Ballard High School Foundation Alumni
Ballard HS Foundation News
Upcoming 2026 & 2027 Events!
BHS Foundation Summer Fundraisers
Mark your calendars for the Ballard High School Foundation’s summer events, raising money for Ballard Athletics, Performing Arts, Cheer, and Dance teams.
Held in partnership with the Athletic Booster Club, these events are also a great way to get to know the BHS community while giving back to it — 100% of sponsorship, auction donations, and event ticket proceeds go to the BHS team or program of your choice! Come join the fun!
- August 1 – 16: Celebrating All Things Ballard Online Auction | August 1-16, 2026, featuring great local restaurants and fun destinations to bid upon! Preview opens in July, bidding starts Saturday, August 1, 2026! Online Auction Details
- August 13: Salmon Dinner Event at Pacific Fishermen Shipyard (Ballard Waterfront) | Thursday, August 13, 2026 featuring a live auction with Stephen Kilbreath. Salmon Dinner Event Details
- August 14: 26th Annual Victor Salvino Golf Tournament at Newcastle Golf Course | Friday, August 14, 2026. Golf Classic Details and Signup
Foundation 2027 Events
- October 2027: Breakfast of Champions, honoring our next BHS Woman of Impact, 9:30 a.m., Ballard High School Commons (date TBD)
- The Breakfast of Champions takes place in the BHS Commons, raising funds for BHS teams and programs. Participants learn about athlete mental health during the program, with team members and coaches joining each table. The program is highlighted by the inspiring presentation of the Sue Stimac Verduin ’78 Woman of Impact Award. The next event is planned for Fall 2027, pending final scheduling, and we’ll announce the next honored recipient a few months beforehand. Past recipients have included Verduin and longtime BHS teacher and coach, BeBe Burns.
BHS Foundation News
Pick Up the Talisman Student Newspaper and read all the news.
Join In the Ballard HS Foundations Summer Fundraising Events.
Register Today.
Ballard HS Foundation Log Newsletters.
Recap: Golden Beavers Scholarship Luncheon
The Ballard High School Foundation would like to wish Ballard’s Class of 2026 congratulations on all your accomplishments! On June 7, 2026 we celebrated 35 Hughbanks Family and Golden Beavers award recipients at the Golden Beavers Scholarship Luncheon in the Ray’s Boathouse Northwest Room. Since 1988, the Ballard High School Foundation has shared more than $1.2 million in scholarships, including this year’s round of $185,000 in scholarship gifts. Photo thanks to Briane Henak/Rowland Studio.
Why Alumni Come Back to Ballard HS
We always wondered why alumni come back to Ballard High School after they graduate! We decided to ask a few people, and this is what information we received back:
My name is Doug Montgomery, and I’ve been the Head Baseball Coach at Ballard since 2013 (may need Seattle Times subscription to read). I was a 2003 Ballard grad, who played baseball at the school for Eric Chartrand (class of ’84), Gary Seefried (class of ’64) and Kevin Miller (class of ’94). I took over the program from John Lamm (class of ’82), and I’m fortunate to have been mentored by class of ’56 Mick McDonald (Westside article). All of which goes to say that dating back to the 70’s there has been a Ballard Beaver at the helm of the baseball program- 7 in a row if my history is correct.
Additionally, on our current staff, we have Nick Thornton-Jack (class of ’05), Emmett Niland (class of ’09), and Frank Airey (class of ’13). When I interviewed for this job as a 27 year old with very little coaching experience, I remember bluntly saying, “this isn’t just another coaching job for me. You won’t see me coaching at Ingraham or Blanchet. This is it for me. This is where my pride is at.“
Nick Thornton-Jack Assistant FB and baseball coach C/O 2005. Football, Track and Field, Wrestling came back to Ballard because I am extremely proud to be an alum of Ballard High School. I returned in order to give back to the community that allotted me to get a degree and to hopefully supply the students of today with the tools I was given here that allowed me to be successful both athletically and academically.
John Marshall I graduated from Ballard in 2019. I’m now the varsity tennis head coach, while at Ballard I played tennis and swam. I came back to Ballard because I love playing tennis and coaching, especially teaching the right mindset to approach challenges in competition.
Eric Ensign I graduated from BHS in 1991 I played basketball I came back to Ballard because without Ballard athletics, I wouldn’t be where I am today. High School sports helped me stay motivated and from my experience, it led me to go into coaching and teaching as a career. I’ve always been proud to be a Beaver!
Thank you Athletic Booster Club (ABC) for the great newsletter updates!
Ballard High School Foundation Archives
Recap: Breakfast of Champions Fundraiser 2025:
Thank You!
Salutes BeBe Burns
The Breakfast of Champions and the Sue Stimac Verduin Woman of Impact Award. Sue Stimac Verduin ’78 is pictured winning the award the first year and refer to additional notes below about the award. Our second award recipient for the Sue Stimac Verduin Women of Impact Award at 83 years of age is BeBe Burns. BeBe is a retired PE teacher at Ballard HS from 1966-96, was also a mentor for Sue while she was there, and a trailblazing Beaver Tennis athletics coach. The Ballard High School Foundation, a longtime supporter of Ballard Athletics and Performing Arts, is proud to partner with the Ballard Athletic Booster Club to bring this special event to our community. She was also the first woman in the state to coach boys, as coach of Ballard’s co-ed tennis team, not to mention her 30 years of promoting fitness for all Beavers. Thank you BeBe! Read all the updates from this fabulous event.
