* Mary Duray, a longtime Mercer Island Youth and Family Services Food Pantry volunteer, won the Alliance of Eastside Agencies Volunteer of the Year award and received her accolade on Jan. 18 at a ceremony at the Together Center in Redmond.

* Donors provided 40 units of blood at Bloodworks Northwest’s drive on Jan. 8-9 at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center. Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce and Mercer Island Parks and Recreation teamed up with Bloodworks Northwest for the community drive. In 2023, local blood drives collected 100 units of blood and impacted 200 lives.