On Christmas Day, Seattle will see itself on the large display screen when “The Boys within the Boat” opens in theaters. It’s the movie adaptation of Daniel James Brown’s bestseller in regards to the collective effort that led 9 boys and the Seattle neighborhood to attain its golden dream on the 1936 Summer season Olympics.
George Clooney’s movie in regards to the crew from the College of Washington gives not only a proud story of our previous, however an necessary message for our future. It’s a message in regards to the function of society that we should always bear in mind once we look ahead to 2024.
The 9 boys who discovered their swing on the chilly waters of Lake Washington have been all sons of the Nice Despair. Most have been poor and neglected. All have been inexperienced. However they shared a hidden power and tenacity that earned them a coveted spot on the Husky group.
Seattle on the time was an bold work in progress punctuated by adversity and wrestle. As you watch the film, take note of the scene of Smith Tower, on the time the tallest constructing on the West Coast, seen within the distance from Hooverville, a tidal flat city close to our waterfront.
And spot how our neighborhood got here collectively regardless of adversity.
When the crew first hit the oars in Lake Washington, nobody anticipated a victory on the US Olympic Trials. Their overcome extra skilled and better-funded East Coast crews didn’t assure a visit to Berlin for the 1936 Summer season Olympics. The group confronted a major monetary hurdle: they wanted to boost $5,000 (equal to $110,000 as we speak) to pay their manner. An inconceivable sum, particularly in an financial downturn, with solely days to drag it collectively.
That is when The Seattle Occasions sounded the alarm and our neighborhood got here collectively. College youngsters contributed nickels and dimes. Native companies stepped up. Volunteers knocked on doorways and requested for donations. And very quickly the group had what it took to symbolize the nation.
With out this extraordinary neighborhood effort, there would have been no ebook to put in writing or movie to make.
The era of Seattleites who despatched our groups to Olympic glory continued to construct on that spirit. Boeing and its staff designed and constructed the planes that helped win World Warfare II. Native enterprise leaders designed a House Needle that turned the centerpiece of the 1962 World’s Honest and a permanent icon of Seattle’s function on the planet. And two floating bridges over Lake Washington allowed a automobile to maneuver throughout a deep stretch of water sooner than an Olympic relay group.
Ambition met creativeness and other people got here collectively to construct a greater future.
The neighborhood of our personal time has adopted in these footsteps. Over the previous decade, we changed the world’s longest floating bridge, tore down a harmful viaduct on the Alaskan Method, and dug a colossal tunnel to make manner for a 20-acre public park. Every venture has been each giant and tough, however like the sunshine rail system that can finally cross Lake Washington, they add to the crown jewels of our area.
As we see the inspiring successes of “The Boys within the Boat,” allow us to as soon as once more name upon this spirit of neighborhood.
Our era can construct new civic treasures. A park that can redefine our waterfront. Excessive pace rail that can assist unfold development and join us to Vancouver and Portland. And airport capability that can assist pace up our journey additional.
And to this record we add the shell home on Montlake Lower that was the unique residence of the 1936 crew. Microsoft and Problem Seattle have joined others as main donors to renovate the construction and create a brand new centerpiece on the College of Washington.
A spot the place college students, residents and vacationers can be taught in regards to the enduring story of the boys and their boat. A spot the place teams in our neighborhood can meet, discover inspiration and map out their very own bold future.
The approaching yr affords many alternatives to seek out our progress. As a area, we’ve got spent the final two years recovering from a pandemic, and its lingering results have taken a toll. Now’s the time for extra work to revitalize and reinvest in downtown Seattle, tackle homelessness and public security collectively, and proceed our pursuit of reasonably priced housing and expanded schooling.
The spirit of the 1936 crew is a legacy of a group’s success. It gives inspiration for what people and a neighborhood can accomplish when it pulls collectively.
It is our boat now. Let’s benefit from it.