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Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
March 25, 1999     Shelton Mason County Journal
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g Olympics a golden success MSON was decorated in and blue, American and the recorded the Olympics theme seemed appropriate, .Was the Reading Olym- Ceremonies at Sand (SHE) School. Lad Hill students cel- reading success on &lt; : i:i i:i!!iii!i  Thursday, March 11. According to acting principal Debbie Wing, 533 students, or 96 percent of the stu- dent body participated in Reading Olympics throughout the month of February this year, and 89 per- cent of the students received med- als. "Congratulations to all of you," Wing said to the assembled children. Reading Olympics is a way to encourage kids to read outside of the school day. Medals were earned for the number of minutes first- through sixth-grade chil- dren read, or had someone read to them. Each child could read si- lently, aloud, or even along with a taped story. KINDERGARTNER Ryli Robinson had both her parents present to see her receive her sil- voracious readers. Kris Reed said of her 6-year- old kindergarten son, Brandon, "He came home from school all excited and said, 'Morn, I'm going to win a gold medal! How many books do I have to read?'" He earned his gold with 86 stories, some he read himself, some his mom read to him. Melissa Shafto was proud of € > i ' ,OHMAN demonstrates here how she read to achieve her Gold Medal Award in the re- Hill Elementary Reading Olympics. Brigid 9,480 minutes outside of the school day the month of February, more than any other Student. (That is between five and six hours ver medal. "It was her first award her first-grade daughter, Emma, who earned a gold medal. "It's a Serving Belfair - Allyn - Grapeview - Tahuya - Mason Lake - South Shore - Victor Thursday, March 25, 1999 Section of the Shelton-Mason County Journal j Sand Hill fields I of anything in school. Itwasalot receive a little TLC of fun. They put on a good show great program. My daughter here, and it was educational, loved it. She loves to read, and it said Shelley Robinson. gave her a good excuse to sit Rylrs dad, Danny Robinson, down and read,' she said. added, "It's really important for Juan Garcia's fourth-grade " to field daughter, Susan also garnered BYRICKSTED lY' e ,lme beague, ao will be added leri:td six. But that kids that you read to them. You gold. His observation was, ,','It's Ruth, and project is at two to three have to build a foundation." years down the Instead of adding up minutes, exciting. That's why I'm here. softballers will likely play a few the kindergarten students count- NICOLE JONES was a gold more games this year thanks to a ed the number of stories they medal reader who had four guests new product recently applied to read or heard read. come for the ceremony: her step- five local ball fields in North Ma- son. ; i: i dad, Jerry Lake; grandma, Shir- ley Sellers; sister, Teresa Lake; and a friend, Heather Mont- gomery. Mr. Lake said, "I love it! I haven't heard of any other school in Mason County doing it. A bronze medal took 28 stories for kindergartners, or 420 min- utes for the older students. That means one story, or 17 minutes per day, all month long. There were 97 bronze medals awarded. Silver medals were earned by reading 56 stories, or spending 840 minutes of time reading. That averages 30 minutes, or two sto- ries per day. There were 99 silver medals given to SHE students. THE GOLD medals were earned by 333 students, and each of them had read 84 stories, or spent 1,200 minutes of February reading outside of their school day. That means they averaged three stories, or 43 minutes per day with a book in their hands. Seven-year-old Brigid Lohman tallied more time than anyone in the school, with 9,480 minutes to- tal. That is nearly six hours per day, seven days a week. How did she do that? "I read everywhere I went, like on the bus, in the car, at home, and in the store. When my mom was shopping, I was reading in the cart," Brigid explained. She likes fairy tales and dinosaurs, she said. She first began to read by look- ing at street signs. When asked if she learned how to read in kin- dergarten, Brigid replied, "Before that, even!" THERE WERE over 70 par- ents and other guests in the first of two assemblies to honor the It really motivates the kids." "She worked really hard, read- ing every chance she could, get- ting this," said Dean Wells of his gold-medal-winning stepdaughter Amy Davies, who is in the fourth grade. Amy's brother, Marty El- lis, was also present for the cere- monies. Superintendent of schools for North Mason, Dr. Marie Pickel, was to join the fifth-grade class of Mr. Scales for lunch, and read a book to them. That classroom ac- cumulated the most points in the school. Dr. Pickel indicated she had used the Reading Olympics pro- gram when she was principal of Finley Elementary School in east- ern Washington. "I thought it was wonderful then, and 18 years lat- er I still think it's wonderful," she said. FIRST-GRADE gold medalist Regina Obiedzenski