||| FROM HILARY CANTY |||
Looking around Orcas, it is easy to spot the many legacy gifts that help make our community a great place to live. There is the school track, which was donated in honor of Bob Henigson thanks to Phyllis Henigson and family. It is a great resource for all of Orcas. It spawned a robust track program at the High School and it is available to all community members-those improving their fitness, recouping from surgeries, as well as practicing for races, and now a training place for Wildland Firefighters. Other legacy gifts include Library Park, the Lundeen Room at the Senior Center, the Library expansion, most of the Medical Clinic building, the water fountain on the Green and so many more.
Perhaps the biggest legacy gift Orcas has received is Moran State Park thanks to Robert Moran. This Sunday, the park will host the Bill Yarlott Fishing Derby at Cascade Lake. The event is enhanced by yet another legacy gift honoring Jeffery Pyne. Jeffery found great joy in life through fishing and his family wanted to instill this love in others. They established an endowment in his honor with the Orcas Island Community Foundation. Every year, the endowment funds the purchase of fishing gear for youth participating in the Derby, passing on Jeff’s passion for fishing to a new generation. If you have a child who is interested in participating in the Derby, contact Orcas Adventures to register and head on out to Cascade Lake this Sunday.
We all have the opportunity to leave this island a gift for all it has given us. Leaving a legacy, be it a great park or a simple fishing rod, carries your love of Orcas forward long after you have gone. What would you like to leave for future generations to enjoy?
Tomorrow is the Funhouse Science Fair, a great way to enjoy a rainy Saturday. Swing by between 12 and 4 to see all of the creative experiments that local students have been working on.
Finally, we are in search of a donated laptop for the new dental clinics to access their online patient portal and display xrays. If you have a pc that is running word 2008 or better and are interested in donating it for this purpose, please contact Hilary Canty at 360-376-6423
All the best-
