The Holiday Season is fast approaching and so is the 2012 Tewa Holiday Project. This is the seventh year of the Tewa Holiday Project and I am confident it will be the best yet! In 2011 with the help from each and every one of you, we raised $13,848.53 in cash plus many, many SUV’s full of clothing. Over 70 of us caravanned in vehicles to First Mesa for an incredibly uplifting experience.
Our goal for 2013 is to raise $14,000.00. The plan once again is to provide “Holiday Baskets” to the 75 or so Tewa Elders. In the spring of 2012 we provided First Mesa Elementary with 6 laptop PCs for their first computer lab and hope to provide them an additional 6 laptops in the spring of 2013 with the proceeds from this year’s donations. In addition the help of Janet Fagan, and funds collected in previous years, the Tewa Holiday Project is providing Hopi High School with career development software to be used in the 2012 – 2013 school year.
I have been in touch with the Village of Tewa Executive Director and he has told me that they are really looking forward to our visit this year. For those of you that made the delivery in year’s past you know how rewarding the experience is. We will be making our delivery to the Tewa Community Center where we will meet many of the Tewa Elders, then go for a traditional lunch with a Tewa host family.
Mark your calendars for these dates. October 25th 2012, and December 13th, December 14th and December 15th 2012. On October 25th we will be having our Tewa Holiday Project Kickoff, at Laura Van House’s home. On December 13th we will be making the baskets, on December 14th we will be loading the vehicles and on December 15th caravanning to First Mesa on the Hopi Reservation to deliver our baskets, visit with the Tewa, then topping off the day with a rendezvous at La Posada in Winslow.
The Tewa Holiday Project Kickoff on October 25th at Laura’s will be an Open House from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Laura’s home is located at 55 San Patricio in West Sedona. This will be a potluck affair so bring an appetizer or your favorite drink. I am hopeful to have at least one representative from the Village of Tewa present and an artist or two. Please call Laura on her cell phone at 928-300-4125 or email her at lauraann47@gmail.com to RSPV for this event.
On December 15th we will be off to First Mesa making our delivery to the Tewa Community Center. Delivering the baskets to First Mesa is a fabulous experience and I encourage as many of you as can to make the trip. Last year we got to meet many of the Tewa Elders who came to the Center to pick up their baskets. I can almost guarantee that if you make this trip it will be the highlight of your Holiday Season, just ask those who went last year.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE THIS IS DIFFERENT THIS YEAR! We will plan on leaving Hopi about 4:00 to 5:00 PM and heading back to Winslow and La Posada. If you have not stayed at La Posada you are in for a treat. LaPosada is a one of a kind hotel experience and the Turquoise Room is one the best restaurants in Arizona. John Sharpe, the Turquoise Room chef, has been twice nominated for a James Beard award. This year we will not be having a buffet, dinner will be on your own. So you will need to make your own dinner reservations. We will be having a short meeting at 7:00 PM in the Ball Room at La Posada to close the day that will not last more than 10 to 15 minutes, so make your reservations around this time either earlier or later , it is up to you.
I have talked to La Posada and they have told me as of this date they have 36 rooms available, IT IS NOT TOO EARLY TO CALL AND MAKE YOUR RESERVATION, LAST YEAR THEY WERE FULL. Call La Posada at 928-289-4366 to reserve your room.
I am totally looking forward to this year’s Tewa Holiday Project and there are some additional ideas in the works to make this year the best ever!
Randy Crewse
Executive Director
Tewa Holiday Project