Union Pitches in $2,000 With Charity Horseshoes Tournament

RENTON — Machinists Union Local Lodge 751-E raised more than $2,000 with its recent charity horseshoes tournament near Renton.

The annual event, which benefits Guide Dogs of America, was held for the first time this year at the Red Dog Saloon on the Maple Valley Highway.

“The folks at the Red Dog were great to work with,” said Local 751-E President Ira Caterman. “Thanks to them, and to our tournament sponsors, we had a really good time raising money for a great cause.”

All the proceeds are going to Guide Dogs of America, a California-based charity that provides service dogs and training in their use free of charge to people who are blind or have impaired vision from across the United States and Canada.

Local 751-E is affiliated with Machinists Union District Lodge 751 in Seattle, which is the top fundraising group for Guide Dogs of America.

District 751 plans one more community fundraising event for Guide Dogs of America this summer, this weekend’s annual Dog Days drag racing event held in conjunction with Pacific Raceways.

Discount tickets are on sale at all District 751 union halls in Puget Sound, in Auburn, Everett, Renton and Seattle. The $5 tickets are good for one day’s racing on Friday, Saturday or Sunday at Pacific Raceways, which is hosting the Lucas Oil Division 6 Drag Racing Series this weekend.

Originally formed in 1935 to represent hourly workers at the Boeing Co., District Lodge 751 of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers now represents some 32,000 working men and women at 48 employers across Washington, Oregon and California. In 2011, members of the union’s Machinists Volunteer Program gave more than 10,000 hours of their time to community service, while other volunteers collected more than $263,000 for Guide Dogs of America, the union’s charity of choice.

For more information about District 751, read the Machinists News.