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Jensen Ferndale Floral – A Part of Life’s Events through the Generations

By
Jennifer Dodge
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Jensen Ferndale Floral is the best place to find that perfect gift. Photo courtesy: Ferndale Chamber of Commerce.

Jensen Ferndale Floral is truly an icon in the Ferndale community. Owners Clary and Rosalie Jensen, both local Ferndale residents, have brought beautiful floral arrangements to the community throughout the generations. The florist shop opened in September of 1957, when Clary was just 19 years old. Jensen Ferndale Floral will celebrate 60 years in business this year. In addition, this year also marks their 20th anniversary as Ferndale Chamber members.

Surprise the one you love with something special from Jensen Ferndale Floral today! Photo courtesy: Ferndale Chamber of Commerce.

Clary and Rosalie Jensen have had the enormous pleasure of being a part of Ferndale throughout their entire lives. Both are graduates of Ferndale High School. After graduation they decided to stay in the community and build their family and business here together. They have seen births, weddings, anniversaries and deaths as they have provided the floral arrangements for each milestone in the lives of their many, many customers.

Now managed by Kerry, their daughter, Jensen Ferndale Floral continues to provide arrangements to the Ferndale community and beyond, just as they have for over 50 years. As a very long time Ferndale Chamber of Commerce member, Jensen Ferndale Floral is the only remaining locally owned florist in Ferndale. According to Kerry, the family feels strongly about giving back to the community that they feel has given so much to them.

Throughout the years, the Jensens have been heavily involved in the Old Settlers Days, the local Grand Parade (including helping with the floats) and even the local schools. Of course, as Ferndale Chamber of Commerce members, they have certainly been familiar faces around the chamber’s events and meetings as well.

Jensen Ferndale Floral opened in September of 1957. Photo courtesy: Ferndale Chamber of Commerce.

As Ferndale’s true neighborhood florist, Jensen Ferndale Floral provides virtually anything you need when it comes to floral arrangements. For the last eighteen years, they have been in their current location on Vista Drive in Ferndale creating floral arrangements for weddings, friends, anniversaries, funerals and gifts.

Stop in and say hello to the Jensen family and experience this long-time locally owned business. They are still servicing the community, enjoying the people they meet and the connections they create.

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Take to the Ice with Bellingham Sportsplex’s Learn to Skate and Learn to Play Hockey Programs

By
Jennifer Dodge
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Bellingham Sportsplex Learn to Skate
Young hockey skaters learn from volunteer coaches from the Bellingham Blazers team during the Learn to Play program. Photo courtesy: Whatcom Sports and Recreation.

Stepping onto the ice in skates for the first time can be exhilarating and scary all at the same moment. There is something special you feel when the cool air of the ice rink hits your face as your skates touch the ice for the very first time.

From lacing up your skates to stepping on the ice, the Learn to Skate Program works with new skaters to create confidence, skills and fun! Photo courtesy: Whatcom Sports and Recreation.

The Bellingham Sportsplex Learn to Skate and Learn to Play programs are set up to create a safe and fun environment for anyone of any age to learn to skate and play hockey. The Learn to Skate program has sessions available on Saturdays or Mondays and is open to ages three years and up including adults. New skaters will learn how to lace up skates and balance, as well as the basic skills of skating.

And if you have a future hockey player in the family, come see what Learn to Play has to offer budding skaters. Learn to Play is open to ages three years and up and is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays. With volunteer coaches from the Blazers Hockey team, young skaters are sure to have fun while learning to skate on hockey skates and exploring the basics of the game.

2. Young hockey skaters learn from volunteer coaches from the Bellingham Blazers team during the Learn to Play program. Photo courtesy: Whatcom Sports and Recreation.

Both the Learn to Skate and Learn to Play programs include a free public session during the week to get in a little more ice time and practice. Each twelve-week session of Learn to Skate is $145 to $175 and includes skate rental. Learn to Play Hockey is $295 with a $55 rental for hockey gear for those that need it.

