The idea of keeping health, safety and the well being of children, youth and families in the Bonney Lake and Sumner area was the focus of the annual Sumner/Bonney Lake Communities for Families Coalition summit.

About 275 people gathered on March 20 for a day full of pre-summit workshops, breakout sessions and dinner.

The summit is the coalition’s signature event, according to Sumner School District’s STARR Project director Marilee Hill-Anderson.

She added these summits allow elected officials to take the ideas discussed back to city hall where decisions can be made to enhance the community.

Bonney Lake Councilman Tom Watson attended this years summit and said he “truly enjoyed” it.

“I am inspired by the eagerness of our youth to make a difference in our communities in the amount of adults that are assisting with this cause,” Watson said.

This summit was different from years past because it included hands on service projects.

There were three projects people could take part in, one of them was listening to food bank directors and then helping pack 200 backpacks of food for kids in the community.

Following the three workshops were six breakout sessions that participants could choose to go to. One of which included listening to Bonney Lake Mayor Neil Johnson and City Administrator Don Morrison discuss city events and the planning process.

Hill-Anderson said the goal is to host a city council meeting at Bonney Lake High School before the year is over to promote teen involvement.