In light of Beautify Bonney Lake’s ever-growing success, the people of Enumclaw and Buckley are organizing their own city-wide clean up events this year.
On Sept. 8, city residents can meet organizers at either the Boise Creek Park (1300 Southeast 469th Street) in Enumclaw or the Buckley Youth Center (on 251 South River Road) at 9 a.m. to help with various beautification projects around their respective cities until around noon.
Jeri Gamblin, the overall organizer behind this event, has wanted to ride Beautify Bonney Lake’s coattails for years.
“I would love to see something like that happen here,” she said. “But I know it takes years for something like that. So this is our first go at it.”
Each city will have four or five different projects residents can volunteer at.
In Enumclaw, city Parks Director Michelle Larson said volunteers will be working around Triangle Park, the Foothills Trail trailhead, Veteran’s Memorial Park, and MacFarland Park doing some weeding, pruning and trimming work.
Larson added she’s working on coming up with additional projects, just in case more than the hoped-for 50 to 60 volunteers show up.
And in Buckley, workers will be focussing on landscaping around the Youth Center, planting along River Road, cleaning up the Veteran’s Memorial, and painting picnic tables around the general area, said Amy Molen, who’s organized these projects.
If there’s any additional time or extra people, they may also tackle a painting project at the Senior Center.
There were will be some city tools available for the work, but Gamblin recommends people bring their own work gloves (there will be none provided) and light gardening tools, so there is no shortage if more people than expected turn up to the event.
“Be prepared to do whatever needs to be done,” she said. “Prepare to get dirty.”
There is no need to bring any painting materials or tools.
While Gamblin is known across the Plateau as a prominent member of the local Church of Latter-Day Saints, this project is not affiliated with the church — she just wants people to show civic pride and give back to the communities that do a lot for them.
If all goes well, she plans for this to eventually become a yearly event.
There is no sign-up sheet or need to register online; you just need to show up, rain or shine, with a can-do attitude. If you have questions, you can call the cities of Enumclaw of Buckley, or call Gamblin at (360) 825-3594 or email at jerigamblin@gmail.com.
15 YEARS OF BEAUTIFY BONNEY LAKE
Beautify Bonney Lake is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year the week after Enumclaw and Buckley’s event on Saturday, Sept. 15 from 8:30 a.m. to noon.
Billed as the biggest community volunteer event in the state, between 600 and 700 residents show up at the Bonney Lake Transit Center every year at the start of the event to be bussed to two dozen different projects around the area.
After work is finished, volunteers are brought back to the transit center for a free lunch, provided by Frankie’s, Domino’s, Pizza Hut and WalMart.
This year, the event is celebrating its volunteers with the theme, “Because of you!” which will be featured on the free t-shirts given to volunteers.
In other news, Keep America Beautiful will be helping Beautify Bonney Lake later this year by renovating the Bonney Lake Community Garden. More than 20 volunteers from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in Sumner will spearhead the project, said Beautify Bonney Lake chairperson Justin Evans.
In addition to new benches, fencing, driveway rocks and upgrades to the raised garden boards, the group has also donated $10,000 to the garden.
Finally, Beautify Bonney Lake was one of 90 organizations to receive the American Family Insurance Community Award as part of the company’s 90th anniversary, which also came with a $3,500 donation.
“Over 17,000 nominees and BBL was fortunate enough to be one of the first 25 groups to receive this great honor,” Evans said in an email interview. “[Jennifer Ferrell of American Family Insurance], along with Keep America Beautiful will be our premier sponsors, along with BECU, DM Disposal, the City of Bonney Lake and all the other amazing sponsors as always for helping make this possible.”
