By Daniel Johnson
Village Green update

It’s now common knowledge that we are breaking ground on the new Village Green Community Center in a matter of days. The official groundbreaking ceremony, open to the entire community, will take place 4 p.m. May 3 at Village Green Park.

Perhaps the best metaphor for this 12-year grassroots journey is a marathon. However, the Village Green Marathon is not an individual sport — we are running it together as a community. Along the way, instead of mile markers, there have been defining milestones: the gift of land from the county; 140 volunteers working shoulder to shoulder to prep and hydroseed the grounds; forming a voter-endorsed Metropolitan Park District to sustain the center once built; securing three $1 million gifts; hitting the $6 million threshold in dollars raised (including an inspiring $591,000 from the 12-member Village Green Foundation board); securing a building permit; and signing a construction contract.

We can make out the finish line on the horizon — but that is still $2.2 million dollars away. Like mile 20 of the 26 mile marathon, people are experiencing both fatigue and exhilaration. Luckily, there has been a wave of new energy that is lifting us up and putting the finish line in reach. It started with a local, single dad of three boys. He called to say he heard we were breaking ground, so he thought it was time to invest. He committed $10,000 to basketball goals, saying he wanted to teach his boys the ethic of giving back. Two days later, a second pledge of $10,000 came in from a couple living in Hansville. They realized the new center would offer programs that were important to them. Then last week, inspired by news that a construction contract had been signed, a local family and early contributor to the project increased their pledge by $100,000 ($50,000 structured as a match to inspire other families to invest in the project).

Businesses are also getting on board. Joining the ranks of the 32 other local businesses participating in the Green Heart campaign, Kitsap Physical Therapy and Sports Clinics is in the midst of crafting a promotion based on their ethic of health and wellness. They are devising a program that will get kids active while raising money in support of the health and wellness features of the new community center.

We are breathing hard and can barely feel our legs under us, but what makes it all possible is the roar of the crowd cheering us on and knowing we will cross the finish line together.

— Daniel Johnson is executive director of the Village Green Foundation.