COEUR d’ALENE — This summer, the community will witness just what 600 people are capable of when they roll up their sleeves and work together for a common goal.

A stroll through the Kootenai County Fairgrounds will show the new pumpkin patch, the brilliant flower beds filled with colorful floral varieties, the professionally constructed sky lounge box in the arena, improved stock chutes, freshly painted stock pens and much more.

“Lots of work is getting done,” assistant fair manager and event coordinator Alexcia Jordan said Saturday morning.

The annual Summer Service Day at the Fairgrounds welcomed about four times as many volunteers as last year, and their work will be evident for years to come.

“It’s incredible; how could we possibly do it all? It’s not even possible,” Jordan said. “To have the community come in and support the fairgrounds is incredible. There’s no way we could get to all of this.”

Summer Service Day is an annual event for community members to come out and help the fairgrounds catch up on its many projects to keep it running smoothly and looking great. Help is appreciated from volunteers of all ages, even the wee ones.

“The little kids needed projects, so they all brought their wagons and their wheelbarrows and they’re picking rocks up out of the arena because it grows rocks,” Jordan said with a chuckle. “That will make the competitors that come for the rodeo super happy.”

Miss North Idaho Fair and Rodeo Haley Jackson, 18, was happy to help plant vegetation and spruce up her queendom. She smiled as she mentioned the dirt that covered her hands.

“It’s just amazing how much the community comes together,” she said. “I always say that, but being Miss North Idaho has made me realize how much our community has bonded, you know, we’ve been through hard times lately. Just seeing us all come together and giving back is really a refreshing thing.”

She said she’s looking forward to seeing how the grounds will look at the end of summer.

“I’m really excited for the fair,” she said. “It’s going to be fantastic and blooming.”

This year’s Summer Service Day was augmented by the Church of Latter-day Saints Hayden Lake Stake, which provided volunteers from 10 area wards. The church comes together to spend one day a year on a big community service effort, and this year it piggybacked on the fairgrounds’ annual service day.

“It’s going good, beautiful weather, lots of hard work, we’re all working as a team,” said Elder Hayden Jones, who is spending mission time with the Hayden Lake Stake. “It’s enjoyable. And it’s not like big history, but we’re part of Hayden Lake history, I guess. It feels cool to be able to help out the community that we live in and the community that we love.”

“It’s nice to get together with everyone,” said Elder Joshua Howell, who is also completing a mission in North Idaho. “It’s not very often that we get to get together outside of church.”

Through all the many projects, some of the younger volunteers found time to have fun. Friends and Boy Scouts Drake Duce and Bruce Allred, both 15 and of Kellogg, enjoyed several tug-of-war matches. They worked together to defeat an army of six boys about half their size.

“I was undefeated for seven rounds and then I started losing circulation in my fingers,” Drake said, grinning.

He and Bruce worked on picking up rocks, painting and other odd jobs where they were needed.

“I’m always apt on service, I do things at school for that, and it’s a great way, it’s a simple way, to come back and give a little back,” Bruce said. “It doesn’t take a lot of work.”

“It’s just fun to get out and do something on a weekend,” Drake said. “When there’s nothing around your community to help with, go somewhere else and do it.”