On the banks of the Columbia River, now known as the Hanford reach, Simon and Kathleen Martinez started their dream of running bands of sheep in Washington State. The U.S. government had different plans. With the beginning of the Manhattan project, they were asked to leave their homestead and relocated to the bountiful Yakima Valley. They purchased a farm south of Sunnyside that could accommodate their growing family of six children, whom worked alongside their parents throughout their youth. Martina grew up participating in 4-H, band, and cheerleading at Sunnyside High School and served as a Toppenish Rodeo Princess, before graduating in 1961.
Martina went on to attend Gonzaga University, YVC and Heritage College. She then married and had a family of her own. She spent her days tending the family farm and raising her children, whom also attended and graduated at Sunnyside High School (Chad, class of 1984, Christine, class of 1985, Shannon, class of 1989 and Jay, class of 1992).
Martina Castle-Charvet has always had a passion for everything agriculture. She grew her own family farm through the years, producing concord grapes that are sold each fall to Welch’s, as well as other diversified crops including alfalfa, corn and asparagus. She also developed a strong love of the wine industry, which started when given an opportunity to work for the valley’s first winery, Quail Run, back in the early 80s. Today, she still continues to have a passion for all things agriculture and has passed the love of agriculture on to her children, who have carried on the family tradition whether it be in the Yakima Valley or at their respective homesteads in California and Oregon.
Martina has been an active member of the community and has dedicated much of her life’s work to programs for the betterment of our youth. It all started in 1989, while on a walk with a close friend, Sandy Johnson. The ladies hatched a plan to bring quality childcare and educational programming to the children of the Yakima Valley, by opening Sandy’s Preschool in Granger. After a year of preparation that included educational trips to the Broetje Orchards’ childcare center in Prescott, WA, land was purchased. A building was constructed based on architecture plans gifted to the ladies by Ralph Broetje and all the paperwork had been filled out with applications approved for 125 children. The doors to the preschool officially opened in
September of 1990 with approximately twelve children. Martina attended Heritage University to earn her Early Childhood Education Certification and served as the preschool’s director.
Through the years, the center added before and after-school programs. Encouragement from Sister Elizabeth Simkins, one of Heritage University’s founders and whom became a mentor to Martina while attending the school, a Montessori preschool was added to the site. The center had grown from serving the original twelve students to the maximum capacity of 125. When an offer to purchase the preschool came along in 2001, it was time to retire.
Martina as well as her children were active in 4-H and FFA. During this time, Martina served on the fair board of directors for the Yakima Valley Fair and Rodeo from 1988 to 2007. When the state of Washington was threatening to cut programs in 2007, funding that provided the premium money, ribbons for the FFA and 4-H participants, Martina gathered her friends, Cathy Mears, Karma Frank and Carol Bos. They formed the Foundation for the Yakima Valley Fair and Rodeo. A 501 © 3 was established and they set about raising funds through 4-H connections they had formed during their time in 4-H, dating back to when they were young. That first year, they raised $8,000. The next year they hosted their first dinner and auction that established the annual tradition which continues to this day. The Foundation has raised more than half a million
dollars. Those funds have sponsored projects including the paved pathway throughout the fairgrounds, the new grandstands in the rodeo arena, and many other smaller projects. The Foundation now includes 9 dedicated members and 3 junior members, who work tirelessly to follow the mission of the Foundation which is to solicit, accumulate and disperse funds to
maintain a standard of excellence to the fair facilities, promote a community and family atmosphere with an emphasis on agricultural and youth education. She hopes to preserve the old fashioned country fair experience for future generations including her grandchildren, who are all active 4-H and FFA members.
Her work does not stop there. Martina has been an active member with Lower Yakima Valley Soroptimist chapter for the past 27 years, which is an international organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls throughout their communities. The chapter provides high school scholarships within the Yakima Valley and
supports several causes such as the current initiative, which is building awareness to fight human trafficking. She also is an active member of St. Josephs’ Catholic Church and is a caregiver to many family members and friends knowing she is someone they can always count on.
For Martina’s work in educating the smallest of our youth, to her dedication in continuing to support programs like 4-H and FFA, which in her words “teaches children the skills and responsibility they need to become productive members of society following graduation,” we congratulate her on her induction into the Sunnyside High School Alumni Wall of Fame.