Lt. Gov. Brad Owen to co-host National Mentoring Month event in Capitol

OLYMPIA – Washington Lt. Gov. Brad Owen and Seattle-Times sports columnist Steve Kelley, co-chairs of the Washington State Mentoring Partnership (WSMP), will host a celebration of mentoring on Thursday Jan. 25from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. in the Capitol rotunda. The purpose of the event is to celebrate National Mentoring Month and declare Jan. 25Thank Your Mentor Day.

Additionally, the Washington State Mentoring Partnership and Kimberly Zipp, senior vice president of market development at Bank of America Washington, will acknowledge 18 outstanding mentoring organizations as 2006 Bank of America Mentoring Initiative grant recipients. State Rep. John Lovick, speaker pro tem of the House of Representatives, also will speak. Members of the Total Experience Gospel Choir, including founder/director Pastor Patrinell Wright will perform. Jim Marsh, chief operating officer of the WSMP will be the master of ceremonies.

Other events taking place as part of the national month-long celebration include Mentoring Night with the Sonics on Jan. 28. Mentoring Night, sponsored by the WSMP, provides over 200 mentor and mentee pairs the opportunity to attend the Sonics game, listen to a pre-game panel discussion on mentoring with Lt. Gov. Owen, Seattle Super Sonic Chris Wilcox, WSMP Provider Council Co-Chair Hazel Cameron of the 4C Coalition, and KJR Sports Radio's Mike Gastineau. Mentors and mentees will have the opportunity to watch the team's pre-game warm up and mentees will receive a special gift from the WSMP.

The Washington State Mentoring Partnership will once again sponsor the Guiding Lights Weekend, Jan. 26-28 at Seattle Center. Join Eric Liu and a host of National and Local Luminaries for a one-of-a-kind event where participants will learn creative, concrete ways to mentor, motivate and inspire. For more information visit www.guidinglightsnetwork.com.

The Washington State Mentoring Partnership is an umbrella organization for the state's mentoring community, providing assistance with training, recruitment, resource development, data collection, public awareness and public policy. The partnership is supported by Costco Wholesale, the state Department of Social and Health Services and several other individuals and organizations.

For more information contact:

Washington Mentoring Partnership: Peggy Gray (425) 416-2033 or pgray@washingtonmentoring.org

Office of the Lt. Governor: Brian Dirks (360) 786-7707 or dirks.brian@leg.wa.gov