Christmas Dinner
Dear Editor: I would like to report that the Christmas spirit is ‘‘alive and well’’ in Sitka, Alaska. The outpouring of generosity and helping hands to bring Sitkans together at the ANB ANS Community Christmas Dinner at the ANB Founders Hall on Christmas Day to feast and celebrate the season was quite amazing! One might even call it a ‘‘Christmas miracle.’’
Alaska Native Brotherhood, Camp 1, and Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp 4, gratefully thanks and acknowledges to following people, businesses and organizations for their contributions: Sitka Elks Lodge 1662, F/V Coral Lee-Mike Mayo, Mary Beth Nelson and Steve Paustian, SeaAlaska, Paul Johnson and Suzanne Fontenot, Stephania Potrzuski-Allen Marine for donating 16 turkeys, STA for the placemats, STA Leo Jimmy, Muriel Reid and Kari Lanphier, for the use and moving of tables and chairs, the generosity of the Sitka White Elephant Shop for the contribution and toys and books from infant to teen, Capt. Charleen Morrow-Salvation Army for the bags of brand-new toys, Keith Nyitray-Sitka Food Coop for another round of produce, Vince at AC Lakeside, Carolyn A. Harper, Northern Sales, St. Peter’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Amy I. Johnson, Rita Ledbetter-Pioneer Bar for the bags of ice, the Arnold family, Loyd and Julie Platson, First National Bank Alaska, Karen Grussendorf, Charles and Christine Horan, BIHA, David Goade, White’s Inc., Foreign Automotive, City of Sitka Employees Union, Hames Corporation, Shee Atika Inc., STA, SEARHC, Barbara Hames, Sitka Woman’s Club, Northrim Bank, Amy Volz and Sam Skaggs, the Presbyterian Church, Bob Sam, Alaska Airlines, and all those previously acknowledged at Thanksgiving, as having contributed to both dinners, as well as to all the people who donated at the dinner, and we weren’t even asking! Gunalchéesh ho ho!
A very special thanks to our chef, David Ness, who absolutely rocked for both dinners, and his crew: John Murray, Bronwyn Walton, Paul Cotter, Troy Mutz, Buzz Brown, Colin Herforth, Jim and Sharon Corbett, Keith Nyitray, and Amy Volz and Frank Baines for the kitchen cleanup Christmas night. We also would like to thank our setup crew: Spike, Jean, Brandal and Lucas Arnold, Jessica Roth, Nancy Furlow, Rachel Henderson; our turkey roasters, Andy Elam, John Duncan, Claudia Donnelly, Erin Hansen, Robert Carroll, Max Cottrell, Vickie Keele, Nancy Furlow, Karen Lucas and George Chappell; our dessert donors: AC Lakeside, Nancy Bunt, John Duncan and the Harlan Johnson family, Tina and Keet Dundas and Bunny Blackbird; and to our delivery drivers: Rachel Henderson and Karen Lucas, Gunalchéesh ho ho!
And to the setup and cleanup crew of the historic ANB Founders Hall, Ray Nielsen, Elvia Torres, EJ and Phoenix, Shadeed Atif, Grant and Raven’s Way students, George Hardison, and Lynnelle and Tomas Bacon who were with us in spirit. A special thanks to Marie Lawson for the thorough deep-cleaning of the ANS kitchen making it sparkle!
Grateful appreciation and recognition to the students of Raven’s Way who came back to serve Christmas dinner, and stayed for cleanup, and youths Helen, Mitchell, Paul and Cephas Sachsenmaier, Henrey and Jeremiah Ward who delighted our guests, to all others who may have slipped through without recognition Gunalchéesh, ho, ho!
Gunalchéesh, ho, ho! to those who helped make the ANB-ANS Christmas dinner a warm, wonderful and memorable time: Ann Marie, Josephine, Bryan and Damien Johnson for greeting our guests, David Rice and Mary Todd Andersen, and John Morrow the Christmas dog, who greeted the crowd with bells, and ‘‘ho, ho, ho’’ from the balcony, who had come down the chimney, but had gotten ‘‘stuck on the second floor,’’ for being so great with the children, visiting on Santa’s knee with Mary and John picking two toys from Santa’s bag, to Paul Chulik, ANB Chaplain, for the Bible reading and opening prayer, George Chappell, ANB President, and Rachel Henderson ANS President, for the welcome, Father Ishmael Andrew of St. Michael’s Cathedral for the benediction. The exquisite, spirited Christmas piano playing of Bonnie Cottrell, who absolutely set the tone and was the voice of reason, we were able to sing carols, with thanks to Linda Janacek, Roberta Kirkman, Wayne Dye and Karen Lucas. However, for this author, the German version of ‘‘Silent Night’’ by Roberta, and the Yupik version by the parents of Father Ishmael, Noah and Donna Andrew Sr., was the pinnacle of the evening. Heartfelt thanks to our musicians! Gunalchéesh, ho, ho!
When Christmas morning arrived, more than 300 people came to the ANB Founders Hall to deliver donated food, or help with serving, or stayed for cleanup, or came to simply sit and enjoy a really delicious dinner and visit with friends and neighbors on what was a remarkable gathering of our community on Christmas Day. It is unknown how many were pulled under the mistletoe, and kissed! Gunalchéesh, ho, ho!
We include grateful thanks to you, editors Thad and Sandy Poulson, and Cyndi Cassedy at the Daily Sitka Sentinel for all the PSAs, to Suzanne Swagel, Sitka Soup, and Raven Radio for helping to get the word out. Gunalchéesh, ho, ho! It is with the length of our thank you letter, that we can say this was truly a community Christmas gathering, with our help coming from every quarter, at every turn, enough to warm all of our hearts in this wintery season. Gunalchéesh, ho, ho!
Good health, enough wealth, and bountiful blessings in the New Year to all!
George Chappell, ANB President
Rachel Henderson, ANS President