had two guests in attendance that morn- ing. Her mother, Gia Lee said, "I think it's wonderful. She had so much fun doing it!" All 529 medal winners will be invited to participate in Shelton's Forest Festival Parade in June, according to Principal Rodger De- Britz. release Auction a success into creek :!ementary students m the schools' ninth release program. iday, March 19, at nearby Sweetwa- one by one, salmon fry back 8. really this part ," said third-grade n. "Some of Students even gave ae prior to releasing graders affec- an albino salmon "Whitey," who was one of 600 such fry released by students. The salmon have been raised by the students since January 5, when officials at the George Adams Fish Hatchery in Union donated the fingerlings to the school. The school-wide salmon release program was greeted by excep- tionally nice weather as students trekked down to the creek to re- lease the fry. The program is part of the Salmon in the Classroom state project. Sometimes people go to a fund- raising auction looking for a bar- gain. At the Boys and Girls Club (B&G) Auction, held on Saturday, March 13, at the Admiral Theatre in Bremerton, there weren't any bargain-hunters in the crowd. In a successful live auction of this type, the group can expect people will pay about 90 percent of the actual value of the items. The B&G bids came to a whop- ping 117 percent of the value in the live auction portion of the eve- ning. Some of the reasons for this success were items like the ador- able golden retriever puppy, which sold for $2,250, or 938 per- cent of his financial value (although it was apparent to ev- eryone at the auction that he was priceless). Another item that went for far above the declared value was group swing dance lessons. In- structors Steve and Lori Whybark demonstrated their talent, then when it was bought at auction, doubled on their offer. So, two bidders, along with some of their friends, will be learning to swing dance, and the B&G is $2,000 richer for it. Three different bidders were successful in purchasing the boat, which spent time on display in Belfair. The first two purchasers donated it back, the third will keep it. That boat brought $4,600 into the Boys and Girls Club coff- ers, the highest dollar amount for a single item. The emcee for the evening, pro- fessional football player Marquez Pope, purchased an authentic Vin Baker Coca Cola vending ma- chine for $2,100, then donated it for use at the B&G teen center, which should be open in Belfair this summer. And on it went. Several donors doubled their offer of items, while others added to things up for auc- tion, turning them into more at- tractive packages. Some donated purchases back to the club. The total income for the evening was $134,132, which means about $109,000 in profit for the kids. B&G board member Dr. Brian Petersen, who solicited many items for the fund-raiser, ex- pressed his gratitude to all who donated to, assisted in, or attend- ed the event. Of the many corpo- rate donors he said, "Their gener- osity was incredible, and their in- volvement added a lot to our event." 'rim Wing, another board mem- ber, said many people who came to the first auction in 1998 re- turned in '99 with a table full of friends. Many this year have al- ready indicated they had so much fun they intend to do the same again next year. Plans are already underway for the Boys and Girls Club "Gifts from the Sea" auction 2000! JONI CAGWIN holds this adorable pooch which sold for at the Girls AT Belfair Elementary School release 600 into the wilds last Friday, March 19. right are: third grader David McConnell, Brittner According to Carl Olson, head grounds keeper for all Mason County fields, a product called Turface was recently mixed into the local clay and sand fields to help absorb moisture, something the area has had an abundance of this year. "We've had great success using Turface at several fields in Shelton," says Olson. "We should have most of the North Mason fields at Sand Hill ready by month's end." Olson was introduced to the kitty-litter type of absorbent by Bob Christopherson, the head grounds keeper at Cheney Stadi- um in Tacoma. "All pro stadiums now use Turface," said Olson. The beauty of the product is that it won't compact when wet, but rather acts as a cushioned absorb- ent instead. Turface bills itself as "...no substitute for conditioning fields have a lot less game rainouts." Though pricey at $300 per ton, the product is well worth it. Olson says that after the initial mixture of Turface to Sand Hill fields, a smaller amount will then be add- ed in future years. The fields will be much easier to maintain, says Olson. Mike Byrne, Mason County Di- rector of Tourism and Recreation, says that emphasis will indeed be given to the five North Mason ball fields. "Our top priority this year and next is Sand Hill," says Byrne. In addition to applying lurface to each field, dug out roofs will also be added by the end of March. "We have a volun- teer group already in place to get this project done," insists Byrne. According to Byrne, 63 percent of the county's $82,000 budget for field