Rotary clubs from Broomfield and Westminster united as part of a worldwide EPIC Day of Service to provide Bal Swan Children’s Center with some much needed TLC.

The EPIC Day of Service is an annual event where Rotary clubs across the world organize a day filled with service projects and community action. This year marked the second year of Broomfield’s two Rotary clubs uniting with Westminster Rotary Club to donate services to Broomfield’s Bal Swan.

“Each one of the three clubs — Broomfield Rotary, Broomfield Crossing and Westminster Rotary — all have a connection with Bal Swan,” Broomfield Crossing Rotary’s President Holly Taylor said.From having one of its members on Bal Swan’s board, to doing extensive fundraising for the center, or having kids who attend Bal Swan, each Rotary club has a unique relationship with the Broomfield-based center.

Taylor said she’s been with the Broomfield Crossing Rotary for three years and got her start after meeting some Rotary members while volunteering at Broomfield’s Lakeshore Cafe, where seniors gather for lunch and community building. Regardless of where they might be helping, Taylor said the Rotary club is all about service.

“Rotary’s motto is, ‘service above self,’ and going and providing a service to an outstanding community member like Bal Swan allows us to have a real impact on them,” she said.

The day of service took place on May 17, and Rotary club members helped with a mix of necessary tasks and fun projects that directly impact Bal Swan’s attendees.

“Some of the projects were pragmatic and necessary for the school, and some were more fun,” Bal Swan’s Executive Director Debbie Kunz said.

Kunz said that among the projects that served the property, Rotary members repainted parts of the parking lot, cleaned the gutters, shampooed all the area rugs, power-washed the gym mats, pulled weeds and did landscaping work.

“Things that directly serve the children included creating an open-ended play space along one of our fences — with stuff like pool noodles and buckets and PVC pipe attached to the fence — as a play space,” she said.

“They also painted some colorful shapes where kids line up before they come inside … so they can choose a shape to get on before coming inside from recess or play time.”

Kunz said that the work the Rotary club members completed for the center would have cost Bal Swan thousands of dollars. Instead, approximately 40 people offered a combined 120 hours of volunteer work for the center.

“If you see a need and can help — just do it,” Broomfield Rotary Club member Redd Upton, who helped organize the event, said.

“Put yourself out there, because there are a lot of people that need help and don’t want to ask or have asked and didn’t get that help.”

Kunz said that the work done over the weekend is already having an impact on Bal Swan and its attendees.

“The kids are already using their lineup spots, and some of them were dancing around and observing their new paint on the sidewalk,” she said.

“We pour all of our resources into these children, so other things can get neglected. For people to just selflessly come in and help us is really kind.”