Volume 27, Issue 1 - IBEW Local 46

Electrical WorkersMinority CaucusSeattle Chapter Community Service Project ReportBy Tony Walker, IBEW Local 46 and EWMC Seattle MemberThe ‘Lights of Hope’ is an annual holiday event thathelps fund Saint Paul's Hospital cancer research. SaintPaul's is the leader in cancer research in the Vancouver,British Columbia area.IBEW Local 213, Port Coquitlam, BC Chapter ofEWMC has helped to bring this project together foryears now. Three EWMC Chapters from across theNorthwest came together for one cause on October 27,2012. The plan was to meet up at Saint Paul's at 7:00a.m., rain or shine. Of course it was raining, so raingear was in order. We worked to light up the front ofthe hospital with stars of different sizes, and Christmaslights. The stars are put up to represent all of the donorsto the foundation; the larger the donation from an organization,the larger the star. When Local 213 first helpedwith the lighting project several years ago, the donationstotaled $600,000. Last year, the Lights of Hope campaignmade $2,600,000 for Saint Paul's Hospital! Thesefunds are critical to help support research for brain,spine and other types of cancer. It would be similarto the work that University of WashingtonMedical Center does here in our area.There were over 100 volunteers, includingtraffic control specialists, runners, generalpublic, office workers, and electricalworkers of various classifications. The runners,who were Local 213 pre-apprentices,were responsible for moving parts and lightswhere they needed to go along the face ofthe hospital. There were two big boom lifts(125 foot); several smaller boom lifts (35 –85 foot), several bucket-trucks, ladders, andscaffolding systems to assist with the lightingplacement.The entire job was done by early afternoon.We made sure that every light andstar was working so that on November 15th,the premier lighting would go off without ahitch.Joining Sean Bagsby and I from Local 46were Donna, Jerry, and Ron from the Local48 EWMC Portland Chapter, and the manymembers of Local 213 and Local 258, Burnaby,BC. The Vancouver folks were amazedthat we would drive all the way to BritishColumbia just to help with their project.Page 6 • SPARKS • vol 27, iss 1 • JAN 2013