Still not quite sure if ice skating or hockey is for you? The Bellingham Sportsplex has now expanded public skate sessions and added price discounts during the week. Come to a public session and give skating a go before signing up for a Learn to Skate or Learn to Play program.

With all these great opportunities, what are you waiting for? Swing by the Bellingham Sportsplex and learn to skate or play hockey today!

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Whatcom County’s Tessa Kilcline Studies at The School of the New York Times

By
Tessa Kilcline - Intern from Bellingham High School
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The SoNYT offers students a variety of evening activities, among them being the classic walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Photo credit: Tessa Kilcline.

One day in January, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed like normal. An advertisement popped up showing some high-school-aged students on the Brooklyn Bridge, along with the words, “The School of The New York Times Pre-College NYC Summer Academy.” I had recently been researching summer journalism programs for high school students and I suppose those searches were fresh in my phone’s memory. I clicked the link.

On one of the first nights of the program, students went on a photojournalism scavenger hunt around the Upper West Side to get familiar with the neighborhood. Photo credit: Tessa Kilcline.

Browsing the list of courses offered, I as an aspiring journalist, was drawn to a course entitled, “Writing the Big City: Reporting in New York.” It sounded incredible. If I attended this program, I would get to spend two weeks in New York City, learning from New York Times journalists and exploring.

Once my parents decided that I could go if I could raise the money, I began the application process. I had to answer some short answer questions and submit a transcript and letter of recommendation from a teacher.

Not long afterward, I got an email from The School of The New York Times (SoNYT). The first word read, “Congratulations!” Finding out that I would get to explore my passion at such a prestigious level was an amazing feeling. I was lucky enough to not only be accepted to the program but to be offered enough financial aid that I would be able to attend. I also applied for scholarships and started a GoFundMe page to help lessen the cost for my family.

New York Times employees led us on a tour of the New York Times building, including both its newsroom and its Morgue, or archives. Photo credit: Tessa Kilcline.

The course I was accepted to was the Writing the Big City course during the last week of June and the first week of July. The program was to be taught by Ari Goldman, former New York Times journalist and current professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

During our two weeks in New York City, the other residential SoNYT students and I stayed in a dorm room at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The other students came from all across the country and all over the world.

Some days class was held on campus and other days we left campus to use the city as our classroom. On our first day, my class and I got to go to the New York Times building and tour the newsroom. For someone who does not work at the New York Times and especially for a group of aspiring journalists, this opportunity was very special and unique.

My class had the opportunity to tour Columbia Journalism School and see the Joseph Pulitzer World Room, where Pulitzer Prizes are awarded. Photo credit: Tessa Kilcline.

On the days when we stayed on campus, we usually had writing lessons and practice. We were taught how to structure articles and write effectively. As practice we interviewed first our peers and then New York Times education reporter Kate Taylor. We wrote articles after each of these interviews and received feedback from our TAs, one of whom is a current Columbia Journalism student while they other is a former Columbia Journalism student who currently works at CNN.

Near the end of the first week, our class went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met). On the steps of the Met, we did what are called, “man on the street interviews.” We walked up to random people and asked them if they would be willing to answer some questions. Our goals with this activity were to practice interviewing and to practice creating journalistic social media posts similar to those of Humans of New York. We did the activity in pairs or groups of three students. My two partners and I met some very interesting people. At first it was nerve-wracking to just go up to random people on the street, but once they said yes and started telling us about themselves and their lives, it was incredible. It is one thing to hear people say that everyone has their own story, but it is something else entirely to witness that truth and have strangers open up to you and tell you their stories. I met some very interesting people that day from Boston, Quebec and Spain. I came away from the experience smiling.

The SoNYT offers students a variety of evening activities, among them being the classic walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Photo credit: Tessa Kilcline.

