Graduation Party
Dear Editor: This year’s all-night graduation party was a huge success. Hosted by the parents, we couldn’t have done it without the generosity of local businesses and community members.
A lot of planning and fundraising went into this event and it’s important that we recognize and thank those involved, including all the folks who supported our many bake sales. Thank you to the following: Agave Restaurant, Allen Marine, ALPS Federal Credit Union, Angela Bagoyo, Aurora Business Supply, Ben Franklin, Brant Brantman and Hames PE Center, Brittany Dahlquist, Centennial Hall staff, Charles Hart, Chinalski Home Repair, Christine Davenport, Connor Fulton, Donte King, Elea Chinalski, Emblem Club, Ernie Eggleston, Foreign Automotive, Hailey Barger, Harris Air, Highliner Coffee, Karen Johnson, Kayla Perensovich, Kruz-In Lube and Oil, AC Lakeside Grocery, McDonald’s, Mike Kernin, Precision Boat Works, Public Health, Rosie Palof, Samson Tug and Barge, Sea Mart, Shee Atika Corporation, Sitka CHARR, Sitka Elks Lodge, Sitka Fine Arts Camp (Lauren Haven), Sitka Ready Mix, Sitka Sound Science Center, six Americorp Volunteers who camped out and protected the pallet cache, Spenard Builders Supply, Thad White and his referee crew, Tim Fulton and his security crew, Troy’s excavation, Unity Botanicals, Water’s Edge, White’s Pharmacy, and the many more family members and friends who helped us pull this off.
Bravo, parents, and congratulations to the Class of 2015!
Colleen Dahlquist and members of the party planning committee
Heartfelt Thank You
Dear Editor: The family of the late Velma Lenore Baines of Sitka would like to send a very sincere and heartfelt thank you for all those who provided care, services, friendship, and spiritual support in the loss of our beloved mother. Needless to say, there are no words sufficient to describe what the loss meant to each member of the family; but it was comforting to know that there were so many friends and organizations who stepped forward in our mother’s time of greatest need.
There are organizations and individuals who played either a formal or significant role in serving or comforting our mother; and for those individuals and organizations, we want to formally thank you for all you did in our mother’s final days:
Organizations:
Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium – for your professional and compassionate care over decades in Sitka;
Liberty Dialysis – for your professional care for our mother, and training for our brother Robert S. Baines of Sitka. You gave our mother a chance to spend all her final days in her beloved Sitka;
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium – for your specialized and professional care in a culturally relevant environment;
Sitka Emergency Medical Services – for your rapid responses when our mother was in the most pain or the most sick; your professionalism and efficiency were very noteworthy;
Alaska Native Brotherhood Camp No. 1 – for the use of the ANB facilities where a very moving memorial and celebration of life was held;
Alaska Native Sisterhood Camp No. 4 – for their spiritually uplifting and culturally honoring “celebration of life.” A very special thank you to ANS Camp 4 president Paulette Moreno who, with an eye on sensitivity and etiquette, took on the role of facilitator and consultant in preparation for our mother’s memorial and celebration of life;
Sitka Tribe of Alaska – for beautiful flowers and flyers for our mom’s ceremony;
Shee-Atika, Inc., Moose Lodge, and Lax Kw’Alaams bad – for financial assistance;
Southeast Alaska Independent Living – for ongoing support for our mother’s equipment needs in Sitka;
Prewitt Funeral Home – for their compassionate and professional services, and for their serving the family needs when logistics were less than ideal;
Sitka Presbyterian Church – for a spiritually uplifting and moving memorial, and serving our mother’s spiritual home for over 60 years. A very special thank you to George Gilchrist, minister, for a powerful service and sermon honoring our mother’s soul and legacy;
Sitka National Cemetery - for fine service, and for helping with the burial when the schedule had to change; and
Sitka Sentinel – for writing and publishing obituary.
Individuals:
Dr. Elliot Bruhl, SEARHC physician – for your compassionate and personal care you provided to our mother for many years in Sitka. Our mother and family have talked highly of you and what you have done for the family;
Chris Jones, SEARHC Physical Therapist – for your caring and compassionate care, and constantly visiting our mother in her final days;
Kathy Newman, pianist – for your professional music services, and participation in preparing for our mother’s services at the Presbyterian Church in Sitka;
Ben Miyasato – for always being a friend of the family, and for the powerful delivery of the family statement honoring our mother;
Chester Miyasato – for always being a friend of the family;
Father Michael Boyle - for your service and delivery of the Last Rites to our beloved mother; and
Many dozens of individuals – too numerous to list here – donated food, brought cards, and donations, and offered hugs and prayers after Mom passed away on May 2, 2015. For the past 60 years, many hundreds of friends in Sitka and throughout Alaska and around the country welcomed Mom into their hearts and made her truly feel welcome. And for those reasons, Sitka was always a beautiful home to which she can return whenever she went away.
And, finally, a very fond thank you to all the friends and family all across the country who visited our mother in person, via prayer, letters, cards, and all manner of Internet communications. Your prayers, your words, and your unwavering support and comfort meant so very much to our mother and to the whole family. Your hugs, kisses, holding of her hand, and sharing of stories were heaven on earth to our mother, and we could never thank you enough for every kind word and gesture. Each one of you will remain in our hearts for all our remaining days.
Velma Baines’ family
