Shoreline Chamber of Commerce Business Photo Contest in August - with prizes

Photo contest sponsored by Shoreline Chamber of Commerce

Shoreline has many opportunities for beautiful photos, especially with our many parks and proximity to Puget Sound.

But Shoreline's businesses are also part of the City's identity and community, from the Aurora Corridor to neighborhood commercial areas. They are where we shop, eat, meet, relax, play, socialize, work, get things fixed, and more.

We hope this contest inspires you to pull out your camera when you are visiting Shoreline businesses you know well and and when trying out new businesses.

It doesn't matter if you're a professional or an amateur photographer because this is not a serious contest. The judges are local attorneys who know little about photography. Each has agreed to recusal in the event of conflict of interest.

We have GREAT PRIZES FOR OUR EIGHT PHOTO CONTEST CATEGORIES from Shoreline home-based businesses and non-profit organizations:

Best Business Interior Photo
six hour cleaning | The Cleaning Valkyries

Best Business Exterior Photo
honey package | Rainy Day Bees

Best Business Human Interest Photo
personal portrait | Lara Grauer Photography

Best Business Abstract/Mystery Photo
body care package | Sacred Sasquatch

Best Business 3rd Prize Overall Photo
custom holiday cards | Ray Braun Design

Best Business 2nd Prize Overall Photo
ceramic pot | Sam Scott Pottery

Best Business 1st Prize Overall Photo
puppy visit to work or party | Bravepup

Honorable Mention Business Photo
promo package | Fireflower Pepper Sauce


HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST

WHEN: August 1 through August 31.
WHAT: Photos in .JPEG, .jpg or .png format, no larger than 10MB.
HOW: Send photos and optional captions to info@shorelinechamber.org

Winners will be announced and notified via email in early September.

The fine print: Submittal of a photo implies permission for the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce to use the photo as a part of our mission to support the Shoreline business community, which means using them on our website and other communications, with any photo credits specified by the photographer. If people are recognizable in the photo, please include permission (AKA a "model release") with the photo. We reserve the right to omit any photo from the contest. The photo must be an original and unaltered photo taken by the person who submitted it.

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Turn in your business photos - there will be prizes

By Diane Hettrick

You have a camera - it's right there in your cell phone.

Go take a photo of your favorite business - or the one you are closest to! Interior or exterior or human interest or whatever inspires you!

Send it to the Chamber of Commerce - their business photo contest ends very soon and there are many lovely prizes donated by members.

Send photos and optional captions to info@shorelinechamber.org

Here are all the details, including the fine print!

The deadline is very, very soon, so Wednesday and Thursday will be good days for photographs.

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TONI & GUY Hairdressing Academy makes Final Four in March Can Drive for Hopelink

Toni and Guy employees load food collected during the week
Photo courtesy TONIandGUY

TONI and GUY is the only business west of the lake still in the competition

REDMOND, WA – TONIandGUY Hairdressing Academy, located in Gateway Plaza at 185th and Aurora, has advanced to the final four in Hopelink’s March Can Drive competition to help stock the agency’s food banks, bringing in 612 pounds for a 3-week total of 1,902 pounds of food.

The Shoreline business faces Guild Mortgage of Kirkland in this week’s competition, with the winner advancing to the final round.

In the third week of the contest, TONIandGUY Hairdressing Academy eliminated Jake’s Kirkland/Life is Good, while Guild Mortgage aced out Kirkland’s Hallmark Realty. 

Defending champ Hancock’s Bakery in Redmond eliminated 180 Degrees Chiropractic and faces Redmond Chamber of Commerce this week, who knocked off Redmond Athletic Club.

To ensure that businesses of all sizes are able to compete on a level playing field, the competition uses a unique scoring system: the total pounds of food donated by a business are divided by the total number of employees, resulting in a competitive “score.”

The 8 businesses competing in week 3 collected a total of 3,685 pounds of food and $134 in cash, bringing the total for the campaign so far to 13,140 pounds and $2,011.

Hopelink’s third annual competition is patterned after the national spring college basketball tournament, matching businesses in weekly contests to see which one can bring in the most food. Teams are bracketed together in pairs and one winner from each 2-member bracket advances to the following week.

Businesses set to face off in the final four:

• Greater Redmond Chamber of Commerce
• Guild Mortgage, Kirkland
• Hancock's Bakery, Redmond
• TONIandGUY Hairdressing Academy, Shoreline

Shoreline and Lake Forest Park residents wishing to contribute can bring non-perishable food items or money to the Academy during business hours.

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A New Business in Town: Sweet Dream Bakes

Cindy Yuong cuts the ribbon for her new business. Photo by Lara Grauer

On Sunday, December 3, 2023, the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce celebrated its newest member with a ribbon cutting ceremony during her Grand Opening celebration at Sky Nursery’s holiday Makers Market. 

Cindy Yuong, owner of Sweet Dream Bakes, is a long time resident of Shoreline, graduate of Shorewood High School, and a new small business owner.

Cindy is the owner and cake artist of Sweet Dream Bakes, a home bakery that specializes in putting your passion onto cakes to make celebrations even brighter. She creates artfully crafted custom designs on cakes to bring the images of your dreams into reality. 

Featuring various Asian flavors, high quality ingredients, and not-too-sweet eats inspired from her travels throughout Asia, Sweet Dream Bakes is here to help you celebrate the most important days of your life with something uniquely yours.

