Beach School Foundation
Archive for the ‘Events’ Category
Edible Garden Tour July 30
Baker Backdrop
Baker Backdrop
18 Island sites highlight 3rd annual tour of edible gardens
A head count of about 170 visitors to Mr. Henry Austin’s Migley Point garden and acreage tour was one of the many high points of the 3rd annual Beach School Foundation fund-raiser that featured 18 garden stops this year on July 30.
Pedal, Snap, Ask, and Enjoy!
This event is excellent for bicycling, for photography, for enjoying Lummi Island’s nature, and for learning (and stealing ideas!) for planting and growing edible gardens of every shape and size, from one square foot to multiple acres, and including orchards. Some gardens received visitors as early as 8:30 a.m. and as late as 6 p.m.
All proceeds benefit Beach Elementary School’s future through the not-for-profit Beach School Foundation. The Foundation is grateful for all the sponsors, donations, and especially the gardeners who proudly opened their plots on this special day.
Edible Garden Tour Sponsors
Lummi Island businesses support BSF event July 30
Beach School Foundation is grateful for these contributors who covered expenses for our 3rd annual tour of Islanders’ gardens:
Cascade Chiropractic, Dr. Woody Bernard
Island Quality Painting
Willows Inn
Lummi Island Realty
Three Pheasant Farm
Jamison Construction
The Perfect Mocha.com
A heartfelt thank you, from the Beach School Foundation Board and Edible Garden Tour participants and volunteers!
The 10-10-10 Garden initiative blossomed
‘Perennial Project’ a huge success at Beach School Garden
On Sunday, October 10, local organizers of the Perennial Project 10-10-10 global initiative provided Beach School with marvelous free additions to its garden, and 22 volunteers turned out for planting and garden maintenance chores.
Eight adults and 14 Beach School students worked two hours on the garden during a gloriously sunny Sunday afternoon.
As part of a Global Work Party organized by 350.org, the Whatcom County School Garden Collective (WCSGC) donated rosemary, lavender, thyme, sage, and chives to the Beach School garden.
Aligning with the mission of sustainability by avoiding transportation using fossil fuel, Angela Packard delivered the plants by bicycle. She rode from Bellingham to the ferry at Gooseberry Point, and from the Lummi Island ferry dock to the school. Angela’s daughter Mara is a third-grader at Beach.
The volunteer corps weeded plant beds, mulched the path, and mowed the orchard. Students created herb beds utilizing rocks along the perimeter of the garden, guided by Tessa Bundy, the Beach School’s garden educator. Everybody yummied up on Tessa’s homemade crisp made from apples and rhubarb grown in the Beach School garden.
Beach School thanks all volunteer participants who helped prep the garden for winter, and the sponsors of the Perennial Project.
O. Henry performance a smash
By special request, Eric Foxman brought his one-man performance of short stories, “Oh! O. Henry!” to Lummi Island for an extraordinary engagement Sunday, August 29.
“Oh! O.Henry!” comprised short story masterpieces by popular early 20th century writer O. Henry. Mr. Foxman brought the stories alive in a theatrical tour-de-force, weaving together four stories that wowed the audience at Beach School.
As entertaining as the stories were, the history behind them was almost better. Interspersed between performance pieces, Mr. Foxman shared his research into the real life of Will Porter, a.k.a. O. Henry. What a writer, what a man, what a life!
If you were there, I’m sure you concur. If you weren’t, you really missed something special. Maybe next year? Perhaps we can lure Mr. Foxman back to our little school for an encore. He not only provided fine storytelling; his gracious donation of time and talent resulted in more than $735 of donations that will benefit our Beach School students!
With generous hosting by Islanders to eliminate expenses, all proceeds benefit the co-sponsoring Beach School Foundation and the Beach School PTO. A few benevolent Islanders who made large cash donations (you know who you are) deserve our deepest appreciation, along with each of you who spared what you could.
Many thanks to our PTO colleagues who baked the popular treats enjoyed at intermission, and to PTO President Buffy Fox for co-sponsoring and working the concessions herself. It takes an Island, after all.
Julie Hunter
Beach School Foundation Chair
More about “Oh! O. Henry!”:
Mr. Foxman pointed out added significance of the event. “This year marks the centenary of O. Henry’s death,” he said. “I am honored to be able to give these stories as a gift to Lummi Island and offer this program as a grateful tribute to this master of American literature.”
This special appearance on Lummi Island was part of an Eric Foxman Tour that includes stops in Washington, Oregon, and Vermont.