Salute to the Volunteers!

Tomorrow is our Annual Banquet and Volunteer Awards. Each year we invite all the members, volunteers, and the public to participate in our salute to the previous season's outstanding volunteers. These wonderful folks logged more than 8,700 hours of service to to Museum doing all sorts of things to make a vistor's experience memorable. We have tour docents, store clerks, Living History portrayers, office support, collections & exhibits helpers, gardeners, building & maintenance help, and a whole host of event participants. Let's not overlook our Board members, who all serve on their own time. In all, it represents more than $150,000 savings to payroll.

We also feature a guest speaker each year and they have been memorable~Darby Stapp, a Tri-Cities archaeologist; Roberta Conner, Director of Tamastslikt Cultural Istitute; and David Nicandri, Director of the Washington State Historical Society are just a few who've graced our meeting. This year we've invited the leader of a sovereign nation: Antone Minthorn, Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Mr. Minthorn will be speaking about the challenges of putting our youth in contact with their heritage and possible joint efforts that the Museum and Tribes may pursue in that regard. We also have special awards for last year's outstanding first-year volunteer and a 'life-time achievment' award.

The food is outstanding, too. Carissa Bossini's Walla Walla Catering is serving up an Italian buffet. If you ever dined at Caravaggio's at the Airport, then you'll know the quality of Carissa's fare. We'll have a social time beginning at 5:30 pm tomorrow with dinner to follow at 6:00 pm. The event takes place in the Blue Mountain/Mill Creek Room at Walla Walla Regional Airport. Tickets are $20 per person and if you'd like to attend, please call today: 505.525.7703.

Serious progress to report today regarding Fort Walla Walla Museum's 'Services & Facilities Enhancement Project.' According to Jim, our groundsman, the construction gang began pouring the slab of our new Entrance Building at 6:00 am this morning. At 8:00 am they were halfway done.

Today's photos show the sign announcing our project that was posted Friday; ongoing concrete construction; last year's Morris Ganguet Outastanding (new) Volunteer of the Year award winner Sally Wood; and the three co-winners of the Gerwyn A. Jones (lifetime) Service Award, Joe & Helene Eaves and Myra Addlington.