Silverdale Rotary to donate $100,000 to Hospice

The Rotary Club of Silverdale presented Hospice of Kitsap County with an oversized check containing a large amount of money Thursday.

During Rotary’s regular Thursday meeting, Rotary President Steve Slaton presented Jim Pledger, Hospice of Kitsap County executive director, with a $20,000 check. Rotary recently launched a long-term project to donate $100,000 to Hospice of Kitsap County. The money will help build its new in-patient facility.

Hospice of Kitsap County’s Care Center will include 15 private patient studios complete with individual bathrooms, kitchenettes and accommodations for overnight guests. The 10,000-square-foot facility will be located in East Bremerton and is scheduled to open at the end of 2007.

“If all goes well and we’re able to set up all of the permits we hope to open it before the end of the year,” Pledger said.

The in-patient facility will have professional care available 24 hours a day and will provide an alternative to care at home, hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

“Kitsap County doesn’t have anything like this right now,” Pledger said.

Hospice currently cares for about 500 people and the new in-patient facility is predicted to increase the number of patients and family members served each year.

“Currently our program cares for about 500 people a year, but we predict it’ll go up with this new facility,” Pledger said.

Pledger said Hospice of Kitsap County is about three-quarters of the way to their $1 million campaign goal to construct the care center. Silverdale Rotary intends to donate $100,000 over a five-year period, making them a large contributor to the in-patient facility.

While deciding what to do for a long-term project, Slaton and fellow Rotarians heard presentations and selected Hospice of Kitsap County as the unanimous winner.

“It’s a great organization, they are the only people that provide this service in the community,” Slaton said. “They have a stellar reputation in quality of service provided and as a business.”

Part of the money raised at the Great Kitsap Duck Race, Silverdale Rotary’s largest fund-raiser, will be donated to Hospice of Kitsap County. The duck race raises about $80,000 a year and Rotary plans to donate $20,000 of that amount to the care facility each year until their $100,000 goal is met.

Previous long-term Silverdale Rotary projects include the skate park in Gateway Park on Silverdale Way and the Kitsap Kids Playground located beside the Kitsap County Fairgrounds.

“We constantly have a long term project that typically lasts 4-5 years,” Slaton said.

Ducks for the Great Kitsap Duck Race are up for adoption at Safeway and Albertsons in Silverdale, the Kitsap Mall and from Silverdale Rotarians. They are $5 each or five for $20. The duck race will take place during Whaling Days on Sunday, July 29 on Dyes Inlet at Silverdale Waterfront Park.

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