One promise that I had made to myself when I was in my late 20’s was that I would strive to never allow myself weak excuses for not being physically active. At that time an acquaintance of mine, Jim Payton, a very active and inspiring runner and high school coach, who had run numerous marathons, had just been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and was forced to stop running. It was what he loved and it was stripped away from him through no fault of his own in a very short period of time. Every race I ran after that came from a place of doing it for all those who wish they could but can’t. I used to say to myself, on those days when it was so tough to get out of bed early and put on the running shoes, “Jim would give anything to go for a run today, so stop whining and get out there for all those who can’t.” That has stuck with me for all these years and has driven me in many areas of my life. You never know what tomorrow brings so be the best you can be every day and do everything you can today as to not have regret tomorrow.

That brings me to Camano Island. I have not only found my “happy place” to live, but have also found a career that offers me rewards beyond any paycheck I could imagine. I teach fall prevention fitness courses called SAIL (Stay Active and Independent for Life) and OTAGO, to aging adults at Camano Center. I currently teach to well over 100 students per week, most of whom have numerous health conditions, including cancer, Parkinson’s, varying forms of dementia, worn out joints, osteoporosis, fusions, immune diseases, diabetes, brain damage and the list goes on and on. I am moved to tears each week at the effort and progress that my class participants make due to their commitment to gain strength and balance. It is incredibly inspiring, rewarding and fulfilling. It’s also difficult to watch these once dynamic, active and successful people struggle to simply put one foot in front of the other due to their physical limitations. I can only hope, each day, that the social camaraderie and exercise is helping them to live their best lives and feel a sense of accomplishment and happiness in addition to the physical health benefits. I can honestly say that each and every class puts a smile on my face and fills my heart with extreme appreciation and if the participants gain even a fraction of what I do then I consider it a huge success.

Now to June 24^th, 2023 at the Camano Center Crab Dash. I was asked to lead the warm up before the 5K walk/run. Of course it was a compliment to be asked and I was very much looking forward to that, but more importantly, I had encouraged my class participants to sign up for and walk the 5K if they were able. At last count, the age group above 50 years, was over 50% of the total registrants. So, I made it my goal to continue to encourage my students to sign up for the walk and represent the SAIL and OTAGO classes and the strength and ability that is being gained in the classes. I was so proud knowing that so many of them were going to attend. Several of us gathered together at the starting line and off we went. I immediately got lost in conversation with Tesa and Gene, two members of the OTAGO class. Tesa has limited mobility with excruciating pain throughout her body and was using a walker to complete the 5K. Wow! What an inspiration! We spoke about their home, their steep driveway and stories of getting stuck in snow and enjoying vegetables from Island Harvest Farm as we strolled by the farm fields. I also had a great uplifting visit with Jeff, a SAIL participant, about our wonderful community and was just enjoying the slow pace while getting to know my students on a more personal level. At a point about a quarter of the way into the walk, I looked back and noticed one of my students Jerry, and his wife, getting ready to come down a steep hill. Jerry was also using a walker and I became concerned about him coming down the hill and not being able to control the speed of the walker and decided to run back and check in on him and his wife. It was at that point that I knew by their side is where I would remain for the “race”.

Talking to Mary Jo and Jerry was so interesting. I learned more about Jerry’s diagnosis and evolution of his Parkinson’s disease. I learned a small bit about his service in the Vietnam war and his longtime career, his love of gardening, his drive and tenacity and even learned of difficult losses. The two of them shared and entertained me with stories and parts of their lives the entire 90 minutes we were on the roads of Camano Island. There were times we encouraged Jerry to take a break and he insisted that he keep going. There were only a few times he sat in the walker and Mary Jo, without hesitation, would begin to push the walker. She never complained and took his efforts in stride, knowing full well that he couldn’t be stopped if his mind was set on something. They both said to me several times, “You don’t have to stay with us.” But, I can honestly say, there is absolutely NO PLACE I would rather have been. It was shaping up to be the best race I had ever participated in. Now, when we came upon steep hills, either up or down, to be honest I was nervous and thought how are we going to tackle this and my fear of him falling was growing. But, in Jerry’s mind, and I’m only speculating here, but I don’t think it ever entered his mind that he wouldn’t conquer each stage that we encountered. He’s had so many life experiences preparing him for these moments. I’m sure these hills were nothing in comparison to some parts of his life. But for me, it was an experience that was going into the depths of my hard drive and one of my life’s shaping moments. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give up!!! It’s a motto I have aspired to live by for my entire life, but here I was seeing it play out in a way that drove it home like never before.

