Hatchers awarded MLK Medal of Distinguished Service

Auburn couple honored for their work to help others in the community

King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer on Tuesday awarded Auburn residents Amy and John Hatcher with the Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service, an award that recognizes individuals whose work has answered the question asked by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “What are you doing for others?”

“Amy and John Hatcher have planted the seeds in our community that have allowed so many organizations to bloom and flourish,” von Reichbauer said. “Without their contributions of time and in-kind donations, so many of our community nonprofits would not have been able to provide critical resources to those they serve. John and Amy may have worked behind the scenes, but with this award, their work is finally being recognized.”

For more than 25 years, the Hatchers have been deeply involved in South King County as small business owners. Café Pacific Catering (formerly Café Pacific Restaurant) was founded in Federal Way in 1989 and is currently located in Auburn.

From the outset, Amy and John got involved in supporting local civic organizations. Since then, they have regularly volunteered not only their time and resources, but also significant in-kind contributions to numerous important South King County nonprofit and community organizations, helping these organizations host annual fundraisers that fund important community work.

Amy and John’s community involvement has included volunteering with a variety of organizations, including the Federal Way Soroptimist Club, the Seattle Christian School, and The Girl Scouts. They have also generously donated their resources and food to dozens of nonprofit and community organizations. For the last 25 years, Café Pacific has provided food, equipment, and cooks to the Federal Way Kiwanis Club’s Annual Salmon Bake below cost, during their busiest month of the year, enabling the Club to provide critical scholarships to students.

They also partner annually every summer with the State Department of Natural Resources to provide meals for firefighters in Central and Eastern Washington during wildfire season.

This marks the fifth year that councilmembers have each selected someone from their district whose work embodies the spirit of King’s question.