SEQUIM — A party atmosphere on one of the hottest days of the year prepared North Olympic Peninsula foster families for the coming school year.
The North Olympic Foster Parents Association prepared more than 150 backpacks full of supplies for preschoolers through high school students.
In addition to the supplies, which were donated by a host of local sponsors, the event included an inflatable jump house for kids, firefighters showing off a fire engine, clowns, snow cones and more.
“This is a very fun event because it is an excellent place to meet other foster families, and the kids really have a lot of fun here,” said Connie Riley, who has attended the picnic ever since she became a foster parent 3 ½ years ago.
She has had about 15 foster children, including three teens now in her home.
Riley specializes in therapeutic foster care for teen girls.
Another attendee was Cindy Morrill, board secretary for the North Olympic Foster Parents Association.
A foster kid herself, she volunteered to help at the picnic three years ago and was inspired to become a foster parent.
“I knew that it was what I needed to do,” she said.
Morrill has had more than 40 children through her home and currently houses five.
“This kind of thing to support foster parents is so important — a really great thing,” Morrill said.
In addition to regular school supplies like folders, notebooks and pens, the association also received enough monetary donations to purchase a scientific calculator for each high school student, said board President Lori Brothers.
“We are so excited that we were able to do that for them because those calculators are so expensive,” she said. “It is a huge relief that we could provide those.”
About 80 families and 150 children were given items at the fair-like event.
“Most of what is done is just out of the loves of their hearts,” said Clallam County Commissioner Steve Tharinger.
“I know that they don’t get enough dollars for what they do — it is all because you care about the children.”
VIP sponsors included All Safe Mini Storage, Soroptimists of Sequim, Toys for Tots, Sensaria Natural Body Care, Sequim Sunrise Rotary, Olympic Synthetics, Sound Community Bank, Walmart and First Federal.
Other sponsors included Clallam County Fire District No. 3, Kiwanis Club of Sequim, OlyPen of Sequim, Sunny Farms, Tom Blore and Peter Black Real Estate, Rudiger Roo the Clown, Albertsons, Home Depot, McDonald’s, Mim’s Pharmacy, Costco, Safeway of Sequim, QFC, Sunbonnet Sue Quilt Club and Just Jump and Myztical Party.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.