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Dec. 15, 2023 — Vol. 4, No. 23

Meet Esther!

Esther has lived in Alaska since 1992 and specifically in the Mat-Su valley since 2015. A couple of key components that have made her who she is today are her amazing husband, Chuck, and their five children—Luke, Sophie, Jack, Charlie and Fletcher. They love living in the valley and appreciate all things outdoors. One of Esther's hobbies is beekeeping and she's amazed at how efficient bees are! Her interests are as diverse as her music choices, and she is typically up for anything—at least once! Working in community, for community, is a dream come true for her. Digging deeper into all the ways the Foundation serves and partners with our community is something that Esther looks forward to.

Last Week's Poll Results

For 61% of you, the first thing you do in the morning is turn off the alarm; 31% of you get out of bed; and 8% of you check emails.

Raegan will be celebrating her birthday on Jan. 21

Amy marks 7 years at MSHF on Jan. 16

Betsy also marks 7 years at MSHF on Jan. 18

Jan. 19 makes it 8 years at MSHF for Vandana

Kelsey Allrich

A great reason to stop shoveling—the moose are visiting!

Raegan

A Polaroid instead of a star on top of our tree this year; a puzzle we completed by headlamp during the windstorm; and forcing my dog to take pictures with me when we walk.

Megan's Three- (or Four)-Baked Beans Recipe

Megan recently had a potluck-style party at her house with a couple frolleagues (friends who are colleagues). They asked for this recipe, so here it is! This dish is always a hit and it always gets scraped cleaned! 

Amy, Jim, Heather, Bill, Ahliil, Jaye, Raegan, Tracy and Ashley take a quick break to sneak in a selfie as they cleaned up after the MSHF Holiday Reception.

Vandana, Brian, Ahliil, Chelsea, Jaye and Kathy snap a quick photo during the Mat-Su Veterans Resource Fair on Dec. 2 at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center. Thank you for helping support our Veterans!

Betsy's daughter, Aven (#4), was part of the Susitna Valley High School team that took 2nd place at the 2A ASAA Volleyball State Championship after a series of nail-biting games in early December. Congratulations, Aven!

The Mat-Su Community Chorus was quite jolly and feeling the seasonal spirit during its recent holiday choir concerts! Amy and Elizabeth played with some props while prepping for their next song.

This is one of Jaye's favorite photos of Buddy the Dawg, a double rescue at Valdez Glacier in 2021. She feels blessed to have met him in his second home and became his dog sitter for a few years. When his Pops passed away, they bonded even more and Buddy became her best friend and protecter. They shared many adventures camping, hiking and curling up in front of the fire listening to music.

Can you guess what's the most popular color to wear in the office? Amy, Jaye, Vandana, Tracy and Ahliil have been spotted sporting cranberry!

On the ninth day of Christmas, the Clinkscale kiddos had a blast showcasing their ballet and musical talents! While Bradleigh danced the sweetest performance for her school’s Nativity Recital, Connor brought down the house with his piano rendition of “Let It Snow”! Bradleigh was so inspired by Connor’s performance that she decided—on her own—to up her piano practicing at home!

Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics and fundraiser

Joining this plunge for the first time, our small but mighty team from the Mat-Su braves the cold water for a good cause on Dec. 16 at Goose Lake in Anchorage. Any donations to our team fundraising are welcome, as well as any new team members. For more info, see Kathy!

Kathy also is holding a fundraiser for the Polar Plunge. She is taking holiday orders for her famous walnut kolache rolls for $25 each. These are a childhood favorite that she makes every year around the holidays. You can donate this amount to the fundraising page below or directly to Kathy. The walnut kolache rolls will be in the week before Christmas.  

Kolaches are a traditional Eastern European treat of thin dough rolled over ground walnuts and formed into a loaf. It is not too sweet and is made healthier with the nuts! They are a perfect treat with coffee and tea.  

Thank you!

Heather and her daughter, Joy, would like to extend their deepest appreciation for everyone who has supported the fundraisers to send Palmer Saroma Sister City School Exchange delegates to Japan in June 2024.