maintenance and upkeep is destined for North Mason fields. He says that eventually, lights CARL OLSON APPLIES Turface to the Sand Hill ball fields. The absorbent additive could reduce rain outs by as much as 50 per- cent. Belfair couple offers gift of life to child By LINDA THOMSON Two-year-old Kyle Carter got impatient with all the emotional adults and bright camera lights, and finally went after his birth- day gifts, stepping right in the cake to get to them. It was not only his birthday, but a big-deal media event held on Wednesday, March 17, in Silverdale, for his parents to meet the parents who donated their daughter's liver he had received by transplant in Au- gust 1997. Kelly and Julie Gardner, of Belfair, have a big family. Julie has six kids by a previous mar- riage, and Kelly has one. Together, they had only one child: Kelli Anne, born March 5, 1996. Her birth was exciting for her father to watch, and he even assisted a bit. "She was awesome! She was a beautiful baby," said her dad. Their only concern at the hospital was when Kelli Anne was chilled, they placed her un- der a heat lamp, rather than in her mother's arms. SHE WAS EMBRACED and spoiled by the whole family once they got her home, and was a very healthy little girl. All that ended in a horrific car wreck out-of-state in August, 1997. Kelli Anne was just 17 months old when she died. Her parents were approached about donating her organs. There was nothing to consider or ago- nize over, since both parents had previously committed to be organ donors themselves. In fact, Julie's father had received a new heart by transplant on Valentine's Day in 1996. It seemed right and natural for the Gardners to give whatever useful parts there were of Kelli Anne's body for others in need. The gift of life was extended to three recipients. THE FAMILY WENT about their own recovery from the acci- dent, and grieved the loss of their precious child. In South Carolina, Tara and Greg Carter had their first child in March, 1997. Labor was an all- day affair, according to Greg. By the next day, little Kyle showed signs of being jaundiced, and had a sporadic heart beat. When he was four days old, he was admit- ted to the neonatal intensive care unit, and they went home without him. Baby pictures show a happy, underweight little boy with yel- low coloring. He was placed on a list for a liver due to lack of development of the bile ducts in his liver. Then, Kyle's family got word that a liver was available from a little girl who had died in a car wreck. They felt badly for the other family, but were so grateful that this would be a chance for their son to recover. "He'd had surgery at two weeks of age, which only bought him a little time," said Kyle's dad. "He was born with a death sentence, and the transplant healed him." TWO MONTHS LATER, a note came to the Gardners in Bel- fair saying, "Thank you for saving our son's life." It had passed through the screening process at the Donor Alliance to remove any identifying information, but was from the parents of the little boy who had received Kelli Anne's liv- er. It became important to Julie to let the parents know who Kelli Anne was. So, she wrote them back, sending a copy of the eulo- gy, and some photos. And so began a correspondence which turned into a friendship. And a year later, the parents on the receiving end had lengthy dis- cussions with the Donor Alliance about their desire to reveal their names, address, and phone num- ber to their friends who had saved their son's life. And so, on Kyle's second birth- day, just 1 1/2 weeks after Kelli Anne would have turned 3, the Carters met the Gardners face-to- face. In anticipation of that mo- ment, Julie said, "It's like Kelli Anne has a little brother, and we get to meet him!" "LOSING A CHILD is the worst thing that can happen to you," Julie said. But the family has been able to take comfort in knowing that "some part of her lives on in another child. If not fbr organ donation, all that grief would be for nothing." The Carters spent a week in Belfair, and the Gardners were able to share in the joy of this healthy little boy named Kyle. "You can almost see part of my little girl in his eyes," said Julie. 'You can't help but love him." The two families enjoyed boat- ing, crabbing, skiing, shopping, cooking, eating and attending church together. "We wore Kyle out," Julie said. "For one half-day, we let him just sleep in and do nothing. We've taken him to din- ner with Kelli Anne's godparents, and to visit her great-grandpar- ents. That probably just made their year, they were so tickled!" Kyle's mother Tara said, "Oh, it's been so great! I get to share my son with them. It was very ap- propriate to share my child on his birthday. This will be a lifelong bond." GREG AGREED, saying, "He is part of them." The Gardners are already planning a trip to see this new part of their family in South Car- olina this coming summer. JULIE AND KELLY Gardner, of Belfair, hosted Greg and Tara Carter, of South Carolina, recently, along with their son Kyle. Two-year-old Kyle had just shown off the scar on his belly where he had