Golden couple Herb and Shirley Bridge to be honored in 24-karat evening

Seattle business and community leaders will receive 2003 E. Donnall Thomas Medal of Achievement

Herb and Shirley Bridge are truly a couple who sparkle. These two gems of the Seattle community are widely known as people whose character, generosity and passion extend far beyond the norm.

Appropriately, on June 14 they will receive one of the region's most prestigious honors: the E. Donnall Thomas Medal of Achievement. Each year, the Fred Hutchinson Business Alliance bestows the award on local business leaders who have dedicated their lives to excellence.

Herb Bridge is co-chairman of Ben Bridge Jeweler, a 91-year-old business with 71 retail locations in 11 states. Affectionately known as "Mr. Downtown," Bridge has received many distinctive honors for his community and business accomplishments, including the Seattle-King County 2001 First Citizen Award and induction in the National Jeweler's Hall of Fame. His involvement and leadership have included dozens of causes including the co-chairmanship with his son of the 2000 United Way Campaign, which raised $93.3 million. He also has championed housing for low-income people and taught Sunday school.

A former senior admiral in the U.S. Naval Reserves, Bridge served in World War II and the Korean War and was an active reservist for more than four decades. He received two Legion of Merit awards and the Naval Unit Commendation.

Shirley Bridge has the distinction of being one of the state's first female registered pharmacists. She is a founding board member of AIDS Housing of Washington and an active community leader who has worked on women's and children's issues, health care and human rights. She has served on the boards of numerous health-care organizations and has been a volunteer with Hadassah, the League of Women Voters and Swedish Hospital. In 1992 she received the Dorothy Bullitt Woman of Achievement Award from the Women's Funding Alliance.

Shirley and Herb received the 1995 A.K. Guy Award from the YMCA of Greater Seattle for exemplary volunteerism. The Museum of History and Industry honored the couple with its Seattle Heritage Award in 1993.

As testimony to their philosophy of sharing with others, when the Bridges celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, they opted against a big bash and instead sent $50 checks to more than 300 friends, asking that they send them on to their favorite charities.

Married for 55 years, the couple raised two sons and are now the proud grandparents of four.

Fred Hutchinson Business Alliance

A group of business leaders united to conquer cancer, the Fred Hutchinson Business Alliance (formerly known as the NorthWest Industry Partnership) presents the E. Donnall Thomas Medal of Achievement annually to a local individual or couple who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of excellence.

Named for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's Dr. E. Donnall Thomas-who won the 1990 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for pioneering bone-marrow transplantation-the Thomas Medal honors those whose careers symbolize the inspiration, vision and leadership for which Thomas is renowned.

Entering its eighth year, the Thomas Medal dinner has become one of the region's premier fund-raising events, typically drawing more than 1,000 people. The dinner has raised more than $8 million for cancer research.

This year's dinner will be held June 14 at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. For more information, contact Kit Herrod at (206) 667-5543.

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