Lake Washington School District’s LINKS program honored many of its 275 volunteers at the annual volunteer reception on June 7.

Guests were welcomed by the sound of Mrs. Nice’s Redmond Elementary students singing Dr. Seuss and volunteer-related songs with the guidance of music teacher Laurie Moody.

Lake Washington School District associate superintendent Heather Sinclair spoke about the value of volunteers in schools and emphasized how each volunteer contributes in their own special way.

Volunteers were treated to lunch and had the opportunity to share their experiences with others who have the same passion for helping students succeed.

Local businesses donated gift certificates and products for a raffle drawing as a way to show appreciation to LINKS volunteers.

The LINKS program officials thank Agave Restaurant, Brown Bear Car Wash, Heavy Restaurant Group, JJ Mahoney’s Irish Pub, Mod Pizza, QFC, Redmond Bar and Grill, Tech City Bowl, Trader Joes and Trellis Restaurant for helping LINKS honor their volunteers.

Combined, volunteers shared 6,649 hours of their time to make a difference in students’ overall experience in school. While some volunteers helped in a classroom, others were academic mentors, tutors and Lunch Buddies.

Each assignment helps a student academically or socially and can often boost their self-esteem and confidence. In many cases, it also improves their overall attitude about school.

LINKS is a volunteer program of Lake Washington School District with funding provided by the Lake Washington Schools Foundation.

To learn more about the foundation, visit www.lwsf.org.

To learn more about LINKS and how you can get make a difference in a student’s ability to succeed, visit www.lwsd.org/For-Community/Volunteers/LINKS/Pages/default.aspx or call LINKS program coordinator Nanci Wehr at 425-936-1410.