received a liver trans- plant in 1997. The Gardners donated the organ follow- ing their death in a car crash. g Olympics a golden success MSON was decorated in and blue, American and the recorded the Olympics theme seemed appropriate, .Was the Reading Olym- Ceremonies at Sand (SHE) School. Lad Hill students cel- reading success on < : i:i i:i!!iii!i  Thursday, March 11. According to acting principal Debbie Wing, 533 students, or 96 percent of the stu- dent body participated in Reading Olympics throughout the month of February this year, and 89 per- cent of the students received med- als. "Congratulations to all of you," Wing said to the assembled children. Reading Olympics is a way to encourage kids to read outside of the school day. Medals were earned for the number of minutes first- through sixth-grade chil- dren read, or had someone read to them. Each child could read si- lently, aloud, or even along with a taped story. KINDERGARTNER Ryli Robinson had both her parents present to see her receive her sil- voracious readers. Kris Reed said of her 6-year- old kindergarten son, Brandon, "He came home from school all excited and said, 'Morn, I'm going to win a gold medal! How many books do I have to read?'" He earned his gold with 86 stories, some he read himself, some his mom read to him. Melissa Shafto was proud of € > i ' ,OHMAN demonstrates here how she read to achieve her Gold Medal Award in the re- Hill Elementary Reading Olympics. Brigid 9,480 minutes outside of the school day the month of February, more than any other Student. (That is between five and six hours ver medal. "It was her first award her first-grade daughter, Emma, who earned a gold medal. "It's a Serving Belfair - Allyn - Grapeview - Tahuya - Mason Lake - South Shore - Victor Thursday, March 25, 1999 Section of the Shelton-Mason County Journal j Sand Hill fields I of anything in school. Itwasalot receive a little TLC of fun. They put on a good show great program. My daughter here, and it was educational, loved it. She loves to read, and it said Shelley Robinson. gave her a good excuse to sit Rylrs dad, Danny Robinson, down and read,' she said. added, "It's really important for Juan Garcia's fourth-grade " to field daughter, Susan also garnered BYRICKSTED lY' e ,lme beague, ao will be added leri:td six. But that kids that you read to them. You gold. His observation was, ,','It's Ruth, and project is at two to three have to build a foundation." years down the Instead of adding up minutes, exciting. That's why I'm here. softballers will likely play a few the kindergarten students count- NICOLE JONES was a gold more games this year thanks to a ed the number of stories they medal reader who had four guests new product recently applied to read or heard read. come for the ceremony: her step- five local ball fields in North Ma- son. ; i: i dad, Jerry Lake; grandma, Shir- ley Sellers; sister, Teresa Lake; and a friend, Heather Mont- gomery. Mr. Lake said, "I love it! I haven't heard of any other school in Mason County doing it. A bronze medal took 28 stories for kindergartners, or 420 min- utes for the older students. That means one story, or 17 minutes per day, all month long. There were 97 bronze medals awarded. Silver medals were earned by reading 56 stories, or spending 840 minutes of time reading. That averages 30 minutes, or two sto- ries per day. There were 99 silver medals given to SHE students. THE GOLD medals were earned by 333 students, and each of them had read 84 stories, or spent 1,200 minutes of February reading outside of their school day. That means they averaged three stories, or 43 minutes per day with a book in their hands. Seven-year-old Brigid Lohman tallied more time than anyone in the school, with 9,480 minutes to- tal. That is nearly six hours per day, seven days a week. How did she do that? "I read everywhere I went, like on the bus, in the car, at home, and in the store. When my mom was shopping, I was reading in the cart," Brigid explained. She likes fairy tales and dinosaurs, she said. She first began to read by look- ing at street signs. When asked if she learned how to read in kin- dergarten, Brigid replied, "Before that, even!" THERE WERE over 70 par- ents and other guests in the first of two assemblies to honor the It really motivates the kids." "She worked really hard, read- ing every chance she could, get- ting this," said Dean Wells of his gold-medal-winning stepdaughter Amy Davies, who is in the fourth grade. Amy's brother, Marty El- lis, was also present for the cere- monies. Superintendent of schools for North Mason, Dr. Marie Pickel, was to join the fifth-grade class of Mr. Scales for lunch, and read a book to them. That classroom ac- cumulated the most points in the school. Dr. Pickel indicated she had used the Reading Olympics pro- gram when she was principal of Finley Elementary School in east- ern Washington. "I thought it was wonderful then, and 18 years lat- er I still think it's wonderful," she said. FIRST-GRADE gold medalist Regina Obiedzenski had two guests in attendance that morn- ing. Her mother, Gia Lee said, "I think it's wonderful. She had