100 Volunteers Day on the SJ Campus was a huge success! More than 150 people showed up and really rolled up their sleeves to get a lot of work done. Project leaders were ready in every building to help direct focus and answer questions. They were super-stars, and the volunteers were especially self-directed. For 85 of the more than 150 volunteers, this was a first-time appearance at a Fine Arts Camp work party. They took on projects, as if well-seasoned returners, and saw them through to the end. The campus was filled with great energy.

To bring in kids off of a waitlist that is bigger than it has ever been, SFAC made the decision to open up dorm rooms in Whitmore and Frasier. On Friday night, these rooms looked like they had a long way to go to be inhabitable.  By Saturday afternoon, volunteers had flown through the checklist of tasks, making the rooms ready for beds! A special thanks to the project leaders Kristin Homer and Kris Fulton for rallying the troops in these buildings!

The rooms in Yaw have been used for art classes and painting with paper, magazines, still life items and more recently boxes of Sitka Fine Arts Camp supplies lining the shelves. Under the direction of Kenley Jackson, a volunteer crew moved the boxes and tore threw dust, dirt and grime with surprising enthusiasm. They really made the painting room sparkle and even the bathroom shine!

North Pacific will be used to house the camp's 40+ faculty, who come in from all over the country. Under the leadership of Chan Richards, Erika Knox and Pete Weiland, the building got some special attention inside and out.  A group worked on installing the new fire escape, while another worked on the upstairs lounge. There was someone in every corner of every other room, vacuuming and washing any surface they could get their hands on (walls, doors, windows, heaters, etc!)

Outside of the quad buildings, Wurster got a real overhaul from Wendy Alderson, Davey Lubin and their crew of volunteers. A big thanks to the Coast Guard group that helped finish the roof! Another group, led by Peter Apathy started a wing-by-wing deep clean in Sweetland Hall.  A small grounds crew worked on raking the moss from the grass and trimming some of the unwanted growth. 

In the kitchen, a team of volunteers helped prepare for a festive lunch.  (A big thank you to Tracy for all of the time she spends each week preparing before and cleaning afterward!)  Hot dogs and chili were cooked outside the front door by grill-masters Roger and Mary Hames. The smell filled the air and lured volunteers from all over campus!

In one day, members of the Sitka community put 665 volunteer hours into the revitalization of the SJ Campus. We probably accomplished 4 weekends worth of work in one day. This is testament to the initiative this town has, and a powerful display of the belief in the potential of the future of this campus. Thank you!!

Looking to next week:

What comes next? There is still a lot of work to get done. We are ready to finish cleaning Sweetland and set up the last wing of bedrooms there. We will finish painting in Stuart Cottage and in the North Pacific lounge (which looks fantastic due to many Pete Weiland hours!)  Looking farther into the future, we will be moving furniture and setting up bedrooms in Fraser and Whitmore.