MATTAWA — The phrase “community day” is used all over America to denote a day when a community celebrates its founding, its history and its commonly shared ways of living.

Some folks still don’t turn out for the festivities. The Mattawa Area Chamber of Commerce’s Lois Thiede wonders if it’s a misunderstanding of “community.”

In that case, she wants all of the people from the southern tip of the county to Beverly to know that the Mattawa Chamber of Commerce considers everyone in that area a part of the community.

“A community is schools and churches, businesses and organizations,” Thiede said. “There are policemen, firemen and health professionals and just plain hard-working people. There are families and singles and kids and senior citizens. There are people from other countries and states, and there are homegrown people.

“Yup, communities are made up of people who make things happen, people who watch things happen and even people who ask ‘what happened?’

“Well, we want them all to come out and make it happen.”

The Mattawa Comm-Unity has been celebrated for many years. It died for a while. Then Maggie Celaya, who is now on the Mattawa City Council, revived it a few years ago. She turned it over to the Chamber this year in hopes an organization could muster all of the volunteers it requires.

“We, the community, really have a lot to thank Maggie for,” Thiede said. “Her hard work and her sense of community brought the celebration back.”

It was Celeya who came up with the change from Community Day to Comm-Unity Day. That little nuance punctuates what a community is.

The 2106 version Mattawa Comm-Unity Day celebration is fewer than three months away, scheduled for July 30. As planning has progressed, some activities are the same and others have changed.

First, Comm-Unity Days has been consolidated into Community Day – Saturday, July 30. All of the food, fun and entertainment will be packed into one day.

Instead of being separate on Friday evening, the kiddie parade will take place right before the main parade on Saturday morning. The 5k run, proceeded by the 1-mile fun run, is meeting all the requirements of an official 5k run that can attract serious runners from all over the state.

Several churches are uniting to cook and dish up the free breakfast from 8-10 am. Starting at 10:30 a.m., the kiddie parade and main parade will lead spectators to the park for several hours of fun and entertainment.

Besides the informational and food booths, activities for kids of all ages are being planned by various organizations. A DJ will be on hand to announce the various happenings and announce winners of the parade, the salsa and belly-busting burrito contests, and other events as they develop. Activities are expected to wrap up by around 3 pm.

“If what you like about this area isn’t reflected yet in the Comm-Unity Day events, there is time to change that,” Thiede said.

Residents of the community may participate by entering their business or organization in the parade, having a booth in the park, donating items to be used as prizes for competitions or raffles, donating items for the breakfast, or donating money to cover expenses as needed.

“This is a day for members of the community, especially business owners, to display what is they do or offer,” Thiede said.

Forms for registering for the running event, entering the parade, having a booth in the park or simply donating toward the event can be picked up and dropped off at Mattawa City Hall or sent to Mattawa Area Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1271, Mattawa, WA 99349. Emails can be sent to help@MattawaChamber.org.

The Mattawa Community Days Committee meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at 4 pm in the conference room of the Columbia Basin Health Association. May’s meeting is set for the 26th.

“People who like to make things happen are encouraged to join the meetings,” Thiede said. “Watch this paper for ads and updates on what is planned for this year’s Comm-Unity Day. Whether you are the kind of person who makes things happen or watches what’s happening, mark your calendar for July 30. Don’t miss out and be the person who asks, “What happened at Community Day?”

Comm-Unity Day Schedule – so far:

• 7:30 a.m 5k and Fun Run
• 8 a.m. Breakfast in the Park
• 10:30 a.m. Kiddie Parade and Main Parade
• 12 – 3 p.m. Fun in the Park