so much fun doing it!" All 529 medal winners will be invited to participate in Shelton's Forest Festival Parade in June, according to Principal Rodger De- Britz. release Auction a success into creek :!ementary students m the schools' ninth release program. iday, March 19, at nearby Sweetwa- one by one, salmon fry back 8. really this part ," said third-grade n. "Some of Students even gave ae prior to releasing graders affec- an albino salmon "Whitey," who was one of 600 such fry released by students. The salmon have been raised by the students since January 5, when officials at the George Adams Fish Hatchery in Union donated the fingerlings to the school. The school-wide salmon release program was greeted by excep- tionally nice weather as students trekked down to the creek to re- lease the fry. The program is part of the Salmon in the Classroom state project. Sometimes people go to a fund- raising auction looking for a bar- gain. At the Boys and Girls Club (B&G) Auction, held on Saturday, March 13, at the Admiral Theatre in Bremerton, there weren't any bargain-hunters in the crowd. In a successful live auction of this type, the group can expect people will pay about 90 percent of the actual value of the items. The B&G bids came to a whop- ping 117 percent of the value in the live auction portion of the eve- ning. Some of the reasons for this success were items like the ador- able golden retriever puppy, which sold for $2,250, or 938 per- cent of his financial value (although it was apparent to ev- eryone at the auction that he was priceless). Another item that went for far above the declared value was group swing dance lessons. In- structors Steve and Lori Whybark demonstrated their talent, then when it was bought at auction, doubled on their offer. So, two bidders, along with some of their friends, will be learning to swing dance, and the B&G is $2,000 richer for it. Three different bidders were successful in purchasing the boat, which spent time on display in Belfair. The first two purchasers donated it back, the third will keep it. That boat brought $4,600 into the Boys and Girls Club coff- ers, the highest dollar amount for a single item. The emcee for the evening, pro- fessional football player Marquez Pope, purchased an authentic Vin Baker Coca Cola vending ma- chine for $2,100, then donated it for use at the B&G teen center, which should be open in Belfair this summer. And on it went. Several donors doubled their offer of items, while others added to things up for auc- tion, turning them into more at- tractive packages. Some donated purchases back to the club. The total income for the evening was $134,132, which means about $109,000 in profit for the kids. B&G board member Dr. Brian Petersen, who solicited many items for the fund-raiser, ex- pressed his gratitude to all who donated to, assisted in, or attend- ed the event. Of the many corpo- rate donors he said, "Their gener- osity was incredible, and their in- volvement added a lot to our event." 'rim Wing, another board mem- ber, said many people who came to the first auction in 1998 re- turned in '99 with a table full of friends. Many this year have al- ready indicated they had so much fun they intend to do the same again next year. Plans are already underway for the Boys and Girls Club "Gifts from the Sea" auction 2000! JONI CAGWIN holds this adorable pooch which sold for at the Girls AT Belfair Elementary School release 600 into the wilds last Friday, March 19. right are: third grader David McConnell, Brittner According to Carl Olson, head grounds keeper for all Mason County fields, a product called Turface was recently mixed into the local clay and sand fields to help absorb moisture, something the area has had an abundance of this year. "We've had great success using Turface at several fields in Shelton," says Olson. "We should have most of the North Mason fields at Sand Hill ready by month's end." Olson was introduced to the kitty-litter type of absorbent by Bob Christopherson, the head grounds keeper at Cheney Stadi- um in Tacoma. "All pro stadiums now use Turface," said Olson. The beauty of the product is that it won't compact when wet, but rather acts as a cushioned absorb- ent instead. Turface bills itself as "...no substitute for conditioning fields have a lot less game rainouts." Though pricey at $300 per ton, the product is well worth it. Olson says that after the initial mixture of Turface to Sand Hill fields, a smaller amount will then be add- ed in future years. The fields will be much easier to maintain, says Olson. Mike Byrne, Mason County Di- rector of Tourism and Recreation, says that emphasis will indeed be given to the five North Mason ball fields. "Our top priority this year and next is Sand Hill," says Byrne. In addition to applying lurface to each field, dug out roofs will also be added by the end of March. "We have a volun- teer group already in place to get this project done," insists Byrne. According to Byrne, 63 percent of the county's $82,000 budget for field maintenance and upkeep is destined for North Mason fields. He says that eventually, lights CARL OLSON