About four years ago, Sammamish was hit by one of the most powerful windstorms in its young history. The next morning, the city woke up to a wreck – trees down, roads blocked, a mild chaos. The city’s leaders pondered how best to coordinate a clean up.

In the hundreds, residents pitched in, cleaned up their patch and their neighbors patch and helped out wherever they were needed. It was then that the city realized the true value of the enormous resource they had right under their noses – local volunteers.

The windstorm clean-up taught them that while the energy of generous residents is considerable, to have the best effect it needs to be coordinated, and so they created a new position – Volunteer Coordinator – at city hall. Enter Dawn Sanders.

Sanders was already very involved in life on the Plateau, as a volunteer with the SAMMI Awards and her neighborhood schools. As the City of Sammamish Volunteer Coordinator, she now works with students, families and community groups from all over the city, organizing events in which the people of Sammamish can do their bit for our parks, open spaces, cultural events and celebrations.

During the recent Sammamish Parks and Recreation Department’s public outreach program “Have a Say In How We Play,” Sanders’ volunteer events were repeatedly praised by residents as an example of something the city is doing well – a successful program that is as popular as it is effective.

Last Saturday, Sanders saw almost 100 people volunteer to help clean up Pine Lake Park, as part of the city’s Earth Day celebration.

Once again, Boys and Girl Scout troops provided much of the labor. They were joined by all manner of residents, united only by a love for the park as a place of recreation and solace.

“It always overwhelms me, how many people want to help,” she said this week. We are walking around the park, seeing first hand the tremendous impact that volunteers have in maintaining the city’s green spaces, among other works.

It is not just on Earth Day that Sammamish residents realize what they can do for the environment – there are volunteer events all throughout the year.

This year Sanders organized a new series of invasive plant removal work parties on the fourth Saturdays of the month, fighting hard for native ecology at Llama Landing, Beaver Lake Park, and other environmentally sensitive areas in the city.

Regularly, more than 20 men and women, of all ages and backgrounds, gave up their Saturday mornings to wrestle with Scotch Broom and Blackberry.

And over the next few months, the city will continue its partnership with the Washington Native Plant Society, restoring the compromised environments at the Sammamish Commons, the Landing Park, and Illahee Trail.

Maybe pick axes, ditches and blackberry thorns aren’t your cup of tea?

With summer coming up, Sammamish is switching into party mode, and volunteers are needed to help stage a number of community events.

“For the first time ever, this year we are hosting a Sammamish Days Event, ahead of Sammamish Nights, on August 27,” Sanders said. “Over the past 10 years, we have seen lots of people of different nationalities move to the Plateau. Sammamish Days will be about celebrating all those cultures and what makes them unique. We are looking for people that can contribute to the event by sharing their heritage.”

For people wanting to get involved in the Sammamish community, to do something that is simply good, the opportunities are endless.

All you have to do is raise your hand. Or, rather, e-mail Sanders at dsanders@ci.sammamish.wa.us., or call 425-295-0556.