Jerry Loreen won the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center's 6th annual Compete for a Cause cribbage tournament Sept. 8 at the Boundary Bay Brewery Beer Garden, according to a press release.

Fifty competitors played in the all-day event that raised almost $2,500, according to a press release.

Jerry won a $30 gift certificate to The Table, free entry to next year's tournament, and his name will be engraved on the winners' plaque. Second place went to return player Nick Foster from Seattle.

The event included a silent auction and raffle. Event sponsors included Boundary Bay Brewery, The Table, Duane Sammons Insurance and Bayou on Bay.

The Dispute Resolution Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing and promoting constructive and collaborative approaches to conflict through mediation, training, facilitation and community education. More information can be found at whatcomdrc.org or by calling 360-676-0122.

LYNDEN CHRISTIAN SERVICE DAY

Ninety-eight Lynden Christian High School sophomores spread out across Whatcom County on Sept. 12 to help residents and nonprofit organizations.

Through these acts of service, students foster an appreciation for each other, our community and apply the Biblical principle of serving others outside of the classroom, according to a school press release.

Superintendent Don Kok reflected the school's mission statement: "A Christian mind impassioned by a Christian heart inevitably results in Christian service. Lynden Christian Schools, by adult example, and through specific opportunities strives to link belief with behavior, scholarship with service while becoming more Christ-like in our love of and service to others."

Kathy Chambers supervised sophomores Sara Dougan, Anna Einfeld, Ellie Steensma and Sam Vander Griend as they visited Among Friends Adult Family Home in Lynden. Each student was paired up with an elderly resident and "the collective smiles of the residents lit up the room when they realized the students were there to visit them," Kathy said.

Other student service projects in Lynden included staining the deck at the Lynden Christian central administrative office, organizing and helping to display merchandise at Second Chance Thrift Store, cleaning and organizing recyclables at FOLC Recycling Center, repairing skate ramps at Third CRC Skate Church, cleaning and painting classrooms and a shed at Sonlight Community Church, landscaping a playground at New Way Ministries, landscaping at the Hope Office, cleaning the apartments of two elderly people and painting the outdoor kitchen and repairing the basketball court at Lynden City Park.

Students also graded and graveled trails and put up sign posts at Silver Lake Park, helped paint a house on Lummi Reservation, helped move furniture with House 2 Home and moved furniture, and cleaned and performed yardwork for NW Youth Services.

BIG BROTHER MENTOR HONORED

Stan Chronister, a board member with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Washington, was honored Sept. 24 as Washington State Mentors' 2012 Outstanding Mentor of the Year, according to a press release.

Stan has been a mentor since 2008.

His "Little," who was shy and withdrawn and facing special needs and challenges at home, has blossomed into an articulate and self-confident young man, according to Samantha Dennison.

He provides a positive adult role model for his "Little." The two spend time outdoors, playing basketball and hiking.

BURI ELECTED TREASURER FOR STATE BAR

Philip J. Buri, a founding partner of Buri Funston Mumford in Bellingham, has been elected treasurer of the Washington State Bar Association for 2012-2013, according to Heidi Main.

As treasurer, Philip will serve as chair of the budget and audit committee, overseeing the organization's annual budget of $19 million. Currently, he sits on the association's board of governors, representing Whatcom, Island, Skagit, San Juan and Snohomish counties.

He graduated from Harvard Law School and has practiced law for 24 years. He has served as a pro tem judge in Whatcom County District Court, Bellingham Municipal Court and Lummi Tribal Court.

REALTORS SUPPORT CHILDREN

Sterling Real Estate Group has donated $600 to Home Port Learning Center and American Assistance for Cambodia, according to a press release. Agents at the Ferndale and Bellingham offices contribute 1 percent of their commissions to a charity fund that supports children.

Home Port Learning Center of Bellingham provides education programs for at-risk Whatcom County youths. American Assistance for Cambodia supports The Dyer Family Friendship School. Built in 2005 by Sterling owner Phil Dyer, the elementary school provides education to hundreds of Cambodian children. Funds will go toward a computer with satellite link, full-time registered nurse, well, vegetable garden and five teachers.

MOUNT BAKER THEATRE WINS GRANTS

Western States Arts Federation has awarded Mount Baker Theatre two TourWest grants, totaling $4,250, to support performances of "The Great Mountain" and Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" and outreach activities in the community, according to a press release. Funding for the grants is from the arts federation, National Endowment for the Arts and the Washington State Arts Commission.

A $2,000 grant will support students from two schools attending an Oct. 18 Red Sky Performance of "The Great Mountain" at Mount Baker Theatre.

"The Great Mountain" is the musical tale of a courageous Native American girl who hears the weeping of a glacier that is melting and embarks on a spiritual and physical voyage.

Red Sky Performance, of Ontario, Canada, is one of North America's most prestigious companies of contemporary indigenous performances.

A $2,250 grant will support Aquila Theatre's performance of a full-length production of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" at Mount Baker Theatre.

Aquila Theatre, founded in London and now based in New York City, has won popular, critical and academic acclaim worldwide, performing in places as diverse as Carnegie Hall, the Ancient Stadium at Delphi, and the White House.

NEW ORCAS NAMED

Names have been selected by community voting for three Southern Resident Community Orca calves, according to a press release from the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor.

Ripple (K-44), Keta (L-117), and Jade (L-118) received names in acknowledgment that they have survived their first winter, making their chances for long-term survival much greater. The active, young whales have returned with their pod and have been seen throughout the summer.

They are now part of the museum's Orca Adoption Program, which started in the spring of 1984 in hopes naming the animals would help people understand their unique personalities and complex social relationships, and form a connection to the whales. Thousands of people know Granny (J-2), Oreo (J-22) and other Southern Resident orcas through the Orca Adoption Program.

The Whale Museum promotes stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea eco-system through education and research. For more information, contact the Orca Adoption team at 360-378-4710, ext. 24.

Out and About runs Mondays in The Bellingham Herald. Julie Shirley is the Executive Editor of The Bellingham Herald. Contact her at julie.shirley@bellinghamherald.com or call 360-715-2261.

Reach JULIE SHIRLEY at julie.shirley@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2261.