Year 1998 - In February, we continued our yearly donation drive for the Catherine Booth House. It is a shelter for women and children in critical need to get out of a dangerous situation. We donated 3 truckloads of clothing, household items, baby items and sundries.We also continued with our Adopt-a-Road. We went out in March and September to clean up 3 miles of road. It was gratifying to have a couple of motorists' stop by to thank us!
In April, we helped raise over $350 for the Bremerton Fire Department to help them buy special equipment that would allow them to detect someone trapped in a smoky fire that could be missed in a desperate situation. We served hot dogs and drinks, and our own Gene Mitchell entertained the crowd. The Fire Dept came by - in between calls.
In May, we collected pet food for the local Humane Society. We dropped our 3 boxes of donations off at the shelter incognito. An attendant who was there that evening saw what we were doing, and thanked us.
In July, we went to see the pholks at Wolf Haven to help them get ready for their huge Open House picnic. This is the big drive they do once a year to get people to donate to help them out. We adopted our own wolf, Gris Gris, and also brought flowers to plant around the area to brighten the place up. This year they've adopted 6 more wolves from a Hollywood animal trainer.
In August, one of our members told us that the company she worked for was in need of volunteers for the "Paint Tacoma Beautiful" project. 12 members answered the call to help out a disabled older woman whose house was in desperate need of attention. By the end of the day, her house looked amazing, and she thanked each one of us with hugs and tears.
In October, I was contacted by our local Stream Team that they needed volunteers to help fix and re-plant a stream that had been damaged by floods and new construction in the area. We tore out blackberry vines, planted trees and other vegetation in the rain. By the end of this day, we were a soaked and muddy bunch. But that didn't stop us from visiting the Mexican restaurant for margaritas afterwards.
This club may not be the biggest in membership, but it has to be one of the biggest in heart. No matter the cause, it's amazing the way we jump right in and get the job done. The people who come in contact with us are amazed at what these Jimmy Buffett fans do, and always ask; "Does he know about you guys?" We hope he does, but it doesn't really matter. We have the thread of his music running through our hearts, as well as the joy of doing volunteer work.