SEQUIM — For years, constructing a path around the perimeter of Pioneer Memorial Park so it could be enjoyed year-round by visitors of all ages and physical abilities was on the wish list of the Sequim Prairie Garden Club.
Several years ago, the pathway was among community improvement projects considered by the city of Sequim and put up for a community vote, but the project was not chosen, said Suzan Mannisto, park co-director and accessibility pathway committee member.
Then the club gained a new member — one with grant-writing experience — and its luck changed.
The club recently was chosen to receive grant funding that Mannisto said will cover about half of the pathway project’s estimated $275,000 cost. Mannisto said the club is waiting for a formal announcement before it reveals further details.
“With an experienced grant writer, we formed a committee and just started moving forward with it,” Mannisto said.
With one grant under its belt, the Sequim Prairie Garden Club feels confident that more grants can be obtained and enough donations raised to make the pathway a reality.
The club has launched a “Pathway Accessible to All” fundraising initiative to accept donations and to sell commemorative bricks.
The “Pathway Accessible to All” project will construct an 1,800-foot concrete path, 5 feet wide, around the perimeter of the 4-acre park, located at 387 E. Washington St.
Care of the park was entrusted to the Sequim Prairie Garden Club years ago through a 99-year lease, first from the Sequim Cemetery Association, now the city of Sequim. The club maintains and preserves the property and its historical artifacts.
The park boasts flower beds, almost 200 trees, picnic tables, cultural features and more.
In 2023, the park was recognized as an accredited arboretum by ArbNet, the international network of arboreta.
“We are proud and honored to be the stewards of Pioneer Memorial Park and thrilled to be making it accessible to all,” club President Ellen Castleman said in a press release. “For nearly 75 years, our club has cared for and improved this special place on behalf of our community.”
As part of the “Pathway Accessible to All” project, the existing accessible parking area will be upgraded to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and connected to both the new pathway and an accessible picnic table.
The Sequim Prairie Garden Club is a nonprofit organization. Donations can be made through its website, sequimprairiegardenclub.org.
Commemorative engraved bricks are available in several sizes — small, medium and large — with a wide range of pricing, from $250 to $49,999. For more information or to purchase a brick, visit the club’s website.
Checks can be mailed to Sequim Prairie Garden Club, P.O. Box 46, 387 E. Washington St., Sequim, WA 98382.
The club’s phone number is 360-808-3434. Inquiries can be emailed to sequimprairiegardenclub@hotmail.com.
The park is open to the public year-round and is free to visit. In addition to its outdoor features, the Sequim Prairie Garden Club also operates and maintains the clubhouse for community meetings and events.
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Kathy Cruz is the editor of the Sequim Gazette of the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which also is composed of other Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News and Forks Forum. She can be reached by email at kathy.cruz@sequimgazette.com.
