The late Pat Janicki always said, ‘You’ve gotta make fun happen.”
As the youngest of five and a third generation Sedro-Woolley Rotarian, Janicki often said when it was his turn to choose a local project, he wanted to build a playground at the playfields where he spent hours upon hours watching his older siblings play baseball, softball and soccer.
When Pat passed away after a drug overdose, the Janicki family rallied to make his dream a reality. Their goal: A place for younger siblings at the local playfields as well as a venue to share Pat’s story.
His family hopes that will save someone else’s life.
His sister and fellow Rotarian, Stephanie Bachmeier, said the family’s hope is to change public perception and policies so that people battle addiction can get the help they need.
The Rotary Club raised more than $177,000 for the inclusive playground.
Club members helped assemble the large playground structure, build concrete pads for the equipment and spread wood chips for safety.
The playground is both accessible and inclusive for children in a wheelchair.
The train has a railroad-crossing sign that can be cranked to create lights and sounds. Mini seated excavators will help children discover “fossils” that are buried under sand.
The club is continuing fundraising efforts to install a rubberized hardened surface throughout the entire play area, making more features accessible.