Above: Grand Portage is one of the first Elder groups to participate in the Pink Shawl program sponsored by the American Indian Cancer Foundation. A number of women gathered on July 27 to sew seven shawls for breast cancer survivors. Some of them were (L-R, seated) Laura Keys, Bernice LeGarde, Ellen Olson, Dottie Griffith, Kris Rhodes. (L-R, standing) Carol Hackett, Michelle Hoy, Carol Conrad. (Not pictured Delma Grandlouis and Patty Winchell-Dahl.) Left: Elders had a great time on a berry-picking adventure in Thunder Bay. Two of the berry-pickers were Ellen Olson and Bernice LeGarde.
The Grand Portage Elders are in full planning mode for next week’s Rendezvous Days. We have been busy with help from Bucky Caan, Bill Hackett and a church youth group from Mount Olive in Duluth painting, renovating and generally sprucing up our World Famous Fish Stand. Supplies have been ordered, raffle tickets made, bingo schedules set and work schedules committed too. Dare I say we are ahead of the game? I guess doing this for as many years as the Elders have, they are pros at it.
This year’s raffle prizes will be first place, a digital camera; second place, a beautiful handmade crochet doily donated by Donna Anderson; and third place, a wonderful water color by Alice Powell, donated by Ellen Olson. We will also be selling our usual 50/50 raffle tickets.
All proceeds from our stand this weekend are used by the Elders for their annual Christmas party, for get-well and funeral flowers, for trips and outings and for the many donations the Elders give to community projects and organizations. Raffle tickets can be purchased from an Elder, at the Grand Portage Trading Post or at our stand during Rendezvous Days. The drawings will be Sunday, August 12 at 5:00 p.m.
In July the Elders continued with their weekly chair exercises and water aerobics. We went berry picking in Thunder Bay. We hosted the West End Elders with a very tasty Barb-B-Q, shared summer memories with some of our youth as an “Age To Age” activity and enjoyed the Ham Lake church youth group who did service projects for some of our Elders.
We are excited to be the first Elder group to participate in the Pink Shawl program sponsored by the American Indian Cancer Foundation. Several women gathered on Friday, July 27 to sew seven pink shawls for breast cancer survivors. Working with this program we have identified many woman community members who have battled breast cancer, some who have not survived and others who have survived. We wish to present these women with a pink shawl at Rendezvous Days during the powwow and have the drum sing them an Honor Song. This will be done at a special time during the powwow. It is hoped that these women will wear the Pink Shawls at future powwows throughout the year. It is our honor to recognize these courageous women.
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