Student athletes volunteer at kids' festival

Members of the Western Washington University Track and Field team lent a helping hand to the Bellingham Parks and Recreation on Saturday, August 3, volunteering at the 24th Annual Bellingham Kids Festival held at Bloedel Donovan Park.

Viking assistant coach David Burnett, graduate assistant coach Ben Stensland and student athletes Amber Dodd, Bethany Drake, Ryan Macdonald, and Lindsay Wells along with former WWU sprinter Savannah Glasgow took part in the event.

The festival featured face painting, kayak demonstrations, martial arts, obstacle courses, robotics, climbing rock walls, mini golf courses and other outdoor activities.

"Giving back to our community was an awesome experience," said Dodd. "Having some of our coaches out, along with my teammates was representative of what we as Vikings are all about and that's teamwork. The kids had a great time and these type of experiences help enrich my experience as a student athlete at Western."

Over 20 local businesses had booths that featured demonstrations and free give aways.

"Being able to see the smiles on some of the kids faces was priceless in the moon bounce and obstacle courses," said Burnett. "It was a great opportunity for our student athletes and members of the coaching staff to give back to the community."