Tukwila resident Serges Hakizimana (pictured, above) will be honored on Thursday, March 11th, by the American Red Cross at their 2010 Heroes Breakfast.

Hakizimana, originally from Burundi, has been serving as part of the Red Cross Language Bank in Seattle, where he learned how to bring people together and help them understand each other. From there he started organizing people in other ways, establishing community funds, cultural training and more.

Before Hakizimana was born, his parents fled the ethnic violence of Burundi. They educated their son in refugee camps, which was not an easy task. Although safe from the violence that drove them from their homes, Burundian refugees faced new challenges of confined living, being told where to live and what to eat. They were never required to pay for the things they were given, but nor were they permitted to have jobs or earn money.

In 2007, Serges was one of the first Burundians who relocated to the King County area. Recognizing his unique skill with language, his case worker directed him to the Red Cross Language Bank in Seattle, where Serges learned how to bring people together and help them understand each other. From there he started organizing people in other ways, establishing community funds, cultural training and more.

There are now 30 Burundian refugee families in the Seattle metro area who rely on Serges as their leader. He has taught some of them enough English to find work, and helped others get a small business loan to establish a farm in Kent. Through it all, he serves as a role model, balancing his time between work, volunteer, school and community.

Fifteen heroes will be honored at the 14th Annual Heroes Breakfast – sponsored by Costco Wholesale. Here are the details:

WHAT: 14th Annual Red Cross Heroes Breakfast

WHEN: Thursday, March 11th from 7:30am – 9am

WHERE: Washington State Convention Center, located at 800 Convention Place in Downtown Seattle (Click here for directions)

All proceeds will support disaster relief efforts in King County.

INFO: More information available here.

Michelle Tuncap is a soft-spoken woman from Tukwila. Soft-spoken is how she stayed when she found out she won $250,000 playing Mega Millions, though it isn’t how she felt.

“I’m freaking out,” she said quietly the day after learning that she’d won.

Michelle doesn’t play the lottery all that often.

“It’s just for fun. I never thought I would win; It’s just a couple of dollars here and there,” she said. She did win though, and she won big. “I didn’t know how to react, I just can’t believe it,” she said. “I couldn’t really sleep…I just kept looking at it.”

Michelle says she’ll use the money to pay some bills and go back to school. She’d like to become an auto mechanic so she’s looking for technical schools in the area.

Michelle purchased her $250,000 Mega Millions ticket from Spanaway Deli on 22nd Avenue East in Tacoma. For selling the winning ticket, the store will receive a retail selling bonus of $7,500.

Congrats Michelle!

For more information on the Washington State Lottery, visit www.walottery.com.

The Museum of Flight is presenting An Evening with Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger on Monday, March 8th from 7pm to 9pm in its William M. Allen Theater.

As many Readers may recall, “Sully” Sulenberger is the heroic airline pilot who safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in January, 2009. He has over 40 years of flying experience in both commercial and military aviation.

Cost is $10 for non-members and $5 for members.

Here are the details:

WHAT: An evening with “Sully” Sullenberger

WHEN: Monday, Mar 8, 2010: 7:00pm-9:00pm

WHERE: Museum of Flight’s William M. Allen Theater, located at 9404 East Marginal Way S. in Seattle; Phone: 206.764.5720. Located north of Burien and south of downtown Seattle, at the south end of Boeing Field / King County Airport; Exit 158 off Interstate 5. Free Parking adjacent to the museum and Airpark.

INFO: From the museum’s website:

Now a legendary pilot for the dramatic events and emergency landing on the Hudson River of US Airways Flight 1549 in January 2009, Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger, III is a captain for US Airways, an author, and a lecturer. He has over 40 years of flying experience in both commercial and military aviation. A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Sullenberger served as an instructor and Air Line Pilots Association safety chairman, accident investigator and national technical committee member. He has participated in several USAF and National Transportation Board accident investigations. He has a decades-long history of technical and academic contributions to the field of aviation safety.