For our final project, the class was divided into partners to write articles about Jackson Heights, an ethnically diverse neighborhood in Queens. Many of the pairs wrote about ethnic businesses there. We happened to do our interviewing on the Fourth of July, so my partner and I asked people their opinions on Independence Day and centered our article around that idea. Final projects from all of the courses were presented at an event called Demo Day on the last night of the program.

Besides class, SoNYT organized a variety of evening activities and weekend excursions for students. I saw the American Ballet Theatre’s Whipped Cream, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, toured the Morgan Library and explored Lower Manhattan, among other things.

My experience at the SoNYT was once in a lifetime. I hope to take everything I learned there with me to college and then hopefully to a career in journalism. And I certainly learned a lot, including journalistic writing and interviewing skills, different ways to consume the news, how to have the confidence to talk to random people on the street and even how to ride the subway.

Bellingham SeaFeast 2017 Offers Family Fun, Fabulous Food

By
LocalTalk Contributor
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Bellingham SeaFeast is a must-attend community celebration. Photo courtesy: Bellingham SeaFeast.

Submitted by: Bellingham SeaFeast

The second annual Bellingham SeaFeast, scheduled Sept. 22-23, will overflow with family fun and fabulous food – and admission is free to almost everything.

New activities combine with last year’s favorites for this celebration of the local maritime and commercial fishing industry, a two-day event presented by City of Bellingham, Port of Bellingham and Haggen Northwest Fresh.

Activities begin Friday night, 5:00 – 11:00 p.m., and on Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., plus a band performance afterward. Bellingham SeaFeast 2017 starts Friday, Sept. 22 with two major events in downtown Bellingham:

  • SeaFeed at the Square gets everything started, a $50 dinner of world-class seafood featuring raw and grilled oysters, fresh grilled salmon and a Dungeness crab boil served from 5:00 – 8:30 p.m. at Depot Market Square. A limited number of tickets are on sale at BellinghamSeaFeast.com until noon Sept. 22. Any remaining tickets will sell at the door for $60 apiece.
  • Men and women of the sea present their way of life in poetry, music, sea shanties, storytelling and videos during FisherPoets-On-Bellingham Bay from 7:00 p.m. into late night at four downtown venues. A $5 badge, available at each venue, is good for entry at all of them.

Bellingham SeaFeast 2017 then has something to catch everyone’s interest Saturday, Sept. 23 at Squalicum Harbor and Zuanich Point Park:

  • The Food Court has 17 vendors. Brews with a View offers local beer and wine. The Main Stage entertainment runs from 11:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. with five live bands and the Lummi Nation Black Hawk Dancers. The Skagit Swings All Star Band leads off and the night ends with local favorite Baby Cakes at 6:45 p.m.
  • On the park’s nearby shoreline at 1:00 p.m., attendees can watch the U.S. Coast Guard stage a rescue demonstration in Bellingham Bay.
  • Taste the Sea: A Sustainable Seafood Experience presented by Haggen Northwest Fresh offers samplings of Pacific NW seafood (Ocean Beauty salmon, Alaskan Leader cod, Penn Cove shellfish, along with Ranger the Free Range Chicken from Draper Valley) in four shifts between 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 apiece ($5 ages 12-U) online until 11:30 p.m. Sept. 22. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door.
  • The International Salmon BBQ Grilling Championships start at noon in the parking lot of the Squalicum Boathouse. For the People’s Choice Award, the public may purchase tickets for competitors’ samples from 12:45 – 2:45 p.m. ($1 apiece) and vote for their favorite Top 3.
  • Eight boat trips and guided tours sail throughout the afternoon. One route features a tour of Bellingham Cold Storage, and the other gives passengers a view of the downtown waterfront redevelopment projects. Tickets to both online go for $10 apiece until 11:30 p.m. Sept. 22.
  • The new SeaFeast Wharf features about 100 artists and vendors, including a maritime-themed Art Walk organized by Allied Arts of Whatcom County on display from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Also, sponsors, general vendors and the Explore Some More educational and informational booths provide interactive action, some offering prizes.
  • Commercial fishing is highlighted with scheduled dock walks, guided tours of active boats, special skills demos, a race of teams swimming in survival suits and the sale of fish to take home or pick up later. This is the insider’s look into the outstanding local resources of the Port of Bellingham and the maritime and marine industry that provide more than 1,700 direct jobs (6,000+ counting indirect) earning $94.5 million in wages, according to public surveys.

