Paint, plants, pleasant weather for Beautiful Day projects

With more than 150 volunteers on hand working through the morning, April 26 was deemed another successful Sequim Beautiful Day.

The annual community service effort led by local churches with business’ support, helped paint, landscape, and finish many projects at schools and sites around the Sequim area.

“They’re accomplishing the impossible,” said Kevin Harkins, a board member for Sarge’s Veterans Support that operates LtCOL James Minsky Place, a permanent housing facility for up to six disabled and/or elderly veterans.

During Beautiful Day, volunteers built wheelchair-accessible planter boxes, planted trees, berry bushes, and flowers, and placed bark.

Harkins said New Dungeness Nursery donated plants and a landscaping plan, That Yard Guy dug holes and removed large rocks, and Brady Trucking Co., Inc. Cascade Bark and Thomas Building Center also made donations.

Minsky Place opened last May and hosts five disabled veterans who permanently live in the facility and pay rent, he said.

Pam Meyer with Sequim Community Church helped at the site, and said “it’s a great way to help the community especially where the projects are too big for them to do.”

Volunteers came from Dungeness Community Church, Sequim Community Church, Sequim Valley Foursquare Church, Trinity United Methodist Church and Thrive Church Sequim.

They helped with various projects at Carrie Blake Community Park’s Bocce ball court, Greywolf Elementary School, Helen Haller Elementary School, Olympic Christian School, Sequim Boys & Girls Club, Sequim Little Explorers Learning Center and Minsky Place.

Kevin Greenlee with Sequim Valley Foursquare Church said this was his fifth year helping during Sequim Beautiful Day.

“It’s good to give back, and I appreciate what the (Boys & Girls Club) does for the youth,” he said.

He and other church volunteers painted a bathroom and a portion of the reception area in the club with paint donated by Rodda Paint.

Babbette Tyler with The Promise of Life Cafe and a team of volunteers provided free gourmet burgers to all volunteers. She said Sequim Beautiful Day and the cafe can be summed up by The Gospel of John in the Bible and Jesus’ acts.

“(This shows 150-plus) people care about our community and are willing to take time off from their Saturday to help,” she said.

Beautiful Day started in the Silicon Valley in 2004 and was brought to Sequim in 2017 with a two-year break during the pandemic. Rev. Rick Dietzman at Sequim Community Church, helped start the effort in California and bring it to Sequim

“Our desire is to empower those we relate to in our church community, and already work alongside with in local organizations, businesses and schools, to get out and make a big difference in our area at least one weekend a year each April,” he said in a previous interview.

For more about Sequim Beautiful Day, visit sequim beautifulday.org and see more photos at facebook.com/SequimBeautifulDay.

Sequim Gazette photos by Matthew Nash Pam Meyer, a Sequim Community Church volunteer, helps remove tags from trees planted at LtCol James Minsky Place on April 26 for Sequim Beautiful Day. She and 17 other church volunteers built planter boxes, planted trees, flowers and bushes to support the facility for elderly and/or disabled veterans. “(Beautiful Day is) a great way to help the community especially where the projects are too big for them to do,” she said.

Kevin Harkins, a board member of Sarge’s Veterans Support, and volunteers from Sequim Community Church fill wheelchair-accessible planter boxes for LtCol James Minsky Place, a home for elderly and/or disabled veterans. “They’re accomplishing the impossible,” Harkins said of efforts from businesses and volunteers. Large rocks were removed and a landscaping plan, bark, trees, flowers and bushes were all donated for the project, he said.

Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Volunteers placed bark and planted trees, bushes and flowers at LtCol Minsky Place on April 26 for Sequim Beautiful Day.