‘Believe’ Fundraiser
Dear Editor: On behalf of the staff and students of Keet Gooshi Heen I would like to thank Sitka for supporting our ‘‘Believe’’ fundraiser. This is a very popular fundraiser nationally that is used by schools in every state. Many of those schools have very high enrollment and yet KGH is the top-performing school again this year!
The company even called me to ask for the secret to our amazing success. I was proud to tell them that our only ‘‘secret’’ was living in a town whose citizens and businesses support our youths generously and continuously.
Thank you, Sitka!
Stephanie Peterson, Sitka
Thanksgiving Dinner
Dear Editor: Before the memory fades, and Christmas comes rushing in, Thursday last, our town just had the nicest, and largest ever community Thanksgiving Dinner at the ANB Founders Hall, hosted by Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp 1 and Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp 4, on Thanksgiving Day.
The afternoon opened with the lovely music of Rev. Julie Platson, of St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church on the piano, and Father Ishmael of St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church opened the dinner with prayer. A special thanks to the Yupik Dancers of Mt. Edgecumbe High School who set the jubilant tone, Alyssa, Vassily, Colton, Darryl, Alliyah, Courtney, Lucas, Melanie and Nathan, and Peter for coordinating. The congenial, friendly welcome by ANB President George Chappell, and ANS President Rachel Henderson bound us together as the children led and sang ‘‘Over the River,’’ and ‘‘Let all Things Now Living, a Song of Thanksgiving,’’ sung by all and accompanied by Bonnie Cottrell on piano and singers Mary Soltis, and Karen Lucas, with a closing prayer of thanksgiving by ANB Chaplain Paul Chulik. Many thanks to all who participated in the festivities.
The generosity of so many donors, contributors, and volunteers was overwhelming, made the dinner not only possible, but this goodwill overflows into the community Christmas dinner yet to come on Dec. 25. This outpouring of community togetherness, love and caring, was a welcome, warm gathering in these darkest days of winter; for this, we are most grateful.
The heartbeat of a traditional, very tasty Thanksgiving Dinner which included 18 roasted turkeys, 16 hams with honey glaze, 100 pounds of creamy mashed potatoes, 75 pounds of yams sweet and savory, 50 pounds of carrots, 20 pounds of onions, 50 pounds of green beans, 30 pounds of vegetable variety, 30 gallons of gravy, and 70 pounds of stuffing with zero leftover. That was a lot of food, for a lot of Sitkans. An estimated 450 people were fed on Thanksgiving Day, thanks to the many who made it all possible. ANB and ANS heartily thank and acknowledge head cook David Ness, and his kitchen crew, Crystal Duncan, Elvia Torres, Bernie Gurule, John Murray, Bronwyn Walton, Carl Dominique, Pat Harris, Brandon Yonts, Amber Wells, Kiki Marie, Marie Lawson, with an honorable mention to Hannah Aysheh who arrived stating, ‘‘I’m here to do the dishes,’’ who both served and stayed until the last pot was dealt with and the sinks were clean.
The brothers of ANB Camp 1 and sisters of ANS Camp 4 sincerely thank all the people, businesses, and organizations, including donors: Arnold family, Northrim Bank, 3-5 Preschool, Hames Corporation, Shee Atika, Sitka Woman’s Club, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, Tlingit and Haida, Evelyn E. Johnson, Nancy Yaw Davis, Florence and Melvin Pick, Mike Mayo F/V Coral Lee, Pioneer Bar, Baranof Island Housing Authority, Amy L. Volz and Sam D. Skaggs, Charles Horan and Christine Horan, Loyd Platson and Julie Platson, Sealaska, St. Peter’s by-the-Sea, SEARHC, Bob Sam, and other anonymous donors of cash with thanks to Rachel Henderson for seeking and accounting for these donations. Gunalchéesh!
And contributors: Sitka Food Coop and Keith Nyitray for the food donation, John and Sharyn Ferrick for the decorative fall panels on the stage and balcony walls, Northern Sales for the take-out containers, First National Bank for the pie shells, White’s Inc. for the paper plates, and Rachel Moreno for the shopping in Anchorage.
Thank you to the turkey roasters: Linda Danner, Andy Elam, Bitsy Mosher, Harriet Beleal, John Duncan, George Chappell, Wendy Longtin, Max and Bonnie Cottrell, Loyd and Julie Platson, Vicki Keele, Martina Kurzer, Leonard Devaney and Darlene Orr, Betty Jo Moore and Karen Lucas, for roasting 18 turkeys!
And Meggan Turner’s foods and nutrition classes at Sitka High School for baking 40-plus pumpkin pies. Gunalchéesh!
And thank you to the following donors of foods and desserts: Julie Fitzsimmons, Pat Alexander, Karen Williams, Christy Williams, Jared, Desmond, Ellery, Steve Ramp, Suzanne Fontenot, Michelle Roberts and Ken Davis, Leonard and Darlene, Raven’s Way, Mike and Teal West family, Nancy Bunt, Jean Frank, Pat Welsh, Maronna Rivera, Shasta Fenwick, Linda Munro, Jean Arnold, and Ember Livingston.
Gunalchéesh to the servers and volunteers at the dinner: Shadeed Miller and Raven’s Way students and staff who did an amazing job serving dinners squeezing in-between tables at the packed house, dessert servers Suzanne Fontenot, Bitsy Mosher and Brenda Gilmore; whipped cream detail, Henry and Jeremiah Ward, greeter Ann Marie Johnson with sons Damian and Bryan, and delivery driver Rachel Henderson and runner Karen Lucas, and trash detail LaNelle and Thomas Bacon. Grateful appreciation to brothers John Duncan and Harriet Beleal for their energy, from the beginning to the end, organizing, decorating, serving, driving, shopping and cleaning.
The Yupik dancers came to the rescue in helping clean the ANB Founders Hall prior to set-up, working together as a fine-tuned machine, cleaning the floors, table set-up, and decorating with helpers Crystal Duncan, Marlis Boord, Emma Gassman, Jean Frank, Spike and Jean Arnold, Betty Jo Moore, John Duncan, Rachel Henderson, Martha Moses, Blake Copeland, Moises Jarquin, and others who wrapped silverware, and loaded up the tables with apples, oranges and candies. Gunalchéesh!
On behalf of the ANB and ANS, we were pleased and happy to host such a joyous occasion, to edify and build up our community, and we are humbled by the rallying of supporters, diners and volunteers. Gunalchéesh!
And thank you to all those who turned out on Thanksgiving Day to serve and to be served.
Thanks to editors Thad and Sandy Poulson, and Cyndi for the PSAs, James for the photo, and for publishing this rather lengthy letter. There was such abundance of all good things. Gunalchéesh!
George Chappell, ANB President
Rachel Henderson, ANS President
