The Holiday Season is fast approaching and so is the 2016 Tewa Holiday Project. This is the 11th year of the Tewa Holiday Project and I am confident it will be the best yet! In 2015 with the help from each and every one of you, we raised over $15,000 in cash plus many, many SUV’s full of clothing and 110 new coats for First Mesa Elementary. The delivery trip always is always challanging in some way, last year it was the snow. Two of the last three deliveries were faced with snow, so no snow this year! In spite of the snow and folks going in all directions towards First Mesa all of the food and clothing made it to First Mesa and the delivery to the 85 Tewa Elders was made.
This will be the 5th year of the Coats4Kids new coats delivery to First Mesa Elementary. Once again it is being headed by Caroline Diehl of Verde Valley School with help from Verde Valley School Students. Keep your eyes out form more information and the Coats 4Kids trees at Webers IGA in the Village of Oak Creek and Natural Grocers in West Sedona.
This will be the third year for the Toys for Tewa component spearheaded by Rosemary and Dale Stellick and the great gals from BMO Harris Bank in West Sedona
Last year over 150 new toys were collected and delivered to the Tewa children at First Mesa.
I have been in touch with the Village of Tewa Executive Director and she 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. December 8th, December 9th and December 10th 2016. On November 2nd we will be having our Tewa Holiday Project Kickoff, at a the home of Laura Van House, located at 250 Northview in West Sedona. On December 8th we will be making the baskets, on December 9th we will be loading the vehicles and on December 10th caravanning to First Mesa on the Hopi Reservation to deliver our baskets, lunch with a Tewa family, then topping off the day with a rendezvous at La Posada in Winslow.
Tewa Holiday Project Kickoff Party on November 2nd Laura’s will be an Open House from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Laura’s home is just down Northview, the street that goes past the Bank of America. Parking is limited at Laura’s home so we have arranged for valet service from the parking lot behind the Bank of America building off Northview Road. Please avail yourself of this service. This will be a potluck affair so bring an appetizer or your favorite drink. Please call Laura on her cell phone at 928-300-4125 or email her at lauraann47@gmail.com to RSVP for this event.
On December 10th 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. The weather can be challaning as it was last year but we get to meet many of the Tewa Elders who come 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! 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. Once again 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 plenty of 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. Call the Tourquoise Room at 928-289-2888 to make your dinner reservations.
I am totally looking forward to this year’s Tewa Holiday Project I am sure that it will be the best ever!
Randy Crewse
Executive Director
Tewa Holiday Project