Community Thanks, December 25, 2016

THANK YOU: New van a gift for senior center

My C.F.O., Carole Carlin, and I would like to thank a few people and entities that have made it possible for us to finally replace our very old, very worn-out van. We here at the Hayden Senior Center have limped along in our almost 30-year-old van that the city of Hayden donated to us long before I became executive director. We are eternally grateful to them and want to let all at the city know that it served us well, enabling us to pick up seniors for our various activities and field trips. However, like all of us, the time had come to retire the old gal.

For two or three years we have been putting out the word to all who would listen about our quest for a new or gently used van. We have also gone to dealers to see about any possible deals or partial/full donations, all to no avail. Well, angels in the form of Tom and Crystal Gorman intervened. Tom called Wayne Cofield at Knudtsen Chevrolet in Post Falls and asked what he could do for us. Wayne immediately responded that he would love to get involved and a stroll around his lot revealed a wonderful Chevy Express LS van that is in excellent condition and has low mileage. It is exactly what we had hoped for.

We had begun a special account from donations and small grants for a new van. Tom said he and Crystal would put in some also and Wayne picked up the slack. Wayne also included a wrap displaying our logos. Tom and Crystal did not stop there. They have also outfitted our van with new studded snow tires for outings during our winter months.

We are eternally grateful to all who made this possible. We took our ladies on the first field trip in the new van and it was wonderful to not have to scrape ice from the INSIDE of the windshield, to have heat, windows that work, a rear-view mirror that didn’t fall off and a feeling of safety that comes with a sound vehicle.

We thank Wayne and Eve at Knudtsen Chevrolet, Tom and Crystal Gorman, The Hayden Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Hayden, Joan Brady, Texas Road House, The 3Cs, Jumpin’ Beans Mobile Food Bank and a couple of anonymous donors who were more than generous.

We are a small center and many do not even know we exist. These donations and grants are true blessings to us and our seniors. We may be small, but we are active and consider our members here family. So, from our whole “family,” a heartfelt thanks to all who made this possible.

STORMA EDELBROCK

Hayden Senior Center, executive director

THANK YOU: Holidays/Heroes a magical success

The Post Falls Police Department, on behalf of all participating agencies, extends our gratitude to everyone that helped make our 18th annual Holidays & Heroes event a magical success on Dec. 11, 2016.

With shopping lists ready, police officers, sheriff’s deputies and firefighters were paired with specially-selected local children, and took them shopping at Walmart stores to purchase Christmas gifts for their family members. Other volunteer shoppers secretly chose gifts for the children.

Event organizers chose participant’s names based upon recommendations from school resource officers, school counselors, patrol officers, deputy sheriffs and firefighters to help make Christmas a little brighter for children in need.

Law enforcement and emergency service agencies from Kootenai and Spokane counties, along with numerous group and individual volunteers and sponsors, provided a festive and joyous holiday experience to 100 children throughout our community.

After everyone finished shopping and bags were loaded into patrol cars, they met at the Greyhound Park and Event Center in Post Falls where more activities awaited the children. Volunteers wrapped all the gifts. Children decorated an ornament, took pictures with Santa and ate lunch. Children continued to shop. There were stacks of handmade quilts for each child to select. There was also a table filled with free toothbrushes, toothpaste and other goodies. In addition, each child brought home a turkey dinner food box.

Holidays & Heroes continues to be an exceptional event each year because of the dedicated officers and their family members, volunteers and sponsors who so generously give of their time and resources to bring joy into the lives of as many children as possible. Thank you to all of our partners. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Thank you to the staff and family members from the following agencies:

Coeur d’Alene Police Department; Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police; Idaho State Police; Kootenai County Adult Probation & Parole; Kootenai County Fire & Rescue IAFF Local 2856; Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office; Life Flight Network; Post Falls Police Department; Rathdrum Police Department; Spirit Lake Police Department; Spokane County Sheriff’s Department and Spokane Valley Police.

Thank you to the following commercial organizations:

Alpine Bark & Blowing & Hydroseed; American Eagle Automotive; Barney’s Harvest Foods; Coeur d’Alene Casino; Curtis Orthodontics; DMV Licensing; Ekness Catering; Findlay Nissan; Franz Bakery; Greyhound Park & Event Center; Horizon Credit Union; Idaho Central Credit Union; J & DA Holdings, LLC; Knudtsen Chevrolet; Little Smiles Dentist of Post Falls; Midway Automotive Group; Midway, Chrysler, Jeep; Miller’s Food; Nate’s New York Pizza; Numerica Credit Union; Optima Dental Care; Papa Murphy’s Pizza; Post Falls Brewing Company; Precision Dental of Post Falls; R & C Tree Service (in memory of John); Rathdrum Power, LLC; Spokane Federal Credit Union; Starbucks (Post Falls); URM Food Service; Walgreens (Coeur d’Alene) and Walmart (Hayden, Post Falls, Spokane Valley).

Thank you to the following group organizations:

Boy Scout Troop 213; Cub Scout Pack 220; Girl Scout Troop 2035; Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office Volunteer Search & Rescue; Local Chapter of the Order of the Arrow Koobensho; Post Falls High School Boys JV and Varsity Basketball Teams; Post Falls High School Key Club; Rotary of Post Falls; Spokane Valley Sheriff’s Explorers; Spokane County Deputies Association; Venture High School and Washington Education Association (Eastern Washington).

Thank you to our private sponsors and individual volunteers:

Shirley Bade; Merte Barth TTEE; Michelle Blackstone; Dave Chapman; Ward Crawford; Eidson’s Family; Debera Gambles; Mary Carolyn Gouin; Grainger Family; Owen Grider; Debbie Holmes; Ron and Susan Jacobson; Bob and Bonnie Kesson; Patty Labrum; Harry J. Lien; Mr. and Mrs. Warren Merritt; Lonnie Middleton; Jenna Miller; Hope Newman; Jacqueline Panza; Morris and Carol Prosser; Dr. James J. Psomas; Dick and Jean Schmidt; Brian Thurlow; John Weber; Linda Wilhelm; Tracy Williams; Esther Woodward and Carol Yost.

For anyone we may have missed, our sincere apologies. Several hundred people make this event possible, and we greatly appreciate everyone’s contribution to Holidays & Heroes. Thank you!

CHARLENE HOLBROOK

PFPD, event coordinator