More About the Sue Stimac Verduin ’78 Woman of Impact Award: Dedicated to and named after Sue Stimac Verduin ’78, the Woman of Impact Award honors Sue’s sense of community, teamwork, and personal drive, on and off the courts. Sue Stimac Verduin ’78 was the first Ballard Beaver female athlete to have her basketball jersey retired, and is a member of the Seattle Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame. She also went on to another Hall of Fame career at Seattle University, where her jersey was also retired. Sue also was the award’s first recipient in October, 2023, at the Breakfast of Champions. The event raised $4,100 for mental health initiatives (helping to pay for Positive Coaching Alliance coaches training) and more than $9,400 for a variety of teams
Recap: Bucky’s Home For the Holidays 2025-26
Thank You!
The mission of Bucky’s Home for the Holidays fundraiser is to provide gift card donations to Ballard HS families in need of financial assistance, to help with food and household essentials during the two-week Winter Break. These gift cards help ease holiday stress by allowing families to choose culturally appropriate food and gifts however they celebrate the season. Bucky’s Home for the Holidays is an annual partnership between Ballard HS PTSA, Ballard HS Foundation, Ballard Teen Health Center, and Ballard HS Staff who work together to support our families! Learn more about this annual fundraiser to support Ballard HS families in need.
Thank You Ballard High School Community!
For Supporting Our Celebrating All Things Ballard Dinner, Auction, and Victor Salvino 2025 Golf Classic!
Read all t
This Year’s Special Funded Item, Link Crew Program
Raise the Paddle at the Salmon Dinner Live Auction or Donate Online for Peer-Led Freshmen Mentoring. This year Summer of 2025, the Celebrating All Things Ballard Online Auction special funded item is the Link Crew peer-mentoring program for incoming Beavers. Whether you are attending the Salmon Dinner Live Auction (Aug. 14) and want to enthusiastically wave your bidder number or prefer to Donate Online (Aug. 2-17), it’s easy to support this vital program for all students. (Learn more about Link Crew in the May 2024 Talisman (Student Newspaper) article.)
Meet some of the Ballard HS teachers behind the Link Crew Program: The Associated Student Body (ASB) and Ballard HS Activity Coordinator Laura Lehni (pictured on the right with Link leaders) and BHS Social Studies Teacher; Trevor Holmgren.
Recap: Golden Beavers Scholarship
Luncheon 2024-25
Congratulations Ballard HS Students!
We honored the 2025 Golden Beavers Scholarship Award recipients on Sunday, June 1, 2025 at the Ray’s Boathouse Northwest Room.
In addition to the annual gifting of Golden Beavers Scholarships, the Scholarship Committee is also proud to present the second year of Hughbanks Family Scholarships, named for Foundation co-founder C. David Hughbanks ’54. C. David granted a substantial portion of his estate to the Golden Beavers Scholarship Committee, to bestow upon worthy applicants attending schools and trade programs locally in Washington state. Questions? Email Foundation Executive Director and Co-Founder Dick Lee ’61 at rjlee@seattleschools.org. Learn more about the Ballard High School Foundation scholarship opportunities for next year (luncheon on June 7, 2026) and students be sure to app
Equity with Music Lessons
Double Your Gift for Private Music Lesson Scholarships With the Performing Arts & BHS Foundation Fundraiser
Make a Difference in the Lives of BHS Student Performers
In 2021, the Ballard High School Foundation had a special “ask” at the Celebrating All Things Ballard Auction in support of the Ballard Performing Arts’ (BPA) effort to make private lessons equitable and affordable to anyone. Our amazing donors answered the call, giving more than $24,000 for the program. Since the 2021 auction event, the Ballard High School Foundation and BPA Boosters have been working to make these lessons more equitable and accessible to all Ballard Performing Arts students.
The 2021 donations went a long way, however, now more funds are needed for Ballard’s young talented performers of today and tomorrow. “We have exhausted those funds, and we have some students who are still very interested in taking lessons, but do not have the means to do so,” said Band Director Jay Gillespie. Through Dec. 31, 2024 the Ballard High School Foundation will be matching gifts for the Ballard Performing Arts, up to $4,000 total in match. Please continue to help us make these music lessons equitable for ALL Ballard Music students by considering a donation today!
Thank You For Your Donation Today To Private Music Lesson Scholarships
Golden Beavers Scholarship Luncheon 23-24
Congratulations Ballard HS Students!
At its 35th Annual Scholarship Luncheon Saturday, June 2, 2024 in the Ray’s Boathouse Northwest Room, with Ballard HS Alumni, families and friends in attendance, the Ballard High School Foundation celebrated its largest distribution of scholarships yet — a massive $187,000 worth — to 44 hard working Beaver seniors.
