- E.S.
- Seattle Police Officer Denise “Cookie” Bouldin, left, thanks a Patty Murray donor who offered support yesterday.
Everywhere you look: Big, impossible-to-solve problems that cost us all a tremendous amount of money.
Except right here. Here is a problem that is, in the scheme of things, incredibly easy and cheap to solve.
Seattle Police Officer Denise “Cookie” Bouldin needs a few thousand dollars to keep running a program in the Rainier Valley that uses chess to steer kids away from violence and into smart decision-making.
This is, by all accounts, a great and necessary program. Mayor Mike McGinn has attended Detective Cookie’s Chess Club to show his support for her work, and yesterday Senator Patty Murray honored Detective Cookie with a “Golden Tennis Shoes” award at a packed downtown Seattle fundraiser—only to have Detective Cookie get up and, in her acceptance speech, announce through tears that the program will have to end this summer due to lack of funding.
I wrote yesterday about Detective Cookie’s heartbreaking speech and the reaction it generated among the crowd of Patty Murray donors. Obama strategist David Axelrod, who was in attendance, encouraged people to step up and help save the chess program now. So did Murray. And many of the Democratic donors in attendance did just that. (I watched Oddfellows owner Linda Derschang cut a check on the spot.)
“I am so touched by the kindness of people,” Detective Cookie told me last night by e-mail. She said she wasn’t expecting the reaction she received (“not at all“), but left the Patty Murray event with over $2,100 in donations.
It’s deeply appreciated. “I thank Senator Patty Murray and her supporters for the love towards my chess club,” Detective Cookie told me.
But it’s not enough. To keep the program running this summer, Detective Cookie needs a total of $6,000. And then there’s the question of how to keep the program running long-term. But for now, for this summer, all she needs is a total of $6,000—which, after the donations she received yesterday, is down to about $3,900.
Read this if you still don’t understand what the fuss is about, and then, if you’re moved to help, here’s the information from Detective Cookie on how to donate to keep her program going:
Donations can be made on behalf of Detective Cookie’s Urban Youth Chess Club to the Seattle Neighborhood Group.
Mailing address: 1810 East Yesler Way, Seattle, Wa. 98122.
Phone: 206-323-9666.
Thank you. Check written and am hunting down a stamp.
This story makes me dislike the SPD more than I already do (which ain’t easy). How much money is thrown down the toilet through useless underage drinking stings? Or useless buy/bust drug sweeps? Or payment to families of people shot/beaten by SPD officers. And they can’t find a measly $6,000 for a great program that helps keep kids from drinking, doing drugs or being shot/beaten by SPD officers? That’s sickening to me.
Cops are supposed to kick ass and take names…. not play chess with junior gang bangers….. Ask Cookie about her getting away with theft via ATM a few years back…..
@3 Fuck off, troll. Cops doing nothing besides kicking ass and taking names leads to populace that fears and distrusts its police officers. If nothing else, think of it this way: if even one of those kids she reaches out to (on her time!) doesn’t wind up in prison, costing the taxpayers roughly $50/day in food/shelter/etc, the entire program will have paid for itself by keeping one kid, only one, out of prison for 4 months. And oh, by the way, don’t you think it might be useful to a police detective to be recognized and trusted in the community she works in? Wouldn’t you think that would be helpful for getting witnesses and statements that help put the real bad guys away? Maybe? Of course, you’re trolling… but fuck off, anyway.
Seattle Schools is having NO summer school (second year in a row). This is great work being done and keeps kids occupied (and thinking). Well worth supporting.
Why can’t we get cops like this into leadership instead of the useless fucks we have now?
Checks? I haven’t seen my checkbook in a year and a half. Set up a PayPal account already.
@7, click the link. It took me all of ten seconds.
@7, if you click on the link for Seattle Neighborhood Group Eli provided above (http://www.sngi.org/welcome/index.php), you can use their PayPal donation button to pay with a credit card. Select Cookie’s Chess Club from the drop-down box above the orange “Donate” button (top right of screen). Easy, fast.
8 & 9 are correct. Paypal available and can be given to Officer Cookie’s Chess Club. I just gave a few bucks, not enough to fund the whole thing, but if there’s enough small donations it can still be enough to fund it.
Excellent! Thank you!!
Done and done!
This makes me so happy! Way to go Eli, The Stranger and everyone who has already taken steps to help out Detective Cookie. Watch this PSA of Detective “Cookie” Bouldin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox69Dv0ND… that was shown on KING 5 TV as part of The Guiding Lights Weekend: Great Citizenship campaign. Detective Cookie is a GREAT Seattle Citizen!
Donations for Officer Cookie’s Chess Club can be made via paypal through our Seattle Neighborhood Group website: http://www.sngi.org. Kay
I teach 5th grade at South Shore (Rainier & Henderson, across from the library where the Saturday program is held) and have worked with Det. Cookie in my classroom to create a culture of chess. We have weekly lessons with Det. Cookie, then play chess whenever there is free time. My students LOVE it and can’t get enough.
Today we read this article as part of our reading lesson, and my students were so confused why the Saturday program isn’t being funded. Is there a public explanation of why $6000 is too much for such an impactful program?
Can’t help but think that money is going to other parts of the city instead…
Just donated a measly $25, but I think every little bit counts. This is not about SPD but about one good hearted person trying to make difference. This woman deserves the support of everyone in this city. Please give.