Kids Eco Challenge
Dear Editor: I would like to express a big thank you to Murray Pacific, Sea Mart, the White Elephant and all the volunteers who assisted with the Kids Eco Challenge in honor of Earth Week last weekend.
The event was a huge success with coordination efforts from community volunteer extraordinaire Jen Groncki and risk management support from Kevin Knox, Maggie Gallin and Theo, Sarah Komisar, Noah Galarza, KK Prussian, Mike Groncki, Bethany Goodrich, Luke A’bear, Andrew Thoms, Scott Harris, campground host Tom, and parent helpers.
Six teams competed in various challenges of biking, naturalist identification, compass navigation, paddling and fire building. Congratulations to all the participants on working well with their teams and upholding safety and Leave No Trace wilderness ethics! It sure was a fun event!
Mary Wood, Sitka Conservation
Society Community Sustainability
Organizer, 4-H
Poster Contest
Dear Editor: This past month, Sitkans Against Family Violence was busy organizing events and raising awareness for April’s National Child Abuse Prevention month. We would like to thank the numerous local businesses and individuals without whom the annual poster contest, Family Fun Day, and Go Blue Day, would not have been possible.
For their participation in Go Blue Day this year, we would like to thank Alps Federal Credit Union, First Bank, First National Bank, Northrim Bank, and Wells Fargo. These banks were instrumental in passing out flyers and raising awareness on April 10 to spread the word on how everyone can help prevent child abuse!
Thanks so much for the generous donations of prizes for the “My Sitka Superhero” poster contest from Ben Franklin, the Cellar, Harry Race Pharmacy, and the Coliseum Theater. Winners of the contest were rewarded for their wonderful illustrations of people who help make Sitka such a special place to live with movie passes, gift certificates, and ice cream certificates! SAFV would also like to thank the Larkspur and Kettleson Memorial Library for displaying the posters.
On April 12, SAFV and the Hames Wellness Fund teamed up to put on our Family Fun Day event. Thanks to everyone at the Hames Center for helping us organize and advertise the event, as well as to all the staff who worked the rock wall and supervised the bouncy castles. SAFV would also like to thank the wonderful volunteers from Mt. Edgecumbe High School: Tonia, Mattias, Jesse and Amy, who ran our craft and face painting stations, and Bridget Hitchcock for giving massages to parents. We could not have put on this event without all of your help and support.
Finally, thank you to everyone in the always generous Sitka community who participated in these events and helped to spread the word on how we all can play a part in eliminating child abuse from our community.
Liz Kearney
Sitkans Against Family Violence
Children’s Program