At about halfway through the course, we could no longer see any other walkers or runners. In fact, the fastest runners had passed us on their way back to finishing the course before we were even 15 minutes into the race. We were on the course alone going up and down hills, but every so often we would come across a volunteer waiting to cheer us on. They would be clapping and cheering for us, encouraging Jerry and being inspired by what they were seeing. It was magical to see the inspirational affect that Jerry had on so many without him even knowing. My heart swelled and so did my eyes at each of those turns. I’m not going to lie, there were times that I felt we were alone and even a time where I wasn’t sure the speeding car was going to go around us. But alas, we climbed the final hill and came upon the turn back onto Arrowhead Road, the homestretch. This is where we were met by Candi and Bob, two race volunteers cheering, clapping, waving and encouraging Jerry as he crested that last hill. We finally got Jerry to take a short break at that point and that is when Bob and Jerry realized that they knew each other and had a short visit, which also provided a minute of rest. Candi and Bob could not have been more encouraging and were also inspired and moved to tears by Jerry’s determination to complete the course. Being that they had waited for us to reach them, they packed up their belongings and walked in ahead of us. Again, it was just the three of us visiting and walking and knowing that the last leg was now under our feet. We were nearly 90 minutes into the walk and I’m certain that the soles of Jerry’s shoes had likely worn thin due to the shuffling of his feet. I also learned that he had a torn Achilles tendon and plantar fasciitis. Now, just one of those “small” items would have kept most people from leaving their house on this morning, but to Jerry, those were just inconveniences. It really makes you put things into perspective, which the entire 90 minute walk did for me.

Now in our sights was the final turn into the Camano Center and the finish line where the volunteers and several others had gathered to welcome Jerry in with cheers, clapping, chanting and support. By this time, his legs were really getting tired. He was having a tough time controlling the speed of the walker as we descended into the cheering group for the final turn. I kept my hand on the walker slowing it down a bit because the last thing I wanted, with 3 miles behind us, was to have a fall. I can’t imagine what must have been going through Jerry’s mind knowing I was purposefully slowing him down. (Sorry Jerry!) Yet, he and Mary Jo continued to graciously thank me.

As he turned that last corner and sped up to cross the finish line with the commitment, determination and tenacity that he had started with, there wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd cheering for him. I wept. It was the greatest race of my life!

Walking Jerry and Mary Jo to their car, Jerry continued to thank me. No Jerry, thank you!!! You have no idea the strength and courage you showed me and so many others today. I will never forget the race that I lost. I won the best prize that could be awarded!

Thank you to Jerry, Mary Jo, Bonney Eckley and all the staff and volunteers at Camano Center for all that you do and most of all for supporting me in the best job on the planet. And thank you to ALL of the SAIL and OTAGO participants who inspire me and teach me every day to do today what I may not be able to do tomorrow and to do it with grace and a smile.

