Machinists Union motorcycle event raises $11,000 for charity

SEATTLE — The 11th annual Puppy Putt charity motorcycle ride raised more than $11,000 for Guide Dogs of America.

The event was held July 13. Sound Harley-Davidson in Marysville and Northwest Harley-Davidson in Lacey were the starting points for the poker run, which ended at Machinists Union District Lodge 751’s Seattle union hall.

“We had a lot of great sponsors and some really hard-working volunteers,” said Jim Kskuschke, one of the organizing committee members for the event. “We had a really good day, and we raised a lot of money for a great cause.”

Machinists District 751 sponsors the annual Puppy Putt event, which is a fundraiser for Guide Dogs of America, a California-based charity that provides service dogs, and training in their use, free of charge to people who are blind or who have impaired vision from across the United States and Canada.

District 751 is the top fundraiser for Guide Dogs of America. Over the past four years, the union has raised more than $1 million for the charity, including a record $299,000 donated in 2012.

Originally formed in 1935 to represent hourly workers at the Boeing Co., District Lodge 751 of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers now represents more than 33,000 working men and woman at 49 employers across Washington, Oregon and California.

To learn more about District 751, follow the Machinists News.