People Are Our Saving Grace

Sat., May 3, 1997

Melodie Little Special To Opinion

Lately, I’ve wondered why I live in Spokane. Do I enjoy suffering or am I just crazy? Years ago, I used to enjoy winter. However, this year’s frozen, falling tree limbs and the endless ice scraping had a terminal effect on my love for winter. I also despise the endless rain. And where did all this wind come from?

However, I was reminded one recent Saturday why my family toughs out the miserable months of Spokane winter. It’s the people. That Saturday was the grayest, gloomiest day I can remember. It was end-of-the-Earth type weather. Rain and hail pounded down on us.

I was helping out at a bake sale, a benefit for Wilson Elementary student Brita Bowman, who has braved a year-long struggle with leukemia. The event reaffirmed my love for Spokane. Where else could a group of parents and kids make nearly $3,000 on a bake sale? A cookie isn’t worth $8 and a homemade German chocolate cake isn’t worth $100, but those of us who know the giving spirit of this community weren’t surprised that those were the prices some paid.

As appreciated as the many large donations were, they only begin to tell the story. I repeatedly saw people hold out a dollar for a cupcake, and upon finding that it was a donation to help a sick little girl, they reached back into their wallets and found a few more dollars.

Numerous times, people almost passed our booth set up at the Rosauers on 14th. Then they noticed Brita’s beaming photograph. They turned back around and made donations. Rosauers’ employees gave money on their breaks; one woman even gave all her lunch money for a peanut butter cookie.

Families of Wilson students baked for days to prepare for the benefit. On Friday, children at the school raised nearly $400 selling cookies and cupcakes. Not too shabby for a school that has only 312 students. On Saturday, the baked goods stretched across 20-some feet of table. A couple of gals went home and did more baking when they noticed that the pickings were thinning down.

Along with helping Brita, I feel I was helped that day. I was reminded of what is important in life. We may have questionable weather and bad air, but Spokane people care about each other in a big way. We say hello on the street. We give generously for the sake of a sweet little girl. And yes, we pay $8 for a cookie. That’s who we are in this community, and that’s why my family will stay in Spokane.

MEMO: “Your turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a “Your turn” column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write “Your turn,” The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane 99210-1615.

“Your turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a “Your turn” column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write “Your turn,” The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane 99210-1615.

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