SEQUIM — Fifteen city employees and officials, including Mayor Ken Hays and City Council member Don Hall, dropped in on Washington Street businesses for poker cards earlier this week as part of the city’s annual Poker Walk.
The idea was to walk two miles downtown as part of the city’s employee wellness program and get to know what’s in downtown.
“We thought this would be a good way to get our employees walking and also introduce them to some businesses they may not otherwise visit,” said walk organizer and City Clerk Karen Kuznek-Reese.
The walk started at 4:15 p.m. sharp Wednesday at El Cazador and ended at the Mexican restaurant under the old Sequim grain silo near West Washington Street at South Fifth Avenue, where staffers and city leaders celebrated, and prizes for the top three best poker hands were awarded.
City Information Technology Director Steve Rose, who suggested the poker run include Sequim residents in the future, won first prize for the best hand, while departing City Planner Dennis Osborne came in second place, and Laurie Gilchrest, administrative assistant for Public Works, had the third best hand.
Downtown Washington Street businesses visited for poker cards included Avant-Garde Florist, Red Rooster Grocery, Over the Fence garden and furniture store, Tesa Boutique & Tanning Retreat, White Cups coffee drive-through and Sofie’s Florist.
Kuzenek-Reese said the city staff tries to do an extracurricular activity each month, whether it be just making veggie animals to eat or listening to health experts give presentations.
“We’re just trying to make people more aware of what they do with their health,” she said on the warm, windless day in between business stops.
Other city officials joining in the walk were City Manager Steve Burkett, Public Works Director Paul Haines and City Attorney Craig Ritchie.
“I’m just going along to ensure they are practicing the best risk-avoidance techniques,” Ritchie joked.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
