As spring transitions to summer in the Pacific Northwest, people are more enticed to get out in the open and enjoy the fresh air. Some people go for hikes in the mountains, while others go for trips toward various bodies of water.
However, not everyone has the time to commit to those travels or are just looking for something to do for their daily lunch break. For people near the Elma area, Summit Pacific has an answer.
The Summit Pacific Medical Foundation held a grand opening ceremony for its trail expansion on Friday, May 20, to celebrate the completion of its third walking trail that surrounds the hospital campus.
The trail allows community members, patients, and hospital staff to enjoy a brisk walk that features a natural pond, active streams, and a lush green atmosphere. The ceremony drew about two dozen people consisting of community members, Summit Pacific staff, and board members of the medical foundation.
Brian Smith, who serves as president of the Summit Pacific Medical Foundation, as well as Senior Vice President of Timberland Bank, said the overall goal of the trails is to give back to the community that has helped Summit Pacific grow to where it is today.
He also said the addition of the trail should encourage more of the community to explore what the hospital campus has to offer.
“Our big vision is to be the healthiest communities in the nation and so one of the big things is if we cannot have a trail like this to get people out and walking, how are we going to achieve that vision,” Smith said. “We see people come out from the community, rain or shine, to use our trails and the addition of this should only increase turnout.”
Smith went on to explain that the goal is to hopefully expand the trails around the hospital campus and that the newest addition of the trails was paid in full by the medical foundation. He said the previous trails were funded by the contributions of Summit Pacific employees and are widely accepted and used by hospital staff.
According to Nichole Pas, who serves as the Marketing Communications Manager for Summit Pacific, the highlight of the new trail is that it brings back access to an area that was overgrown with scotch broom, blackberry vines, and small bushes that prevented people from seeing the pond. She says the project took a few weeks in total to complete and that the timing was mostly opportunistic.
“The creation of the trail has been in the master plan for a while; we just found an opportunity to be able to get it done and we jumped on it,” Pas explained. “There used to be fishing derbies that would happen in the pond and now people will be able to actually see it again and enjoy a little bit of nature while they walk.”
In addition to exploring the trails, people are encouraged to bring their children and pets, as a playground and a small field are present on the campus. While there are no immediate plans in the works for more trail expansions, this is not the last project or event that the Summit Pacific Medical Foundation is setting up. On June 25, the foundation will be hosting its annual “Ride the Harbor” event that spans across all of Grays Harbor County.
