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Sunday, April 01, 2007
The Columbian

The new Innovative Services NW building planned near Westfield Vancouver mall will be named for philanthropist Mary Firstenburg.

Ed Firstenburg, founder and former chairman of First Independent Bank, announced the naming Saturday night.

The Firstenburgs gave $1 million for the $6.7 million building, to be called The Mary Firstenburg Family Center. They were honored Saturday at the fifth annual Caring Heart Awards dinner, at Vancouver's Heathman Lodge.

Innovative Services NW has been in Clark County for 44 years. Its five agencies serve more than 900 children and adults with disabilities.

The contribution, the largest from a single donor, will help leverage an additional $1.9 million in state funding, according to information released Wednesday. If awarded, the state money will bring the total to $6.5 million.

The $1 million donation is the latest in a long series of charitable contributions made by the Firstenburg family. A new patient tower at Southwest Washington Medical Center, a new student commons at Washington State University Vancouver, and the Firstenburg Community Center have all been built with money from the family.

Innovative Services NW's Caring Heart Awards honor people and organizations that have used their talents to make the lives of children and adults with disabilities better.

Awards at Saturday's dinner went to Al and Sandee Kirkwood, Kassie Fisk, Monica Meyer, The Assistance League of Southwest Washington, Ronda Peterson, Equity Group Foundation, Cinetopia and Jim Demetro.