Help Make Enumclaw's 100th Birthday a Year-Long Celebration

It'll take a pretty big cake to fit 100 candles for Enumclaw's centennial celebration next year, and it'll take a pretty big group of excited citizens to give the city the property party it deserves.

Want to be a part of it? Read on and in particular note the sections in bold for where and how you can participate.

The city was first incorporate on Jan. 27, 1913 and so organizers have designated Jan. 27, 2013 as the date for one of three signature events that will occur through next year to honor Enumclaw's history.

On Jan. 27, according to Enumclaw Mayor Liz Reynolds, two events are planned:

• A history-focused exhibition at the Expo Center. Expo Center events manager Kristen Damazio is inviting local groups and organizations to take part in the exhibition and showcase your respective histories as a part of this small town. For more information or to get your organization involved, contact Damazio at kdamazio@ci.enumclaw.wa.us or 360-615-5631.
• A Centennial dinner where one of the evening's programs will be to announce the Centennial Committee's Legacy Project: to have a bronze centennial bell forged which will eventually be on display on City Hall grounds. The dinner will be the venue to introduce the fundraising effort for the bell, which will include an auction of limited edition commemorative coins auction. All funds for the bell will be raised through public donations and made to the Enumclaw Enhancement Foundation 501c3 under 'Enumclaw Centennial' at the Chamber of Commerce. Contact Reynolds at lreynolds@ci.enumclaw.wa.us or 360-802-0229 if you would like to assist with the dinner and/or the Legacy Project.

The second event commemorating the Centennial will coincide with Independence Day in July. Some ideas that have been floated include a community wide picnic with live music. Contact Tracey Prociw at 360-625-8780 if you would like to be a part of planning and implementing the day's festivities.

The third and last event will be ecumenical service on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving in November. As several local churches hold services each year on this day in the spirit of thanks giving, the idea is to bring everyone together for a community service at the Field House. Contact Bruce Thweatt (bthweatt@eccfamily.org or 360-825-5437) or Mike Nelson (michael_nelson@enumclaw.wednet.edu or 360-802-7103) if you would like to participate in planning and helping with the event.

Meanwhile, the city of Enumclaw is doing its part in creating a Centennial website as a central place for information about events and announcements pertaining to the milestone. The site is still in progress but we'll share the website address as soon as it becomes available. Here, also, are at least two ways you can get involved:

• The site will feature a community calendar (similar to Patch's events calendar) in which you can contribute your own church or organization's events. All events listed would be presented as local events during the Centennial year.
• The city is working towards securing a grant to hire a videographer to capture stories of long-time Enumclaw citizens and their experiences growing up, starting families and starting buisnesses in town. The stories would be shared both on the Centennial website and at the January Centennial dinner. To suggest someone you know for this video project, again contact Reynolds (information listed above).