October First Harvest Work Party
A field report from Cub Reporter Jim Kindsvater
Photos by Kindsvater

Sixty-Seven Northwest Rotarians, Interact Students, and Sammamish and Mercer Island High School Students and friends gathered at Pier 91 to box, sack, and stack 36,000 pounds of apples and a truckload of corn for Northwest Food Banks last Saturday. BBRC members Kevin Jewell, with daughter Kelly, Howard Johnson, Larry May, Elizabeth Sicktich, and husband Doug, and Jim Kindsvater bent, boxed, bagged, and stacked oodles of vegetables for our needy friends.

The atmosphere was charged with enthusiasm, laughter, long stories, and the occasional bad joke, along with the screech of shipping tape being applied to boxes and the roar of fork lifts. Midway through the morning coffee, juice, and donuts provided a well-deserved break for the hustling packers.

Larry May regaled us with extended puns crowned with "I'm as corny as Kansas in August" since he was on the corn detail. Kevin Jewell made a comment about Kindsvater's long-winded stories, but then claimed to be one of the Neals from the Renton Rotary when he heard that reporters write history. At the end of the morning a lot of pallets were stacked with apples and corn and a lot of smiles gave evidence of a job well done. Kevin said he treasured the long-term friendships he had made with Rotarians from throughout the Puget Sound area.

We all left feeling just a little better about ourselves and the people we met.

(Ed. Note: Each of these members received a make-up for their hard work. It’s harvest time and large shipments of fruit and vegetables will continue to flow to Pier 91. Make it a point to put yourself on the workline during the next Rotary First Harvest Work Party, Saturday November 8, 9 a.m. to Noon, Pier 91. It’s a perfect activity for family members, youngsters looking for a community service project.)

ROTARY FIRST HARVEST PHOTO ALBUM