge base for prevention so that parents, communities and schools can better identify, assess and prioritize customized approaches that meet their needs.

The MIYFS Foundation Community Philanthropy Award will be given to the Mercer Island Lions Club, which embodies this year’s motto: Islanders Helping Islanders.

The award is given at the Annual Foundation Breakfast to an individual, business or organization within the Mercer Island Community to recognize a vital partnership with Mercer Island Youth and Family Services. The Lions Club has been exceptionally generous to YFS and numerous other local organizations for many, many years. They exhibit outstanding civic and charitable responsibility and have encouraged, inspired and motivated others to take philanthropic and civic leadership roles in the community.