Spring GiveOrcas kicks off with party at Orcas Center

||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION |||

Spring GiveOrcas is a few weeks away! Please mark your calendars for our GiveOrcas Kick-Off Party at Orcas Center on Tuesday, May 12 from 4-6pm. All ages are welcome to celebrate spring and meet the 31 nonprofits taking part in Spring GiveOrcas. Light bites, beverages, kids’ art activities, music, and lots of community joy will be provided. We even have fun games planned that will give you a chance to win additional funding for your favorite grantees!

We are excited to invite local businesses to support nonprofits through GiveOrcas this spring as Business Partners in Philanthropy. By supporting GiveOrcas, local businesses can help strengthen the community, which in turn fuels economic vitality crucial to improving the quality of life for all. Businesses can participate in several ways, by helping to promote the campaign, making our kick-off party a success, or by making a meaningful contribution to support grantmaking. Learn more on our website and sign up online.

As we wrap up our celebration of National Volunteer Month, we’d like to celebrate and thank all of our Orcas Island volunteers that contribute their time and energy to make Orcas Island thrive. Here are two additional volunteers lending a helping hand:

Ken Carrasco has supported Friends of the San Juans with six years of steady and thoughtful leadership on the Board of Directors, including serving as President for the final two years of his term. From captaining safety boats to assisting with community science trainings, Ken’s dedication to shoreline ecosystems and the Salish Sea has benefited Friends of the San Juans, and the broader island community, in countless ways.

Jen Taylor is one of the amazing volunteers at Orcas Island Historical Museums that they cannot do without. Jen is a reliable, cheerful, and dedicated volunteer who has spent the winter overhauling and re-organizing our administrative filing cabinets – a major project that still continues! We are grateful for Jen’s work that enables the Museum to continue to preserve and celebrate Orcas Island’s unique history. Thank you Jen!

Read more about each of these inspiring individuals on our website!

See you around the island this weekend – there are plenty of activities to help you kick off spring, including the A*OK Student Art Exhibit opening tonight at Orcas Center, the OIFF Spring Mini Fest, the annual Bill Yarlott Youth Fishing Derby or the Earth Day Orcas Walk for Peace and Eco Fair happening Saturday in Eastsound.

Enjoy the sun!