APPLIES Turface to the Sand Hill ball fields. The absorbent additive could reduce rain outs by as much as 50 per- cent. Belfair couple offers gift of life to child By LINDA THOMSON Two-year-old Kyle Carter got impatient with all the emotional adults and bright camera lights, and finally went after his birth- day gifts, stepping right in the cake to get to them. It was not only his birthday, but a big-deal media event held on Wednesday, March 17, in Silverdale, for his parents to meet the parents who donated their daughter's liver he had received by transplant in Au- gust 1997. Kelly and Julie Gardner, of Belfair, have a big family. Julie has six kids by a previous mar- riage, and Kelly has one. Together, they had only one child: Kelli Anne, born March 5, 1996. Her birth was exciting for her father to watch, and he even assisted a bit. "She was awesome! She was a beautiful baby," said her dad. Their only concern at the hospital was when Kelli Anne was chilled, they placed her un- der a heat lamp, rather than in her mother's arms. SHE WAS EMBRACED and spoiled by the whole family once they got her home, and was a very healthy little girl. All that ended in a horrific car wreck out-of-state in August, 1997. Kelli Anne was just 17 months old when she died. Her parents were approached about donating her organs. There was nothing to consider or ago- nize over, since both parents had previously committed to be organ donors themselves. In fact, Julie's father had received a new heart by transplant on Valentine's Day in 1996. It seemed right and natural for the Gardners to give whatever useful parts there were of Kelli Anne's body for others in need. The gift of life was extended to three recipients. THE FAMILY WENT about their own recovery from the acci- dent, and grieved the loss of their precious child. In South Carolina, Tara and Greg Carter had their first child in March, 1997. Labor was an all- day affair, according to Greg. By the next day, little Kyle showed signs of being jaundiced, and had a sporadic heart beat. When he was four days old, he was admit- ted to the neonatal intensive care unit, and they went home without him. Baby pictures show a happy, underweight little boy with yel- low coloring. He was placed on a list for a liver due to lack of development of the bile ducts in his liver. Then, Kyle's family got word that a liver was available from a little girl who had died in a car wreck. They felt badly for the other family, but were so grateful that this would be a chance for their son to recover. "He'd had surgery at two weeks of age, which only bought him a little time," said Kyle's dad. "He was born with a death sentence, and the transplant healed him." TWO MONTHS LATER, a note came to the Gardners in Bel- fair saying, "Thank you for saving our son's life." It had passed through the screening process at the Donor Alliance to remove any identifying information, but was from the parents of the little boy who had received Kelli Anne's liv- er. It became important to Julie to let the parents know who Kelli Anne was. So, she wrote them back, sending a copy of the eulo- gy, and some photos. And so began a correspondence which turned into a friendship. And a year later, the parents on the receiving end had lengthy dis- cussions with the Donor Alliance about their desire to reveal their names, address, and phone num- ber to their friends who had saved their son's life. And so, on Kyle's second birth- day, just 1 1/2 weeks after Kelli Anne would have turned 3, the Carters met the Gardners face-to- face. In anticipation of that mo- ment, Julie said, "It's like Kelli Anne has a little brother, and we get to meet him!" "LOSING A CHILD is the worst thing that can happen to you," Julie said. But the family has been able to take comfort in knowing that "some part of her lives on in another child. If not fbr organ donation, all that grief would be for nothing." The Carters spent a week in Belfair, and the Gardners were able to share in the joy of this healthy little boy named Kyle. "You can almost see part of my little girl in his eyes," said Julie. 'You can't help but love him." The two families enjoyed boat- ing, crabbing, skiing, shopping, cooking, eating and attending church together. "We wore Kyle out," Julie said. "For one half-day, we let him just sleep in and do nothing. We've taken him to din- ner with Kelli Anne's godparents, and to visit her great-grandpar- ents. That probably just made their year, they were so tickled!" Kyle's mother Tara said, "Oh, it's been so great! I get to share my son with them. It was very ap- propriate to share my child on his birthday. This will be a lifelong bond." GREG AGREED, saying, "He is part of them." The Gardners are already planning a trip to see this new part of their family in South Car- olina this coming summer. JULIE AND KELLY Gardner, of Belfair, hosted Greg and Tara Carter, of South Carolina, recently, along with their son Kyle. Two-year-old Kyle had just shown off the scar on his belly where he had received a liver trans- plant in 1997. The Gardners donated the organ follow- ing their death in a car crash.