Philanthropist and former Seattle Mariner Jamie Moyer, and his wife, Karen, are the recipients of the 2011 Seattle-King County First Citizen Award.
The longtime Magnolia residents were named the 73rd honorees of the award for their work in founding and developing The Moyer Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on providing encouragement and comfort for children enduring physical, emotional or financial distress.
The couple will be honored at a civic banquet to be held on Thursday, May 19, at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel.
In just ten years, their charitable organization has raised more than $20 million to help support more than 225 different programs that provide help to children facing a variety of hardships.
“As devoted parents, tireless volunteers and generous, hands-on philanthropists, the Moyers exemplify the heart and soul of the First Citizen Award,” said event chair and Realtor Roni Strupat.
The award, established in 1939 by the SEATTLE King County REALTORS®, was conceived to commemorate positive civic endeavors taking place in the midst of global turmoil and economic hardships.
Since inception, the First Citizen Award continues to celebrate community leadership, volunteerism and public service.
The Moyers established their foundation in 2000 while he played for the Seattle Mariners. Although the Moyer family now splits their time between Florida and Seattle, and they recently announced plans to add an East Coast office, the national headquarters of The Moyer Foundation will remain in Seattle.
Karen Moyer, a 1987 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and daughter of legendary men’s college basketball coach Digger Phelps, serves as a board member for numerous health and children’s organizations.
She founded Magnolia Baseball Club, a youth baseball organization that uses baseball as a tool for preparing young men ages 13 to18 in the areas of teamwork and life.
The couple have developed a series of camps to help kids from all walks of life who are facing difficult physical and emotional difficulties, including the first-of-its-kind bereavement camp and a day camp for kids facing family addicition issues.
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