People power up playground on Camano Island

CAMANO ISLAND — Not even the rainy, windy weather this week is slowing the efforts of volunteers building the new Stanwood-Camano Rotary Adventure Playground.

Hundreds of people have gathered in Freedom Park at Terry’s Corner since Wednesday to construct the 10,000-square-foot, $200,000 community playground.

More than 500 people are signed up for regular work shifts through Sunday, another 300 have committed to participating at some point, and others are pulling off the highway to volunteer on the spot.

“I was driving by and I seen all the commotion and I decided to help out,” Bill Schwalm, 71, said.

The retired carpenter helped build the Space Needle, the Kingdome and Benaroya Hall in Seattle.

Other people are doing things they’ve never done before, said project volunteer coordinator Theresa Metzger.

“They’re getting to know their neighbors. We eat together, we laugh together,” Metzger said. “And every time they drive by here, for the rest of their lives, they will remember what a special time this was for our community.”

There are volunteers who cook and serve meals, those who swing hammers, cut wood, organize parking and manage all the donated tools. Jack Gunter and other local artists are contributing artwork.

The custom-designed playground includes a Viking ship, covered seating for parents and lots of climbing, sliding and swinging equipment, all enclosed by a picket fence.

To help out, people can still pay $35 to have a name or message engraved on one of the pickets of the new fence. Business owners and individuals also can still sign up to sponsor various parts of the playground equipment. A big sign listing all those who donated and volunteered will be constructed at some point, said Metzger, who is a Rotary Club member and director of the Stanwood Camano Area Foundation. The foundation is managing the funding of the barn-raising-style construction project.

Ashley Dawn Miller, 20, of Camano Island, joined some of her co-workers from the Burlington Home Depot store Thursday to volunteer for the project.

“I will take my nieces and nephews to play here, but mostly I am working just for the satisfaction of having helped,” Miller said.

Metzger, food coordinator Cindi Wickstrom, project mastermind Greg Gilday and many others building the playground have children who will benefit from their efforts.

Construction captain and longtime contractor Barry VanSickle of Camano Island said he just wants to “give back” to the community. VanSickle is paying his foreman to help out, and Stilly River Mechanical owner Mike Saylor is giving his employees a bonus for their help.

“Along with all the great volunteers, we need some skilled craftsmen working on the project,” Saylor said. “No doubt we’ll be done by Sunday.”

For Gilday, who has been working for more than a year to make the playground a reality, it’s been a labor of love. “I just do what I’m told,” said the lawyer. “It’s fun to get out and get dirty.”