Letter to the Editor: Island Rec has benefited island kids year-round for 15 years

“Mom, there’s nothing to do on Orcas in the summer!” is a complaint that should be heard less and less this year. The Orcas Island Summer Recreation Program was founded in order to bring a variety of activities and events to children, families, and residents of the community.”
Islands’ Sounder, June 15, 1994

I understand that the county is considering eliminating the $10,000 that had been budgeted for the Orcas Island Recreation Program for the upcoming year. As the original co-director of the program (and author of the above initial press release) I feel compelled to comment on this possibility.

The Orcas Island Recreation Program began from a county grant and was implemented by a local board consisting of Cy Fraser, Mandy Bartram Randolph, Barry Acker, Leith Templin, Lynn Richards, Craig Sanders and chaired by Gretchen Krampf. My co-director, Risa Birnbach, and I had very little time before the summer began but we set up a phone in a home and quickly put together an offering that included pick-up sports games and clinics, arts and crafts workshops, an open game time at a room in the high school and a few more activities. It was a very rudimentary beginning.

Since that time the program has grown and flourished under the outstanding leadership and vision of Didier Gincig. It has completely changed the way children, teens and adults live on Orcas, not just in the summer but all year long. I cannot imagine that $10,000 in any county budget anywhere could have more positive impact than it has had on Orcas Island.

I hope the county can find a way to keep supporting this recreation program. It is well managed and locally supported, meets the community needs, and provides an infrastructure to connect people in a way that will be impossible to duplicate if the program is not able to continue.

In terms of getting the most out of our tax dollars, this program more than meets the criteria.

Sincerely,
Kathi Ciskowski