Didier Gincig in his Orcas Rec office
After 15 years, Didier Gincig, coordinator of the Orcas Island Recreation Program (Orcas Rec) says he takes pride that “I’ve been able, all these years, to get along well with the community — children and adults — and establish a network of collaboration.
“We’ve created opportunities for kids — think of the people who’ve played sports, been on stage, created art and crafts, and just played together. To do these things — and they love it — it affects them for years and they pass it on to their kids and future generations.”
Didier announced in May that he will be leaving Orcas Rec, and the County Parks Department has been given the go-ahead to hire a replacement for Gincig, but he expects to be a fixture at his county office in the Senior Services building in Eastsound through the summer.
He looks forward to the soccer camp and Steve Braun triathalon that close out the summer months, and plans to provide a “seamless transition”for his replacement.
Gincig says of his departure as coordinator of Orcas Rec: “There comes a time when we re-define ourselves and don’t always know what that’s going to look like, but you know it’s time to do so, and for me it’s time to see what’s next.”
He plans to continue to distribute EarthBalls, having already established accounts with the United Nations and several museums, including the Boston Museum of Science.
His company, Planet Earth Gifts, will expand and have more earth products. He also expects to be doing a lot of free-lance work “putting together events for the community. creating more opportunities for the community to learn about sustainability .”
As for Orcas Rec, he hopes the program will maintain its current level and “find a wonderfully enthusiastic person to take the position.”
His ticks off his advice for his replacement:
— don’t get flustered when faced with problem
— plan fun things for people
— listen
— be thorough
— follow through
— use organizational skills
Orcas Rec has employed Gincig’s assistant, Gina Burger, who has dealt with insurance, contracts, and “a lot of minutinae” for the last three years. Gincig says, “The next person will get an all-star assistant in Gina.”
Orcas Rec has been underwritten10% by the County Parks department in past years, but cuts this year mean Funding from the county has been essential to Orcas Rec, Gincig says, and so he has had to cut some summer classes, raise prices and limit scholarships.
“We’re still doing our best to keep things affordable,” he says, and adds that community support, including funds from service organizations, grants, donations, Orcas Island Community Foundation and United Way has “really helped a lot, as has the collaboration with Orcas Center, Orcas School District, YMCA Camp Orkila, and the Orcas Athletic Club.”
Orcas Rec operates out of a small office in the Senior Center/County building in Eastsound. The program doesn’t have a “homebase” per se for its programs, “so we go here and there,” says Gincig.
Over the years, he has seen changing needs for kids, chiefly, “a great place to be while parents were working.”
“Orcas Rec offers opportunities for kids to be kids. It may not always be easy to be a kid but Orcas Rec lets kids enjoy each others’ company and be with adults who enjoy being with them,” says Gincig.
Meanwhile, county councilors hold out faint hope that they may be able to find funding for Orcas Rec through the county budget, and a[intlink id=”petition-circulates-to-form-orcas-recreation-district” type=”post”] petition is circulating[/intlink] to establish a park and recreation district to take over Orcas Rec programs. But for the present, “the community keeps the doors open,” says Gincig, and checks are always welcome at Orcas Rec, PO Box 1644, Eastsound WA 98245. www.orcasrec.org
