Preserving the past, building the community and connecting people to their heritage, these are the three main goals of the Eastside Heritage Center, an organization that hosts the largest collection of artifacts related to East King County.

During the center’s recent annual benefit fundraiser, Metropolitan King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn announced the center will receive funds to support their continued commitment to cultural education.

The funds the center will receive come from the 2015-2016 King County Biennial Budget.

“I know from my role as a County Council member, a former member of the Eastside Heritage Center Board, and a longtime resident of the Eastside, what a great organization and incredible resource the center is for the community,” Dunn said in a press release from the county. “I am honored to have had the chance to advocate for and secure these funds that will go towards the center’s continued commitment to education and outreach.”

“Thank you to King County and Councilmember Reagan Dunn for the generous support of $5,000 towards the preservation and stewardship of Eastside history,” said Heather Trescases, executive director, Eastside Heritage Center. “As the Eastside continues on a path of rapid growth and significant change, connections to the people, places and organizations that shaped this community are being lost. The county’s contribution will help Eastside Heritage Center in its efforts to ensure that the children of today and tomorrow have an understanding of the past, building a strong sense of community identity and belonging.”

In 2015, the Eastside Heritage Center connected with over half a million people through its programs and services.

The center maintains and preserves a collection of more than 60,000 artifacts, photos, oral histories and other archival material, telling the stories of generations of individuals, families and businesses that have shaped Bellevue and the Eastside.

Through its stewardship and outreach, the Eastside Heritage Center has a track record of engaging a changing and diverse population with the Eastside’s history, creating opportunities for multi-generational and cross-cultural dialogue.