Although based in Shoreline, there is no storefront to visit. Custom cakes are made to order by booking in advance through the website sweetdreambakes.com 

Cakes and sweet snacks are available for pick up, delivery, and at pop ups held throughout the greater Seattle area. You can stay updated with Cindy through Sweet Dream Bakes on Instagram and Facebook.

Cindy Yuong of Sweet Dream Bakes
Photo by Lara Grauer

Currently, Cindy is in the running for The Greatest Baker Competition!  You can visit the competition page to vote for Cindy. Vote and share the link for a Shoreline resident to win the competition and get closer to bringing her dream to life! 

Donations are not required to vote, but any donations will give Cindy more votes while also benefiting The Andrew McDonough B+ Be Positive Foundation, which helps families fight childhood cancer.

The winner of the competition will get to meet the Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro himself, get the title of Greatest Baker, a feature in the Bake From Scratch Magazine, and $10,000!

Cindy answered the following questions in her contest entry. Read on to learn more about her business and her dreams for the future:

What makes you a great baker?

• My passion for connecting with people through food and shared stories is genuine and endless. Putting people’s passion onto cake is a dream.

What's your favorite thing to bake?

• Chiffon cake! Light, spongy, and most importantly, not-too-sweet! I’ve baked my chiffon cake recipe hundreds of times for my family’s birthdays and parties to test it before setting out to start a cake business with the recipe. I love being able to customize it with various Asian ingredients to feature their potential and share with the world. It’s extra special when someone tells me their mom likes the cake. Our Asian moms are so picky with desserts and not-too-sweet is the highest compliment.

How long have you been baking?

• I’ve known baking was my calling since sophomore year of high school, 10 years ago. I loved baking fundraiser cookies with my mom as a child, but in high school, I decided to try making a new cake recipe for the holiday feast. I looked up the technique for a Bouche de Noel cake and made it. Seeing the smiles on everyone’s face after trying my cake gave me so much joy. Learning the technique was so fun, I started sharing my baking with #sweetsmonday every week for the rest of my school days, and I continue to share it with the world now.

What would you do with the $10,000?

• I would fund my dream. I started a home bakery to start out safely, financially (grand opening on 12/3/23!) but I want to have a tea party cafe some day. To me, the ultimate experience is connecting with loved ones over the cutest afternoon tea set up with vintage tea cups, petite desserts, scones, and savory snacks on a tea tower. The elegance & beauty of the tea set up makes me so happy, and of course, the food cannot be lacking on flavor or quality to be pretty. I want to make it a reality.

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WSDOT wins national award for its Active Transportation Plan

Bicycle riders use the SR 520 Trail to cross Lake Washington. Photo from WSDOT

The Washington Department of Transportation's Active Transportation Plan has been named the winner of the People’s Choice Award in the national 2022 America’s Transportation Awards. 

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sponsor the annual contest. It’s the first time in the competition’s 15-year history that an active transportation plan has won the honor.

The award comes with a $10,000 check for the charities of our choice. One-third goes to our own WSDOT Memorial Foundation that preserves the memory of our workers who died on the job and aids active and retired employees and their families in times of need. 

The other two recipients are statewide nonprofits that participated in the plan’s stakeholder steering committee and promoted involvement in the plan’s outreach phase: Cascade Bicycle Club and Disability Rights Washington.

To learn more about the Active Transportation Plan, visit our website.

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TONI&GUY Hairdressing Academy advances to next level in March Can Drive

Toni & Guy at Gateway Plaza
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Drop off food and / or cash at Toni / Guy at Gateway Plaza, 185th and Midvale / Aurora.

TONI and GUY Hairdressing Academy will represent Shoreline in Round 3 of Hopelink’s March Can Drive competition to help stock the agency’s food banks. The single-elimination competition continues through March 30.

In the second week of the contest, TONI and GUY Hairdressing Academy collected 489 pounds of food for a score of 48.9 – eliminating Sterling Savings Bank, which collected 131 pounds for a score of 32.75. Chuck Olson Chevrolet Kia brought in 8 pounds of food and $250 cash for a score of 4.96 and were knocked out of the competition by Jake's Kirkland/Life is Good, which collected 98 pounds of food for a score of 49.

To ensure that businesses of all sizes are able to compete on a level playing field, the competition uses a unique scoring system: the total pounds of food donated by a business are divided by the total number of employees, resulting in a competitive “score.”

In Round 3, TONI and GUY Hairdressing Academy will face off against Jake's Kirkland/Life is Good.

The 16 businesses competing in week 2 collected a total of 4,520 pounds of food and $788 in cash, bringing the total for the campaign so far to 9,455 pounds and $1,878.

Hopelink’s third annual competition is patterned after the national spring college basketball tournament, matching businesses in weekly contests to see which one can bring in the most food. Teams are bracketed together in pairs and one winner from each 2-member bracket advances to the following week.

Businesses set to face off in Round 3 of the competition:

• 180 Degrees Chiropractic, Redmond
• Greater Redmond Chamber of Commerce
• Guild Mortgage, Kirkland
• Hallmark Realty, Kirkland
• Hancock's Bakery, Redmond
• Jake's Kirkland/Life is Good
• Redmond Athletic Club
• TONI and GUY Hairdressing Academy, Shoreline

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