DeeDee with the beautiful quilt from 3rd graders in Colorado

On Tuesday the teachers had an emotional visit from Iditarod veteran musher, DeeDee Jonrowe.  371 days ago DeeDee’s life changed forever.  371 days ago the Sockeye fire began and destroyed many homes and livelihoods of those in Willow, AK.  DeeDee shared her story of heartache with us, and invited us over to see the rebuilding of her kennel.  The acts of kindness which DeeDee and the entire Willow community received in the months following the fire were an inspiration to the teachers and made us understand that a small act can go a long way.

The one act of kindness that stuck out to me came from a 3^rd grade class in a small town in Colorado.  The town suffered extreme flooding not long before the Sockeye fire, and they received aid from neighboring towns.  The local 3^rd grade teacher was so moved by the acts of kindness during their time of need, that she wanted to pay the kindness forward.  Her class chose to do something for DeeDee and her kennel after the fire.  The teacher had her students create quilt squares with pictures of DeeDee’s dogs; then, they sewed the squares together, and sent the quilt to her.  It is a beautiful piece of art and I am so thankful that DeeDee shared the quilt with us. It was an amazing act of kindness— one that impacted both DeeDee and the teachers at summer camp.

While acts of kindness are always appreciated during times of need, it is important to teach our students to CHOOSE KINDNESS!  Kindness is a way of life, not something we do every once in a while.

“A little spark of kindness can put a colossal burst of sunshine into someone’s day!” –Unknown

DeeDee Jonrowe with current and former Teachers on the Trail