Traci Smith/Camano Fit

Dear Camano Center Friends, If you are considering supporting the Camano Center’s “Safe & Secure” project or any other project in SCAF’s SCGIVE on-line campaign on Tuesday, November 30, here are a few tips to make your donation dollars go even further! These prizes apply to on-line donations only.  We are available 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday if you want us to help you with the on-line donation process for any project.  Follow this link to find the Camano Center’s  project on-line:  https://scgive.org/2021_camanocenter  If you want to donate and must write a check, we can accept your check in person between  9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Tuesday, November 30.  Checks must be made out to SCAF (Stanwood Camano Area Foundation).  We will need full contact information from you so that you will receive your donation receipt from the Stanwood Camano Area Foundation.  You are welcome to donate to any project or multiple projects.    The first 20 $50 donations made between midnight and 8 a.m. will be matched by RE/MAX ELEVATE TIP ONE: If you are planning on donating $50, shoot for this time:  Donate between 12:00 AM and 8:00 AM Tuesday if you are planning on donating $50 (since we are trying to be in the first 20 donations, its best if you can donate as close to midnight as possible for this one). This would help the Center (or other projects) be eligible for the Early Bird Prize (Sponsored by RE/MAX Elevate).  Fund matching for the first 10 $100 donations from unique* donors given between 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. will be matched by Lenz Enterprises TIP TWO: If you are planning on donating $100, shoot for this time:  Donate at noon or soon after if you are planning on donating $100. This would help the Center be eligible for the Philanthropist Hour Prize (Sponsored by Lenz Enterprises)   Fund matching for the first 4 $250 donations from unique* donors given between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. will be matched by Coastal Community Bank TIP THREE:   If you are planning on donating $250, shoot for this time: Donate at 5:00 p.m. or soon after that if you are planning on donating $250 This would help the Center be eligible for the Happy Hour Prize (Sponsored by Coastal Community Bank)  Fund matching for the first $1,000 in donations between $100 and $250 made will be matched by Windermere Real Estate TIP FOUR: If you are planning on donating between $100 and $250, shoot for this time:  Donate between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM Tuesday for any amount between $100-$250.  This would help the Center be eligible for the Night Owl Prize (Sponsored by Windermere Real Estate) Follow this link to the SCGive website for more information on all the Camano Island and Stanwood area  #GivingTuesday projects  https://scgive.org/   *Unique donors mean different donors to the same project. In other words, if the same donor donates $100 twice to the same project during the Philanthropist Hour period, only one of the $100 donations will be eligible for the prize. However, the same donor can donate $100 each to different projects and have those all be eligible for the prize. Thank you for your support!

Premier Preview Cocktail Party
September 25, 2021, 4:30pm - 6:30pm  

at the Camano Center, 606 Arrowhead Road, Camano Island, WA  98282

Purchase your tickets for $45 each online at camanocenter.org/gala starting Monday, August 30^th. Ticket Price includes appetizers and 1 cocktail ticket (extra cocktail/drink tickets will be on sale at the event, as well as raffle tickets, etc.). 

ONLINE Super Silent Auction
Opens September 25th at 5:30 p.m. and closes September 29th at 9:00 p.m.

 Anyone can participate, and registration is FREE!

Registration link will be available early September through our website camanocenter.org/gala

Although our auction bidding will be completely online this year, we will be hosting an in-person Premier Preview Party on September 25, 2021.  This is a great opportunity to browse all of the auction items in person, enjoy hearty appetizers and a cocktail (or two!), participate in some fun games, socialize - AND be the first to view and participate in our annual Fund-A-Mission campaign! Tickets are limited so get them quick, starting August 30th! 

Our online Super Silent Auction (you must register for this separately) will be filled with trips, art, gift baskets, gift certificates and more!  Our online auction will open for bidding online the evening of September 25, 2021 (during the preview party!), and close on Wednesday, September 29^th at 9:00 p.m. Again, anyone can participate in the online super silent auction – and registration is free!  The items you purchase in the online auction will be available for pick up at the Camano Center beginning on Friday, October 1st, hours and additional dates to be announced. 

Please contact Cindy Hand at [email protected] or by phone at 360-387-0222 if you need assistance purchasing Preview Party tickets or registering to bid in the online auction.  Thank you for your support!

Tickets are non-refundable, all proceeds directly benefit the mission of the Camano Center. Please note that we plan to hold this event following current covid protocols. We will make adjustments to the event if needed to keep our guests safe.

Welcome Aboard!

Join us for our 15th Annual Premier Fundraising Event   IN PERSON Premier Preview Cocktail Party, September 25, 2021 4:30pm - 6:30pm  at the Camano Center - 606 Arrowhead Road, Camano Island, WA  98282.
Tickets go on sale online Monday, August 30, 2021. See link for purchasing tickets at camanocenter.org/gala.

