Save Orcas Rec program

You face very difficult decisions in the current budget crisis. I am writing to urge you to maintain funding for the Orcas Recreation program.

Orcas Rec provides excellent activities that touch the majority of Orcas families.  The program has grown immensely over the past twelve years, thanks to the energy, direction and creativity of Didier Gincig. Among Orcas Rec’s offerings:

• At least a quarter of Orcas elementary-aged kids play soccer in the fall and/or baseball in the spring.  Many of them continue to play at higher levels. These programs emphasize fun, sportsmanship and self-confidence. I’ve seen the personal growth in the kids who participate.

• Wacky Wednesday offers many elementary schoolers a safe place for fun activities on early release days -- a boon for working parents.

• The plethora of summer programs, including music, art, natural science, and sailing lessons, draws local kids and adults as well as summer visitors.

• Orcas Rec helped the FEAST program get started this year, giving high school students and community members a deep, first-hand sense of the importance of sustainability and stewardship.

Orcas Rec makes a huge difference in the lives of local kids. Without it, they will have less structure, fewer positive encounters with adults and other kids, and fewer opportunities to try new activities and to develop new skills. Cutting Orcas Rec makes sense only in a very short-sighted way.  Confident, creative kids, who feel that they are members of a community that cares about them, are less likely to need county support services later in their lives.

The quality of Orcas Rec’s work has make it possible for the organization to fill some of the gaps in its budget from local donors, including my family, and from philanthropic agencies, including the Orcas Island Community Foundation, of which I am a trustee.  While it is a pleasure for me to be able to support Orcas Rec, the County Council must recognize the importance of the organization in our community and the centrality of Orcas Rec’s programs for our kids, adults and families.

Moana Kutsche

Eastsound

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