The Soldotna Senior Center held their Fall Roundup on Saturday, Sept. 8. I want to personally thank all our volunteers who helped pull this event off. As you may know, the Fall Roundup is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. This was my first experience with this event and what a doozy it was. Just to name some of the key players: Estelle Parks and Dorothy Diamond, who went out soliciting donations for our silent and outcry auctions and door prizes; Ed Dupree, Linda Wade, and Al Chong for prepping the feast; our kitchen helpers, Fred Erickson, Janet Stacy, Dody Coligan, Sherry Reeve, Carrie Rossini, Sue Ashford, and Pat Ullom,; auction runner Carl Whitworth; our President George Parks, who jumped in to the dish room and hardly came out, except to bid in the auctions; our setup and cleanup crews, which included Christine Williams, Nita Douthit, Gladys Routh, Carolyn Prince, Margaret Johnson, and Bunny Chong, and many of those mentioned earlier; our auctioneer, Senator Peter Micciche; and Ken Losser, who I would personally be lost without, for keeping everything moving in the right direction. These events, which help keep our organization running to provide services to area seniors, would not be possible without all of you. Volunteers git’er’dun!

Thanks also to all the merchants and individuals who donated items for our auctions and door prizes. These merchants and individuals include Dragonfly Gallery, 4D Carpet One, Sweeney’s Clothing, Barb Trombley, Alaska Best Transit Mix, Arbys, NAPA, Ken Laing, Beemun’s Kenai River Brewing Company, Bearly Threaded Quilting Too, Aspen Hotel, Walgreens, Gladys Routh, River City Books, CadRe Feed, Sue’s Bath and Body Boutique, GAMAS, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Holiday Gas Station, Fine Thyme Café, Don Jose’s Restaurant, Buckets Sports Grill, Jersey Subs, Nita Douthit, Katie MacLeod, Caribou Family Restaurant, Vickie Graham, Donna Swaby, Cornerstone Books & Supplies, Everything Bagels, Barbara Romaine, Gracie Holmberg, Kaladi Brothers, Shelby Dykstra, Alyeska Tire, Acapulco Restaurant, King Salmon Restaurant, Jan Fena, Trustworthy Hardware, Dorothy Diamond, Margaret Phelps, Frames & Things, Dave & Kitty Thompson, Dana Nichols, Golden International Restaurant, Dody Tachik, Carolyn Prince, Dolly Hills, and Harvey (Butch) Douthit.

Also, big thanks to all of you who bid on our auction items. I heard rumors that this might have been our best Roundup yet! Thank you all for your generosity!

— John Walker, Executive Director

Soldotna Area Senior Citizens, Inc