ONLINE Super Silent Auction Opens September 25, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. and closes September 29, 2021 at 9:00 p.m.  Anyone can participate, and registration is FREE.  Things will look a bit different this year! Our auction will be completely online this year - and our in person Premier Preview Cocktail Party on September 25, 2021 gives you the chance to browse all of the items in person, enjoy heavy appetizers and a cocktail (or two!), some fun games, lots of opportunity to socialize - AND the first chance to view and participate in our annual Fund-A-Mission campaign! Tickets are $45 each and are limited so get them quick!

Our online Super Silent Auction will be filled with trips, art, gift baskets, gift certificates and more!  Our online auction will open for bidding online the evening of September 25, 2021 (during the preview party!), and close on Wednesday, September 29, 2021. Again, anyone can participate in the online super silent auction – and registration is free! Registration will open in early September – the link will be available through our website at camanocenter.org/gala.

Items will be available for pick up at the Camano Center beginning on Friday, October 1st, hours and additional dates to be announced.

Last month I was able to report to you that we opened the store again on March 12^th. We are now going on our 8^th week of operations and things are really clipping along! I get a lot of questions about the store, so I thought I would answer some of them in this month’s newsletter. I have learned a lot about what it takes to maintain the daily/weekly influx of items and people, by working at the store so I feel much more capable of answering inquiries than I did when I first started!

Why is the Executive Director running the store? During the COVID shut down, many plans were put on hold or changed for many people. This includes the Manager, Assistant Manager, and staff of the thrift shop. As the director it became my responsibility to make the decision to open or not, and to get in and learn and run the place with mostly volunteers in-order to recover financially. This has been difficult, but invaluable to me as the director.

Why are you only open Fridays and Saturdays? For each day open it takes a minimum of 10 volunteers to cover the 2 shifts (10am-1pm and 1pm -4pm). In addition, my goal is to process all the donations coming in each day, before the day is complete. This takes another 8-10 volunteers to sort, clean, price and re-load the store floor. Some volunteers have chosen not to return due to COVID, or have moved on to other ventures. Bringing new volunteers in is a process that takes time.

Do I still need an appointment to bring my donations to you? No. We are no longer taking donations on an appointment basis. We take them on the days that we are open. Fridays and Saturdays 10am-4pm.

Why aren’t you accepting clothing? On occasion you will see signs that say “no clothes” or unfortunately, “no donations”.  My goal by having the processing happening during the open days, is to no longer have to say “no donations” (and we haven’t since being open) but right now we still have a back log of unprocessed clothing and linens that go back a long time. We need to clear it before just adding to the top of it again. The next important step is selling the items out on the floor, or we cannot continue to put more out. You will notice if you come in, that all clothing in the older building is $2 per piece no matter what it is…coat, 3 piece-suit, or jeans…$2. This is our hope to move clothing fast (which means you get a great deal!) so we can continue to take more and put more out.

Why don’t you just hire people so you can be open more, and make more money? The store used to be open 6 days a week which takes a tremendous amount of labor and planning (and higher expenses such as PUD, water, etc.) In being open a limited number of days, we are working smarter, not harder.

Currently the store is making more revenue in 2 days than it did in 8 days. The store is a non-profit that funds a big portion of the Camano Senior Services Association so this is a very important piece of the overall puzzle. Everything we save in expenses is more that we can invest in the programs and services to our community.

How can we help? This community is amazing. I hear this question more than any other! You can help by volunteering. You can help by spreading the word about the store and the center. You can help by donating items that we can feel good about passing onto someone else. (We unfortunately have a big garbage/dump bill to dispose of items that are broken, dirty/stained, or flat-out trash.  This hurts our bottom line the most), and you can help by shopping! You will be amazed at the store and how the items are new each day and priced to sell! For every load of yucky stuff, we get 5 loads of amazing things!

Thank you to the amazing group of volunteers and staff that have put in so many hours to help me get the store open and continued to run safely and efficiently. We have a fantastic group of men and women that do such important work!

Our shopping and donating hours are Friday and Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00pm.  Masks are mandatory to enter. Thank you for shopping and donating! Come in and see us!

Bonnie Eckley,
Executive Director