Here’s a pretty cool video animation that utilizes the audio recording to re-construct the historic crash landing:

There will be a “Family Movie Night on the Big Screen” this Saturday night (Feb. 27th) at 6:30pm at the Tukwila Community Center gym, located at 12424 42nd Avenue South.

Suggested donation is just $3 per ticket, or $10 for a family of four, which beats the heck out of movie ticket prices elsewhere. We’ve also been told that “There is no admittance fee, but we are accepting food donations for the Tukwila Pantry.”

Here are the details:

WHAT: “Family Movie Night on the Big Screen”

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 27th at 6:30pm; doors open at 6pm

WHERE: Tukwila Community Center gym, located at 12424 42nd Avenue South.

COST: Suggested donation is $3.00 per person, or $10.00 per family of 4.

INFO: “Bring the whole family to watch a movie everyone can enjoy on our big inflatable movie screen.

Just bring your sleeping bags, blankets and pillows to set up your movie viewing are in the TCC Gym.

No outside food or beverages. Concessions are available and include popcorn, candy, soda, water and pizza by the slice.

Doors open at 6:00pm and the movie begins promptly at 6:30pm.

There is no admittance fee, but we are accepting food donations for the Tukwila Pantry.

For more information, including featured movie, please call the Tukwila Community Center at 206-768-2822.”

More info available here: www.ci.tukwila.wa.us.

There will be a “Volunteer Work Party” this Saturday, Feb. 27th from 10am to 2pm, to help restore North Wind’s Weir Restoration Planting, which is located at the “big dig” across from Boeing Duwamish Towers (2914 South 112th).

Here are the details:

WHAT: Volunteer Work Party for North Wind’s Weir Restoration Planting

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 27th from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

WHERE: At “the big dig” across from Boeing Duwamish Towers; 2914 S. 112th.

INFO: This will be a volunteer work party consisting of the planting of trees and shrubs in an estuary habitat for young salmon.

Soil is sandy, and rock and root free!

All tools provided.

CONTACT: For more info, please contact Dhira Brown, People for Puget Sound, 206-382-7007, ext. 182, or restoration@pugetsound.org

For more information on restoration projects:

www.govlink.org/watersheds/9/plan-implementation/SRFB-northwinds.aspx

If you’re looking for a job and you’ll be in/around Tukwila this Thursday (Feb. 25th), you should polish up your resume and show up at the Best Western Rivers Edge from 1pm to 5pm for a Job Fair.

Sponsored by Nationwide Job Fairs, this event will feature companies with job openings in the fields of energy, technology, education, government, health care, entertainment, services, retail, nonprofit, manufacturing and others.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Job Fair in Tukwila

WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 25th from 1pm to 5pm

WHERE: Best Western Rivers Edge, located at 15901 W. Valley Hwy in Tukwila.

COST: It’s FREE!

Pre-register online here to forward your resume to all participating companies and schedule interviews in advance.

A group called “Washington New Americans” (WNA) is seeking volunteers to help with “Citizenship Day,” which will be Saturday, April 17th.

WNA is looking for immigration attorneys, paralegals and other volunteers to assist on this day, which is an annural day with free assistance to those seeking US citizenship in 12 cities in Washington State. This is a partnership between OneAmerica and the Washington State Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

Here are the details:

WHAT: Volunteers needed to help with Citizenship Day in Tukwila (immigration attorneys, paralegals and others )

WHEN: Saturday, April 17th, 2010, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

WHERE: Tukwila, as well as Vancouver, Wenatchee, Yakima

INFO: From their website:

Washington New Americans, a program of OneAmerica, promotes successful integration by connecting Legal Permanent Residents to the information and services they need to successfully pursue citizenship and become active members of our community.

Citizenship Days, held in partnership with AILA and community organizations across the state, offer assistance with citizenship applications in 12 cities in Washington State.

Last year, we had over 370 volunteers supporting Citizenship Days and were able to serve 751 individuals at 12 sites across the state! Visit our website www.wanewamericans.org for more information.

We need YOU to make our Citizenship Days successful!

SIGN UP NOW AT http://wanewamericans.org/volunteer