Walk for sobriety: thankful

Haines had a successful Walk for Sobriety on April 22, 2000. We had 94 participants register. This event was coordinated by Georgiana Hotch of the Chilkoot Indian Association and George Mark of the Sheldon Museum & Cultural Center.

We began with an opening prayer followed by a formal “Welcome” by Chilkoot Indian Association President, Lee E.. Clayton. Kat Brezina and Cecelia Henry gave a very powerful “testimony of sobriety” on how sobriety has turned their life around.

Other speakers that gave support were Joe Hotch, Charlie Jimmie, Sr. and Raymond Dennis. After the walk, everyone enjoyed a lunch of hamburgers or hot dogs, potato chips and soda pop.

Thank you, Mike Ward of Howser’s Supermarket, for donating all of the hamburger, hamburger relish and hotdog relish. Thank you Ron Alsup,of Alaskan & Proud, for a generous discount on all of the other groceries we needed. Thank you to Dave Berry for the hot dogs. Much appreciation to the Haines Women’s Club for their donation of $50 that helped keep our expenses down. Thank you, Mike Case, Jim Phair and Ron Crecelius for cooking all of the hamburgers and hotdogs. Mrs. Scott’s history class sold soda pop as a class fundraiser.

Joe Hotch sang “Just A Closer Walk With Thee” which was adopted as the theme song for all future Walks of Sobriety. We had a “Birthday Call” where anyone who wished, could stand, give their name, and announce how many years they’ve been sober. We had two ladies (one who is 51 years old and one who is 70 years old) who stood up to say that they have never tasted a drop of alcohol in their lifetime! I commend these women for supporting the Walk for Sobriety and not “looking down on” those who have participated in partaking.

Thanks go out to many people. To the Baha’i Center for taking care of the registration table; to the Bamboo Room for a lunch for two; to the Eagle Eye Journal and Haines Cable TV for advertising.

Thank you, Joann Waterman for a season pass to the SE Ak State Fair; to Carol Clifton of the Frosting on the Cake for a $26 cake certificate; to Irene at Canal Marine Co. for a $26 gift certificate; to Pam at the Wild Strawberry for a $26 lunch for two; to Kathy at 33-Mile Roadhouse for hamburgers for two; to Tammy at Styles & Beyond for her donations of hair products; to Bart at Chilkat Guides for his donation of two raft trips; to Susan at Birch Boy Products for her donation of a case of mixed syrups in a cool, blue, bucket; to Auk Nu Tours for a T-Shirt; to AT&T; Alascom for an “athlete’s foot” sweatshirt, hat, and fanny pack; to the Sheldon Museum for $25 gift certificate, to Liz at the Babbling Book for her many donations of books and toys for the children; to Dan at the Bald Eagle Founda-tion for a T-Shirt; to Shane and Janis for a fishing trip with Chilkoot Lake Tours, to Alaska Airlines for peanuts, balloons and a T-Shirt; to Paul at Bigfoot Auto Service for a $25 gift certificate; to Sue at the Frog’s Rest Bed & Breakfast for one night’s accommodations; to Dan at Alaska Backcountry Outfitters for two snowboard rentals; to Jenny Lynn for a Whale Print and three note packs, to Jessie at Haines Airways for two RT tickets to Juneau and six Haines Airways hats; to Lola Vigil of Juneau for three Easter Baskets, to Dorothy of the Moose Horn Antiques for a $25 gift certificate; to Naomi Kerwin for capturing everyone in photos; to Mary Phillips for her Poster of Pictures from last year; and last but not least to the Chilkoot Indian Association for sponsoring this for the third year.

Gunalcheesh everyone.