In praise of philanthropy

One person can make a difference and everyone should try.”

– John F. Kennedy

Two years ago my youngest granddaughter was standing on the side of a pontoon boat as it neared the dock. Waves caused the boat to bounce and she fell over the side, disappearing as the boat closed over her and banged hard against the wooden dock.

As she was wearing a life jacket and had had beginning swim lessons at the YMCA she knew to kick and head upwards. She came up under the rocking, darkened boat. Within seconds my daughter, her mother, jumped in, swam under and grabbed her. My two year old granddaughter, although frightened, was excitedly saying “I swim up, I swim up.” Exactly what she had been taught to do at the YMCA.

We are fortunate to have had so many generous donors to build our Y. The old pool and now the new pool have allowed many generations to learn to swim. All the volunteers who sit on its board of directors, who give of their time, make a huge difference. A life-saving difference.

Just recently I was walking my dog on a local wooded trail. It was steep and narrow and I stepped aside to let an elderly hiker pass by. We exchanged pleasantries, commented on how cool the forest was on that warm morning. I mentioned that I actually live on the side of the mountain we were on and had been hiking here for over 30 years. “Oh, how lucky you are” she said.

How lucky indeed.

We are all so fortunate to be the beneficiaries of the original donation of land that evolved into a public park, as well as all the volunteers that create and maintain its trails. All of us benefit from the far-sightedness, philanthropy and goodwill of others.

Several years ago my wife and I were sitting outside a local restaurant.

We were the only ones outside, the downtown quiet.

A man was walking slowly by, head downcast.

Concerned, I asked how he was doing.

It caught us by surprise when he said “Not well.

My wife died and I am lost.” We invited him to sit with us and had dinner together.

It was the beginning of a long friendship.

At the time I was working at the local college, charged with a variety of things, one of them being scholarship funding.

My new friend, when he found out what we could do together, decided to start a scholarship in the name of his wife, as a way to help others go to school while keeping her memory alive.

Even though he himself has passed on, his kindness and goodwill are still to this day benefiting others.

Everywhere we look we see the generosity of our neighbors; We stand on land trust ground and are able to observe wild life, smell the sea. We attend local stages and theaters: McIntyre and Maple, the historic Lincoln, together providing live performances, meeting places and documentary films.

Because of the generosity and philanthropy of others we walk the trails. We are educated and entertained. We swim up.

Bruce Vilders is a 32 year resident of Skagit county whose career was in non-profit and educational management.