Blessed to be part of this community | Letter

Published 11:01 am Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Twenty-two years ago, when I first got to Orcas Island, there were coffee cans at all the stores asking for donations to help John Willis get a new hip.

I put money in the cans and thought, “what a great community that helps each other out.”

Now, 22 years later, this wonderful community has come together and helped me. I want to thank everyone who was in any way involved with the benefit to help me last Monday night at the Lower Tavern. Anne Ford and James, Bruce Harvey, Terry Anderson and the other musicians, The Lower Tavern, all of you have helped to make my life a little easier while I fight kidney failure on the mainland.

My battle is easier knowing that I have so many friends and a whole community caring about me and helping me as you have. I wish to thank you Orcas Island, from the bottom of my heart.

And if any of you see me on my rare visits back, come up and stop me and collect a warm hug … A big heartfelt hug goes out to the emergency responders who came to my house on my birthday and saved my life and got me to a helicopter.

We are all so blessed to be a part of this wonderful community. Thank you.

John Barnes

Orcas Island