This year, we are proud to have introduced the life-changing Hughbanks Family Scholarships, named for our friend and late Ballard High School Foundation co-founder C. David Hughbanks ’54 who granted a substantial portion of his estate to the Golden Beaver Scholarship Committee, to bestow upon worthy applicants attending a college or a trade program in Washington State. The scholarship is shared over a two-year period with the recipients.
Congratulations to all the recipients of the Foundation’s Golden Beaver Scholarships and Hughbanks Scholarships, and their families.
Learn more about the Ballard High School Foundation. Photo c/o Bruce Johnson/Rowland Studio.
Golden Beavers Scholarship Recipients 2023
The Ballard High School Foundation awarded $37,000 in scholarships to 23 graduating seniors at the Golden Beavers Scholarship Luncheon at Picolinos Ristorante.
Congratulations to all the recipients and thanks to the Ballard High School Foundation for their long-time support of our graduates through their scholarship program! From 1988 to 2023…Ballard High School students have received 419 Golden Beavers Scholarships for a total of $862,307. Thank you for supporting these hard-working graduates!
Read all about the luncheon in the May 2023 Issue of the Ballard HS Student Newspaper the Talisman.
The Ballard High School Foundation Golden Beavers Scholarships Announcement 2024
The Golden Beaver Scholarship Committee is excited to announce even more life-changing scholarships through a recent substantial donation from the estate of Ballard High School Foundation Co-Founder C. David Hughbanks ’54. The Scholarship Committee is looking to award students who have an array of interests, backgrounds, academic achievements, and post-high school educational goals, so make sure to apply to be considered! New! Hughbanks Family Scholarships are awarded to students pursuing further academic or trade education in Washington State and will prioritize students with situational or financial need. Awards are $2,500 to $5,000 for two years.
Ballard Cares
Ballard Cares was set up in early April 2020 to help Ballard High School students and their families who are struggling with impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ballard Cares was a partnership between the Ballard High School Foundation, the Ballard High School PTSA and Ballard High School.
In just two weeks, the Ballard Cares campaign to raise money for BHS families in need surpassed $60,000. The donations helped secure purchasing grocery store gift cards for more than 50 families every two weeks through the end of Ju
About The Ballard High School Foundation
The Ballard High School Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization with support from Ballard High School Alumni and with a mission to support the students, faculty and administration of Ballard High School and enrich the school’s programs and activities so that Ballard High School will continue to be a world-class learning center for the benefit of the Seattle Community. Visit the Ballard HS Foundation website for more information.
About
As the oldest high school in Seattle, Ballard High School has a proud tradition of excellence. The Ballard High School Foundation is comprised of proud graduates of Ballard High School and our supporters.
History of the Foundation
The Ballard High School Foundation was founded in 1997 by C. David Hughbanks ’54, and Dick Lee ’61, along with then-Beaver principal Chuck Chinn, the same year as the groundbreaking of the new school building. Since its inception The Foundation has provided countless hours of support and raised almost millions for the school.
Programs
The Ballard High School Foundation is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt non-profit organization formed in 1997 – Federal Tax ID #91-1811275.
Ballard High School Foundation Mission Statement:
Support the students, faculty and administration of Ballard High School and enrich the school’s programs and activities so that Ballard High School will be a world-class learning center for the benefit of the Seattle community. At the Ballard High School Foundation, we have many programs in support of our Mission Statement.
Past projects funded by the Ballard High School Foundation include the Greenhouse, the Earl Kelly Performing Arts Center Sound System, the Ballard High School Library, the Orre Nobles Art Collection, Athletic Supplies, Music Supplies and the Henry Bendele Strength Facility.
Current projects including the Ballard High School Foundation Golden Beaver Scholarships include an Endowment and the GAINS Project to assist struggling students.
Support
Your Support Is Key!
We are truly grateful for the generosity of the many supporters of Ballard High School Foundation who have provided the vision, financial means and the volunteer efforts to make our mission possible!
Events
From the Annual Golf Classic and Dinner of Champions to the Running of the Beavers, and Breakfast of Champions there are opportunities for you to show up and make a difference for Ballard High School. Learn more about these events on the Ballard HS Foundation website.
The Logs
We publish the Log twice a year. We introduce the year’s scholars and highlight events and programs in today’s Ballard High School as well as offering a platform for class notes to keep old friends in touch.
Class Reunions
Watch this page for announcements and resources for planned Ballard HS Alumni Reunions! Also check Facebook Accounts too!
Contact Us
We would love to hear from you!
If you are an alumnus, a current student or parent, or just interested in donating to or becoming involved with our foundation, feel free to contact us. Select an option below so that we can direct inquiry, or fill out the form at the bottom of the page for a general inquiry. You may also reach us by mail at: PO Box 17626 Seattle WA 98127.
Your donations allow us to continue offering a full range of programs that support all students at Ballard High School. Want to get on our mailing list? Sign Up Today.
For more information, visit the Ballard High School Foundation Website or contact Co-Founder; Executive Director, Dick Lee at rjlee@seattleschools.org
As of June 17, 2026