Baubles, bangles, bright shiny budgets.

Budgets? Yes, budgets.

Kingston North Kitsap Rotarians are asking North Kitsap businesses to set aside money in their budgets to sponsor events associated with the Rotary Golf Tournament, June 22 at White Horse. Swing for Rotary Golf Tournament is Rotary’s most important single fundraiser each year. It enables the club’s projects and activities each year (see below) to enrich and make Kingston-North Kitsap a better place to live. In the holiday spirit, in the spirit of making this a better place — baubles, bangles, and yes, budgets — thank you.

It is appropriate to thank the community, especially this time of year, for its help in making Rotary projects possible. Here is the club’s 2017 report to the community.

Poker tournament. In a first of its kind event, Kingston Rotarians organized a Texas Hold ‘Em poker tourney Feb. 25. This was the brainchild of Rotarian of the Year Fredrick Branchflower. The tournament was designed to bring sunshine and fun into the gloom of winter; the next one is set for 4 p.m., Jan. 27, at Village Green Community Center.

Golf tournament. The 2017 tournament, the 11th annual, generated $45,000 in net proceeds to fund a major share of the club’s activities. A maxed-out field of 124 golfers and generous support from the business community led to this being the most successful tournament ever. Beneficiaries of the tournament were/are the kids of North Kitsap. Proceeds support Kingston High School Interact Service Club, scholarships for Kingston High School graduates, Food4Kids, ShareNet backpacks and school supplies, equipment and uniforms, arts programs, career days at several local schools, and internships for UW and WWU students at Stillwaters Environmental Center.

Annual Fourth of July Fun Run. More than 250 runners of all abilities, shapes and sizes participated in the 2017 Fun Run. This year Rotary teamed with the Kingston High School Booster Club to benefit teams and clubs at the school. 2017 was the run’s 10th year.

Beer Tent at Mike Wallace Park. Each Saturday evening during July and August, Rotarians operated the beer and wine tent in support of Kingston’s Concerts in the Park. Working with the port and the Chamber of Commerce, more than 20 Rotarians each week served up local beer and wine to add to the music and enjoyment of the event.

Community Blood Drives. Every eight weeks, Rotarians staff the blood drive refreshment desk at Village Green Community Center. In addition to helping donors after they’ve given “the gift of life,” Rotarians place their familiar sandwich boards around the community reminding residents of the date and place of the blood drives. October’s blood drive was the most successful to date.

Seats and signs. Two Rotary projects came to fruition this fall with the construction of benches near the play area at Village Green Park, and installation of an electronic community readerboard at the intersection of Highway 104 and Lindvog Road. Both projects were spearheaded by, and funded in part by, Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club. Lighting up the readerboard in early December was especially gratifying for the club, the Port of Kingston, and the many others who made it happen.

Thank you for reading our report. Kingston North Kitsap Rotarians invest more than 5,000 hours annually to make this a better place to live. If you’d like to get involved, there’s always a place at our Wednesday noon lunch tables at Village Green Community Center in Kingston. Come see what all the activity — and fun and friendship — is all about.

— Ron Carter is communication chairman of the Kingston North Kitsap Rotary Club. Contact him at rcarter010@centurytel.net.