Cardboard City says thanks

To the editor,

This summer’s Family Promise Cardboard City was an incredibly successful event! Thanks to the generosity of the Mat Su community, more than ever before: we raised well over $10,000, had close to 100 cardboard domiciles, had at least 100 businesses, mostly locally owned, take our posters and brochures detailing our event, and had an enormous amount of support from the business community in donating time, advertising, food and sponsorship.

This annual event, in its 8th year, held at the Fairgrounds July 17-18, brought together amazing, compassionate, selfless individuals, many of whom were returning participants. They donated not just money but energy to help our homeless families in the Valley. They braved cold and wind (and very little rain, thankfully!) to reside in makeshift cardboard “homes” for this worthy cause, and learned a little something about the life of the homeless in the Mat-Su Valley.

Throughout the evening, donated soups and breads were shared, while local musicians entertained and inspired all to creatively design and decorate dwellings. Once completed, “homes” were assessed by volunteer realtors. These judges awarded prizes for the most creative in several categories, including the best use of duct tape and the creation most likely to be seen by a passing, outer-space satellite!

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the following donors, without whom our event would not have occurred. Although this is a very long list, we feel it is important to give these businesses and individuals their due accolades:

Major Sponsors — MSVFCU, MEA, Enstar, Denise Moss, First National Bank of Alaska (Craig Thorne), MTA, Gold Miners Lodge, Church on the Rock. Major donors — Country Legends 100.9 FM (and Kathy Mitchell, our illustrious MC for the evening!), Frontiersman, MTA Sports Center, Shauna Munro, First Impressions, L&B Printing, KMBQ 99.7 FM (Eddie Maxwell), KVNT 92.5FM Valley News Talk Radio (Tom Anderson), 89.5 FM Radio Free Palmer (Daniel Grota and Teen Talk), Alaska State Fairgrounds reader board and website (Sheri Musgrave), The People’s Paper/Make-A-Scene Magazine (Josh Fryfogle and Bryce Burkhart), KTUU (Rebecca Palsha, Jackie Purcell, Mike Ross), Heather McCausland. Soups and bread — The Coffee Roastery (Ron McClure), Turkey Red, Vagabond Blues, The Red Beet, House of Bread, North Star Bakery, Carrs Palmer, MYHouse. Entertainment: Colony High Calypso Band, No Wake Band (Patrick Wake family, Michelle LaRose), Henry Woodall, Israel Nelson, Casey Steinau, Fireside Boooks (David Cheezem), Matanuska Music (Hank Hartman), VCRS (Mollie Boyer, James Santiago), Allen and Petersen, Dewey Taylor, Turn-a-Leave, Kristan Cole. Set-up/clean-up — Valley Residential Services and Mission Outreach; Jen, Katy, Alex and Abby Hall

And finally, our tireless, energetic, creative staff!

To these and the many businesses and individuals in the Valley who helped us get the word out, we appreciate you!

FPMS is a non-profit organization that mobilizes community resources and local congregations to provide compassionate care through shelter, meals, and case management to families without housing. Guest families are sheltered overnight in area churches and receive hospitality from church members/volunteers. The ultimate goal of FPMS is to assist homeless families achieve self-sustainability. Hundreds from the Valley have been successful in this nationally affiliated program. And Cardboard City participants have helped each family achieve this goal. Thank you!

We hope to see you all, and many more, next year: July 15-16, 2016. Save the date!

For further information, email promise@mtaonline.net or call 357-6160.

Family Promise Executive Board

(John Weaver, Barrie Blackman, Barb Brown, Bobbie Ackley, Mike Swanson,

Gini King-Taylor and Laurie Kari)