Check BellinghamSeaFeast.com for parking options (restricted onsite), shuttles and the Uber app for their pick-up/drop-off options. Last year more than 6,000 people passed through Bellingham SeaFeast and organizers planned for 10,000 this year.

For full information and a complete schedule of events, visit www.BellinghamSeaFeast.com.

Jonathan O’Brien Interior Design – Design with Excitement Arrives in Bellingham

By
Jennifer Dodge
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Through understanding lifestyles, Jonathan O'Brien is able to create a space that reflects the personality of his clients. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O'Brien.

Bellingham welcomes Jonathan O’Brien, an Interior Designer with excitement and passion.

What could be more personal than your own living space? Your living space is a reflection of who you are and how you live your life.

This space was designed to be both beautiful and inviting. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O’Brien.

Nobody understands this better than Jonathan O’Brien Interior Design, Bellingham’s newest Interior Designer. O’Brien creates interiors that are the realization of a client’s taste, wants and needs. “No two projects look alike,” states O’Brien. “Each is specifically designed to reflect the client and his or her lifestyle.”

With a Fine Arts degree from New York University and a certification from the New York School of Interior Design, O’Brien explains, “I found that my Fine Arts background and my training in design mesh together perfectly to create the look and feel my clients want for their homes. I am able to pull together eclectic elements to create beauty. This, in turn, enables me to truly reflect each client’s taste and style.”

Jonathan O’Brien is already gaining media coverage and making a splash in Bellingham. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O’Brien.

After graduating from NYU, O’Brien found a design opportunity with Lillian August Design and gained hands on experience, working on larger projects and fine tuning his eye. This enabled him to create beautiful rooms that are a statement of who lives in that space.

From Greenwich came a move to Beverly Hills where O’Brien joined Bloomingdales. It was here that he really began to make his mark as a creative designer, happy with the intimacy of designing a single room or taking on an entire house. “Any project, small or large, appeals to me. Each is an opportunity to utilize my creative abilities,” he says.

During his time in Beverly Hills he became accustomed to working with and catering to a discerning clientele. “We are all just people,” he says with a smile. “Famous or infamous, we want a beautiful space to call our own. In designing your home, we go on a wonderful journey together. The end result is all about you. It’s about your favorite colors, your taste, and it ends in an environment you and your family will thrive in.”

Jonathan O’Brien uses items that are important to his clients to create a space they will love. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O’Brien.

O’Brien has the passion and skill to transform his clients’ information into a space that is the ultimate expression of who they are.

He describes an experience with a client in which she showed him a beautiful and beloved photo of a women in a sexy 1920s blue evening gown with a long train, but very little detail. O’Brien describes how much the client loved that simple yet beautiful photo. He took the photo and was immediately inspired by the quiet sophistication he saw in it. That quiet sophistication became the central theme in the interior design of the home.

Upon arriving in Seattle, O’Brien partnered with premiere designer David Weatherford. It was here that he had the opportunity to bring his knowledge and background full circle. “I worked on projects ranging from cutting edge contemporary to a mellow and comfortable feeling of the antique,” he describes.

Jonathan O’Brien evokes positive feelings with his use of color and space. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O’Brien.

This combination of talent won the team a medal at the Seattle Interiors Show, as well as a nine-page spread in Traditional Home magazine.

“I love working with people who are not afraid to express themselves in their environment. My favorite quote at the finish of each project is, ‘I love it!’” O’Brien says.

O’Brien describes another creative experience in which he designed an entire color palate around a photo of a bouquet of flowers that was loved by the client. “I could tell by the way the bouquet was being held by a pair of hands in the photo, the level of formality I would need to instill in my design,” he says.

