City leaders splash for SPiN

Holland Happening is an Oak Harbor tradition. In its sixth decade, the annual spring festival celebrates the town’s Dutch heritage along with the diverse cultures that call North Whidbey Island home.

2022’s event featured an extra fun dive into the deep end of fun. And fundraising.

According to SPiN board member Carol Wall, “we had a great response to our Dunk Tank at Holland Happening.  The tank was a benefit effort for SPiN Cafe and the North Whidbey Sunrise Rotary Walk for Water project. These community leaders brought out lots of people to see them go into the dunk tank. It was a fun event and our two groups raised over $2,300.00 to split between us!”

Shane Hoffmire: “this will be a long cherished experience.”

Community leaders who took a bath for SPiN included City Council members Shane Hoffmire, Jim Woessner, Bryan Stucky, and Dan Evans, as well as New Leaf CEO Steve Jacobs and First United Methodist Pastor Dave Parker.

It was a typical, 50-something-rainy-windy-sunny spring day on Whidbey. That takes some courage to get dunked over and over in those onditions, even for a happy cause.

“The opportunity to sit atop the dunk tank,” said Hoffmire, now dry and warm a day later, “and to raise money for such a great cause, with a birds eye view of all the great things going on at Holland Happening, will be a long cherished experience. The water was cold like you’d imagine, and it seemed like 2 out of every 3 pitches thrown was a strike. About the time I realized that my family was using my lunch money to dunk me repeatedly was about the same time I lost count of how many times I’d been dunked in the name of charity.” 

Thomas, from Zanini’s:
perfect fastball form.

Carol Wall sums it up: “A variety of young and old, strong throwers and not, lots of laughter and some very wet dudes. And thanks to Thomas from Zanini’s Food Stop, who helped us keep the tank filled with water.”

Word has it there might have been ice involved. Brrrrrr!

Many thanks to our whole Oak Harbor community – the leaders taking the plunge, and the throwers who sent them into the drink – for coming together to support SPiN’s mission. It was a great day!

Pastor Dave: “Wait, remember that sermon on forgiveness?”