MANCHESTER — Volunteers served 725 dinners and raised more than $9,000 during the 45th Annual Salmon Bake and Book Sale held June 15 at the Manchester Library.
The event, hosted by the Friends of the Manchester Library (FOML), help raise money for the operations and maintenance of the Manchester Library and Community Center.
“The FOML funds the maintenance of the building, makes capital improvements, and pays the utilities and insurance,” said O. Ray Pardo, Salmon Bake chairman.
The FOML own and operate the Manchester Library building, partnering with KRL Regional Library (which provides the staff, systems and books), the Port of Manchester (which leases the land to FOML for $1 a year), and the Long Lake Garden Club, which created and maintains the landscaping.
According to Pardo, volunteers served 675 adults and 50 children ages 11 and younger.
He said $8,000 was raised from the dinners, $770 from book sales and more than $300 from the sale of cookies and other items.
The volunteers spent the morning preparing the salmon and cutting wood. More than 300 pounds of salmon was cooked using red alderwood cut the day before.
Some local officials attended the event. They were Sixth District Congressman Derek Kilmer, District 26 State Sen. Jan Angel, State Reps. Jesse Young and Larry Seaquist, Kitsap County Sheriff Steve Boyer, Commissioners Charlotte Garrido and Linda Streissguth, and Port of Manchester Commissioner Jim Strode.
Kitsap Regional Library Director Jill Jean, along with KRL Foundation Director Jaime Forsyther and KRL Board member Bev Cheney, were in attendance.
Pardo said the FOML is funded by fundraisers and donations. This year’s budget is approximately $27,000. The dinner and book sale are the group’s largest fundraisers and help cover about one-third of the budget.
“The salmon bake offers a chance for the entire South Kitsap community to come together in support of our library,” said Pardo. “The FOML realize that the Library is the heart of the Manchester community and strive to provide a comfortable building with beautiful grounds for this important part of our little town.”
The library is located at 8067 Main St.