A living space should represent the people who call it home. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O’Brien.

When asked about how he develops relationships with clients, O’Brien explains that these relationships between designer and client and often end up in a lasting friendship. “I really get to know each family, as people with different personalities, as well as fulfilling their design needs.” Because of this process, O’Brien has remained friends with many of his former clients.

He says, “A beautiful understanding of each other develops and often that ends up as friendship as well as a beautiful home.”

As O’Brien settles into his new home in Bellingham, he looks forward to creating ideal environments for his clients as well as creating new friendships and relationships, and getting to know his new community.

“I’m loving the freshness, clean air and wildlife here in Bellingham,” he says with a content smile. “It is like a slice of paradise I have found and I never want to leave! Life is good and I am a very happy man.”

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The Chrysalis Inn & Spa Donates $2,150 to the Lighthouse Mission’s Agape Home

By
LocalTalk Contributor
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Lighthouse Mission’s Agape Home
The Chrysalis Inn & Spa was proud to present their August spa donation in the amount of $2,150 to the Lighthouse Mission’s Agape Home. Photo courtesy: Chrysalis Inn & Spa.

Submitted by: The Chysalis Inn & Spa

The Chrysalis Inn & Spa was proud to present their August spa donation in the amount of $2,150 to the Lighthouse Mission’s Agape Home. Agape Home is a program of Lighthouse Mission Ministries that provides safe housing for up to 50 women and children. It is a shelter where women in need can escape the victimization, hopelessness and/or addiction, helping them to create a better future for themselves and their children.  Women living at Agape Home are working on goals with a Growth Assistant, taking at least one Agape class, completing chores and volunteering at the Mission and in the community. An Agape Childcare Center is available for the mothers and children staying at Agape Home.

The Chrysalis, a locally owned hotel, spa & restaurant on Fairhaven’s waterfront, has been contributing one percent of revenue from the Spa to a Whatcom County non-profit each month since February and has given more than $14,000 to date. September’s recipient will be Blue Skies for Children.

Industrial Credit Union Feeds the Need in Whatcom County

By
Sara Holodnick
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Industrial Credit Union Feed
2018 was the 24th year of Industrial Credit Union’s Feed the Need Community Food Drive. Photo courtesy: Industrial Credit Union.

This is the 23rd year of Industrial Credit Union’s Feed the Need Community Food Drive, marked by the return of its popular Food Truck Round Up kickoff event on September 30. Feed the Need is Whatcom County’s largest food drive benefitting over a dozen food banks throughout the county.

Industrial Credit Union’s Feed the Need Food Truck Round Up is a family-friendly way try food from local mobile eateries. Photo courtesy: Industrial Credit Union.

Fighting Hunger at Local Food Banks

A staggering 41 percent of Whatcom County households are unable to afford basic needs. That’s over 87,000 people – roughly the population of Bellingham – who are unable to make ends meet. This year Industrial Credit Union’s goal is to raise $150,000 to support our many friends and neighbors who rely on local food banks for food security.

And the need is great: Local food banks feed 3,500 hungry families across Whatcom County every single week. According to the Bellingham Food Bank:

  • 1 in 5 Whatcom County households now regularly use a food bank
  • 35 percent of food bank recipients are children
  • 44 percent of food bank households have at least one working family member
  • 52 percent of food bank recipients have some college education
  • Nearly 20 percent of Bellingham’s residents regularly visit the food bank
Since 1994, Industrial Credit Union’s Feed the Need Food Drive has resulted in approximately 15 million meals for our friends and neighbors in Whatcom County. Photo courtesy: Industrial Credit Union.

The Bellingham Food Bank is a hub for our region, feeding hungry families throughout Whatcom County. Each year, their warehouse receives, stores and redistributes more than two million pounds of food to their partners across the region. That’s enough food to fill up five semi-trucks every single month!

