KINGSTON - Nine years ago, before Navy barracks had been cleared and dirt moved, Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club pledged $100k to support a dream. A vision. A goal. The vision, the dream, the goal was a new community center, senior center, library, and boys and girls club, under one roof in Kingston. Two years ago that dream was realized, with the opening of Village Green Community Center. Activity at the $9.1m Center has exceeded wildest dreams.
Funding to build the Center was gathered from far and wide - federal, state, county, community leaders, citizens of all stripes, and people who cared. One of the many fund-raising brainstorms was that of Nancy Martin, who suggested auctioning pies as a way to generate donations to build the Center. August 16 marked the tenth such “Pie in the Park” auction. Local residents bake and donate pies of all shapes and tastes.
At this year’s event, Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club President, Breane Martinez, presented a $20k check to auctioneer Clint Boxman, fulfilling the Club’s $100k pledge of nine years ago. Total generated by the 2018 event was “around $47k,” according to Boxman. 27 pies produced happy faces and lighter wallets as some pies went for as much as $900. To date, more than 650 pies have been auctioned, generating more than $250k toward the Village Green dream.