Klahanie siblings, 8-year-old Noah and 7-year-old Heidi Foxman, walked right up to the Sammamish mayor and offered up their strength and skills Saturday morning.

They, too, wanted to help with the tree-planting ceremony.

Among the 10 officials gathered around a 15- to 20-foot red oak, the children were given golden shovels to scoop up mulch and dump it at the base of the newly planted tree.

This ceremony kicked off the “Welcome to Sammamish” party for Klahanie residents in Klahanie Park Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sammamish city officials organized the celebration for residents after Klahanie-area voters showed in April their overwhelming desire to annex into the city. Thousands showed and wandered through the park off of Southeast Klahanie Boulevard for food, live music and children’s activities.

Lorrie Schleg, who chairs the Klahanie-area Transition Committee, said the annexation is off to a great start — even though it won’t be official until Jan. 1, 2016.

During her remarks before the tree-planting ceremony, she said, while people are excited for the promised lower taxes and improved services, people are ready to contribute to their community, whether it’s through volunteer work or by serving on the city council.

She, along with the two Foxman children, the seven-member Sammamish council and King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert, placed a bit of dirt around the native North American red oak, planted the previous day near the park’s entrance.

Lambert, who represents District 3, which includes the cities of Sammamish and Issaquah, shared her memories about the early days of the annexation process.

She recounted her time with officials from both cities and the Puget Sound Regional Council during the “put-on-your-seatbelt” process of finding a place for Klahanie residents.

Lambert didn’t have a preference for whether roughly 11,000 people became Issaquah or Sammamish citizens — she’d still be their representative on the county council. “I just want them to be happy,” she said.

Klahanie-area voters twice denied annexing to Issaquah, in 2005 and 2014. Just a little more than a year after the 2014 ballot failed in Issaquah, Klahanie residents voted themselves into Sammamish with 86 percent approval.

“I’m so glad we’ve come to this day,” Lambert said.

Energetic live bands, like Recess Money and The Not-Its, played on the main stage as attendees wandered by numerous booths set up on the green field. Along the edge of the booths were several bouncy houses and other activities.

One such amusement was a runway, outlined by yellow caution tape attached to orange construction cones, with a large radar speed control sign set up at the end. Attendees would dart down the path, hoping for pace to be proud of.

Five-year-old Natalie Hollander, of Klahanie, gave it a go, reaching 8 mph.

Her mother, Stephanie, encouraged her from the starting line as she raced to beat her last time.

The Hollanders have lived in Klahanie for 5 years. Stephanie Hollander is excited to be out of unincorporated King County. She’s most excited for the Sammamish firework ban to take effect, she said.

“For me, that’s huge,” she said.

Klahanie resident Rob Karoll, who lives in Klahanie with his family, was out Saturday with his twin 6-year-old daughters.

Karoll said he voted for the annexation and that there are no downsides to becoming a Sammamish resident.