Most towns in our region have food banks – Lynden, Everson and Ferndale to name a few – and all of them need our support. In fact, there is a network of nearly 20 food bank and meal programs in Whatcom and San Juan Counties, and Bellingham Food Bank helps all of them feed their neighbors as well.

Feed the Need Food Drive

What began as Industrial Credit Union’s small food drive in 1994 has grown to Whatcom County’s largest food drive of the year. Since its inception, the Feed the Need Community Food Drive has resulted in over 30,000 volunteer hours donated, over 2.7 million pounds of food collected and over $500,000 raised, resulting in approximately 15 million meals.

You can be part of this incredibly impactful effort by donating money or food at Industrial Credit Union branches and Whatcom County Haggen Food & Pharmacy stores from October 2 – 6, or by eating delicious local food at the Food Truck Round Up!

Food Truck Round Up attendees purchase Truck Bucks, the event currency, to buy deliciuos treats. Photo courtesy: Industrial Credit Union.

5th Annual Food Truck Round Up

Industrial Credit Union’s benefit for Whatcom County Food Banks returns to Civic Stadium on Saturday, September 30, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Food Truck Round Up features 25 local food trucks, a beer garden serving Kulshan Brewing Co. beer and live music by SpaceBand. This family-friendly event is a fun way to try food from local mobile eateries while supporting over a dozen food banks serving all areas of Whatcom County.

Tickets for the Food Truck Round Up are on sale now at Industrial Credit Union locations for just $7 per person and entry is free for children under 12. Attendees purchase Truck Bucks – the event currency – to make purchases at the food trucks, beer garden and merchandise area. Don’t forget: Kids under 12 receive free entry to the event, but still need Truck Bucks to purchase food.

Industrial Credit Union’s Feed the Need Food Truck Round Up features more than 20 local food trucks, including delicious Indian fare from Simmering Tava. Photo courtesy: Industrial Credit Union.

Truck Bucks Tips

Industrial CU recommends that folks purchase tickets and Truck Bucks ahead of time to ensure entry and avoid long lines on the day of the event. But how many Truck Bucks should you plan on buying? Well, that depends on how much you think you’re likely to eat and drink. Most food trucks have entrees between $6 and $10, with sides or small plates in the $1 to $5 range. Beers are $4 each in the beer garden. An $8 entree, a $4 side and 2 beers would mean budgeting $20 in Truck Bucks. Yum!

Any unused Truck Bucks can be donated to benefit Whatcom County Food Banks or you can turn them in for a refund when you leave the event.

2017 marks the 5th Annual Food Truck Round Up kickoff event. Photo courtesy: Industrial Credit Union.

Grab your tickets and Truck Bucks and head to Industrial Credit Union’s Feed the Need Food Truck Round Up  Saturday, September 30 from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Civic Stadium Parking Lot (1445 Puget St in Bellingham). You’ll find 25 food trucks, a beer garden, live music, family activities and a great community atmosphere. Money raised at this event will be divided among all Whatcom County food banks. For a list of food banks in our area, please click here.

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Whatcom County Weekend Events for Sept. 15—17

By
Events Editor
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Photo credit: Jodi Broughton

The kids are fully settled into school which means that weekend time is more important than ever. Don’t waste those few precious days of family freedom (or individual freedom for those of you who are unencumbered). Get out there and have some fun! Here are some great Whatcom County weekend events for Sept. 15—17. And be sure to check out our great local farmers’ markets. They are still in full swing! Don’t forget to check our full events calendar for all the great local happenings this weekend.

Up Next Weekend:

WhatcomTalk aims to be your source for positive information and events happening in Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden and throughout Whatcom County. If you have a suggestion for a post, send us a note at submit@whatcomtalk.com. For more events and to learn what’s happening in Bellingham and the surrounding area, visit our events calendar. To submit an event of your own, visit our events calendar and click on the green “Post Your Event” button.

