Last year was a banner year for the Lake Washington College Foundation and the students and programs it helps support. In just one year, the Foundation’s endowments increased $150,000, from $397,000 in 2006 to $547,000 in 2007.

The Foundation provided more than 35 scholarships to Lake Washington Technical College (LWTC) students in 2007 and directly helped an additional 20 LWTC students through its Student Emergency Fund.

“It’s so rewarding to see how the Foundation – through its supporters – makes a difference in so many students’ lives,” said David Akana, Lake Washington College Foundation executive director.

In 2007, the Foundation established three new scholarship endowments totaling more than $44,000:

• The Norah N. and Gerald F. Link Endowment

• The International Student Scholarship Endowment

• The Dr. Mike Metke President’s Fund Endowment

The Foundation also raised more than $32,000 at the Fourth Annual Sailing to Success Auction held at the LWTC last November.

The Lake Washington College Foundation (www.lwtc.edu/foundation) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization established to raise money and provide support for LWTC students, faculty, staff and programs. The Foundation annually awards more than $45,000 in scholarships to students for help with tuition, fees, books and childcare.

Lake Washington Technical College (www.lwtc.edu) was founded in 1949 and offers affordable professional and technical training for today’s job market. The college’s main campus is located in Kirkland with a branch campus located in Redmond.