So much of our work can seem abstract, but this year our donors helped remind us about the real reason they share in our work protecting Washington’s outdoors.
Here are some of our favorite things they said this year:
Maryanne Tagney: “You go out, you conserve the land and it’s available to the people. It’s a very concrete thing. You can go out, stand in a field, and look at it.”
Rance Block: “It’s important to have a cup of coffee and listen to the needs of outdoor users. … It is important to realize that people utilize our lands differently and it’s important to find a way to incorporate their support.”
Karen Munro: “It’s so important that people of all ages have access to outdoor recreation. Kids need soccer and ballfields, cyclists need trails, and seniors [like those in my racewalking group] need to have facilities to walk, practice and compete.”
Jon Soine: “I often invite people to visit the Kiwanis Park in Mount Vernon that I think should be the show park of the Coalition. They can watch the patients like my aunt roll out of the nursing home on one end to watch the young kids play in the fountain, or watch the older kids play baseball or basketball, or the kids can come across the wetland paths from the Section 8 housing to play ball. This is what our Coalition is all about!”
Elspeth Hilton: “What are your five favorite places to visit in Washington? Parks, trails, playgrounds, state parks, you name it. You would find that many of these places have benefited from the Coalition’s work. It’s not a given that funding will always be there to preserve what we have. That’s why the Coalition’s work to ensure these projects are funded is so critical!”
Gary Worthington: “It’s been extremely gratifying to see how popular the park [Cama Beach] is with the public — families playing on the beach and staying in the cabins, flying kites, attending the interpretive activities, walking the trails, geocaching, and just hanging out in the new Cama Center building and cafe. The most fulfilling part of the project itself was the enthusiastic participation by the wider community.”
Carrie Bates: “Ensuring there will be spectacular outdoor places for all of us to enjoy is an ongoing pursuit. I’ll never be far away from the Coalition and the work it does.”