Show Your Kids a Good Time at Sportsplex Youth Activity Camp

By
Jennifer Dodge
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The Sportsplex Youth Activities Camp provides a great support for working parents while providing days of fun for kids. Photo courtesy: Bellingham Sportsplex.

If you’re looking for something fun, physical and entertaining for your kids, look no further than the Sportsplex Youth Activity Camp (SYAC). “We keep our campers as active as possible,” says Alyssa Jackson, Front Office Manager at the Bellingham Sportsplex. “Our kids will leave really tired and really happy.”

Kids at SYAC even have the opportunity to hit the pool for fun! Photo courtesy: Bellingham Sportsplex.

With activities throughout, each child has the opportunity to try a variety of new things as well as take part in traditional activities such as dodgeball and jump rope. Activities range from games to art, skating and even swimming.

“It’s like recess all day,” says Jackson. “Kids can participate in any activity they wish yet still take some time on their own to relax, do art or read.”

As school begins, SYAC is offered all day on Purple Fridays. It is also offered on Thursday afternoons as the elementary schools see early dismissals, providing an incredible support for working parents as well as an opportunity for kids to see friends and stay active. During the winter break, SYAC provides two weeks of fun and activities for kids out of school.

At SYAC, the morning begins with a game such as dodgeball or soccer. The game grows as more and more kids arrive for a day full of friends and fun. During break time, kids have the option of bringing snacks from home or grabbing a bite to eat from the concession stand and vending machines.

During free time each camper has a number of opportunities to try something new such as ice skating or roller blading. They even have the opportunity to take advantage of some quiet time or participate in arts and crafts if they need to recharge their batteries for the afternoon fun. Lunch can be purchased or brought from home depending on the needs of each family.

The Sportsplex Youth Activities Camp provides a great support for working parents while providing days of fun for kids. Photo courtesy: Bellingham Sportsplex.

Working hand in hand with the other programs offered by the Sportsplex, SYAC creates an environment for kids and their parents that encourages participation in the various skating and hockey programs such as Learn to Skate and Learn to Play, as well as the soccer programs. “We all work together,” says Keri Ferguson, Skating Academy Director. “We encourage and offer the flexibility to go between programs.”

Ferguson goes on to say that a sense of family and community is something that is important to the Sportsplex. With diversity in the types of programs they offer from skating to soccer and kids camps, they offer a great deal to Whatcom County.

“We are so diverse in what we offer at the Sportsplex,” Jackson says, adding that the Sportsplex also offers birthday parties and special events. One such event is the upcoming Halloween Public Skate Night on October 27 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. This special family event will feature trick-or-treat candy and a fun costume contest.

Interested in having your next birthday party at the Sportsplex? You can celebrate the way you want by renting the ice rink, field and even the bouncy house. “There’s just so many options,” says Jackson. “We even have bubble soccer.”

Looking for a great place to celebrate a birthday? Look no further than the Bellingham Sportsplex. Photo courtesy: Bellingham Sportsplex.

And with unique programs, such as the brand-new cheer program, the Sportsplex is creating even more opportunities for kids to participate in activities they are interested in exploring. The new cheer program creates a spirited youth group who will be trained to provide fun and support on and off the ice for both soccer and hockey games.

The Bellingham Sportsplex is a community supporter in the truest sense.  As a not-for-profit organization, their emphasis is on creating an environment where there is something for everyone in the most affordable way possible. “Serving our families is important,” says Ferguson. “We want to know the people walking in the doors at the Sportsplex.”

As such, the Bellingham Sportsplex supports many local organizations and schools through the donation of items used in auctions and raffles. They also provide scholarships for various Sportsplex programs. “We’re keeping fun affordable,” says Jackson. “We put back into the building, the staff and the community.”

The Sportsplex Youth Activity Camp is a great way for kids and families to participate in a variety of activities, not to mention a relief for working parents on those days when schools are not in session. Stop by the Bellingham Sportsplex and check out the latest in activities offered. Take a spin around the rink at a public skate session and catch an ice show. You will discover a plethora of great opportunities for local family fun.

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