Local chambers and community members are proudly supporting local businesses and, this week, local kids.
On Thursday, Aug. 2, the masses converged at Office Depot in Issaquah to buy school supplies for needy kids en masse, filling a small school bus for fun. The suppies will be distributed to Issaquah School District students through a program operated jointly with the Issaquah Schools Foundation and the Issaquah Food Bank. The Young Issaquah Professionals' version of the Cash Mob concept has taken root well, with total sales of $5,900 during the two-hour event at Office Depot.
Meanwhile, over in Sammamish, the was preparing for its first-ever mob event, held Friday evening, Aug. 3, at Plateau Spirits & Wine, recently opened by Dae and Jin Kim after they bought the license for the newly privatized Washington liquor operations at auction. The event was held from 5-7 p.m., a sort of "happy hour" mob, if you will, fitting for the new business.
Jin Kim said she and her husband, who also own a Verizon Wireless store in Lynnwood, decided to buy Plateau Spirits in part because it's so close to their Sammamish home.
"We've lived here nine years, and I just love it here," she said.
Once the initial operations of the store are worked out--the company soon will be offering growlers and kegs of a dozen different types of beer--Jin Kim will operate Plateau Spirits while Dae Kim focuses on the other business.
Deg Sogge, the Sammamish Chamber's executive director, said the chamber decided to institute a cash mob event following requests by residents. She said some people have mentioned doing one monthly, as the YIPs are doing, but the chamber hasn't made that decision yet.
For a full photo gallery from this week's cash mob events, visit Sammamish-Issaquah Patch on Facebook.
