Man dream’s up city’s cornerstone event | Sammamish Heroes

Published 9:00 am Sunday, June 26, 2016

I will never forget the day I was waiting for my car’s oil change to be done. I had a couple of my children with me, and I met a very interesting fellow. His name was Loren Staybolt.

We talked a bit, and got to know each other. I remember how impressed he was with my contributions to the world of autism. As time went on, I became more and more aware of how dedicated Loren has been to many causes here in our city of Sammamish. Loren is not only motivated to do things for others to make the world a better place, but this type of service is what makes him tick. It is the air that keeps him alive, it is what gets him up in the morning.

Many of you have heard of the Sammi Awards. This is an annual event that has been taking place for 14 years. Where did this idea come from? Well, Loren thought it would be nice to set up an event that honored citizens in our city. He got it started with a group of friends who shared the same goals, and now it is run by an independent board — so the tradition lives on.

This incredible cornerstone in our city had its birth in 2002. At the beginning, it was small and the attendance was minimal, but as the program and awareness grew, so did the event. The Sammi Awards has been housed at several of the local theaters in the area, from Eastlake, to Skyline, to some of the larger churches in the area. Every time I have attended this event, I have been inspired by people like Loren, who give to others without any expectation of return.

Loren has always believed in young people. When he was living in California, he helped start a huge Church Athletic Association that involved some 75 church groups and at-risk teens. Approximately 10,000 youth were involved in this major undertaking, which resulted in positive communication in Los Angeles between many varied organizations. Loren spent many years on the Executive Board of the Boys and Girls Club.

Here in Sammamish, Loren has run the Cascade Classic International Basketball Tournament, which he spear-headed for several years. Inviting teams from California, Canada, as well as local teams to this tournament, Loren has found much success in giving girls basketball teams a wonderful experience in working together, learning from mentors, workshops, a brain game and inspirational speakers.

One of the previous coaches who attended the Cascade Classic said, “We loved that Loren organized the girls at a dinner so that they were able to connect with a sponsor and community leader as well as athletes from other teams. The girls loved to hear from Swen Nater, a former professional basketball player and inspirational speaker.”

The positive outcome of this event is hard to measure, but as Loren gears up for another year of the Cascade Classic, I look forward to seeing what wonderful things come of it.

Amy McOmber is a 22-year resident of the Sammamish plateau.