Lasagna dinner, other activities ahead

News from Naselle:

Sports calendar for the coming week: Thursday, the 24th-middle school football with Twin Valley in Naselle at 6 p.m .; Saturday, the 26th-high school football at Oakville at 3 p.m .; Monday, the 28th-middle school volleyball with South Bend in Naselle at 5:45 p.m .; Tuesday, the 29th-high school volleyball at MMK at 7 p.m .; Wednesday, the 30th-middle school volleyball with North Beach in Naselle at 5:45 p.m. Go Comets!

Westend news:

Please join the volunteers at the West End Food Bank, located in the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park for their first Annual Lasagna Dinner scheduled for this coming Saturday, September 26 from 5-7:30 p.m. Enjoy a home cooked Lasagna dinner with salad, breadsticks, dessert and beverage.Tickets are $10 per person ( Children 5-12 half price), and can be purchased at the Food Bank on Thursdays 1-5 p.m. or from Shonda Ware by calling 360-465-2722. You can also buy them at the door Saturday night.

Do you have an extra refrigerator that you would like to donate to the West End Food Pantry? Please contact Shonda at 465-2722.

The Sewing Center in the Grays River Valley Center has new hours. The center will be open on Tuesdays from 11 a.m.. to 2 p.m. If you are interested in doing some sewing there in the evening or for a special project by appointment, please call Cindy at 465-2880.

The Johnson Park Advisory Board is meeting on Friday at 5 p.m. prior to the Free Friday Night Movie, to plan for our annual Halloween event at Johnson Park. We will be looking for volunteers to hand out candy from each room in the building, helping in the cafeteria with popcorn and the free movie. If you have any other fun ideas, please let us know and be prepared to follow through with making your idea happen. Remember, this is an evening of free fun for our kids, out of the weather, and in a safe environment. If you would like to make a donation of candy or funds to purchase items for the evening, please contact me at 465-2960.

OktoberFest is just around the corner. It will be held on Saturday, October 10, 5-7 p.m. in the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park featuring authentic Sauerbraten, spaetzel, and home made apple strudel. Tickets are available now for $12 each by calling 465-2960 or 465-2731. Proceeds from this event will be used for operating costs for the Grays River Valley Center at Johnson Park.

Something a little bit different this week at the Friday Night Movies. Check out an Old-Fashioned Night at the Movies; just like in the theaters many years ago. Previews of coming attractions, a newsreel, a cartoon (1931), a comedy short (1935), the Curtain Raiser (haven’t heard that term before (a 68 minute show from 1934) and the main feature from 1933. How about joining us for a back to the ’30’s night of fun?

The Rosburg Wednesday Senior Lunch Bunch meet each week in the Rosburg Hall for a home cooked meal prepared and served by Pat Potter and her volunteer crew.

On Thursdays, a senior meal is also served in the Rosburg Hall and is sponsored by CAP. Lunches for both venues are served at noon.

Happy Birthday to Erin Noll, Jenelle Varila, Katie Klinger, Ann Parrino, Casper Schmand III, Crystal Salme, Greg Smith, Eli Gardner, Melissa Lewis, Phillip Zerr, Dawn Footh, Yvonne Howell, Abbey Zimmerman, Brianna Olson, Scott Boyle, Kyle Wirkkala, Courtney Keller, Richard Cary, Rosalie Eaton, Jordan Varila, Melissa Ashe, Pat Penttila, Dawn Thompson, Ian Leaf, Lois Wakefield, Thelma Miller, Shane Smith Craig Reitz and Morgan Reitz. Have a perfect day.

Happy Anniversary to Philip and Mindy Penttila and Mark and Karen Swanson. Here’s to many more celebrations.

A young man was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis back in 1998, and in the last year he has gone from walking with a cane, to a walker and now a wheelchair. This California family has tried many combinations of MS treatments to no avail. His name is Louie Villasenor, our son-in-law, married to our youngest daughter Kendra. He is the father of two of our beautiful granddaughters, Emma, 11 years old and Evie, who will be 10 on September 26th. He also has a son Nick, 21 years old. And they pray for nothing more then to see their dad walk again.

Our daughter has found a company in San Diego called StemGenix that offers a stem cell treatment with a 90+ percentage rate of having the MS patient walking again fairly quickly.

The procedure uses his own stem cells from adipose tissue. It's a 3-day hotel stay and a 2-day procedure which in total takes about 4 hours at a cost of $14,900 dollars, and will not be covered by insurance. His daughter, Emma was asked in a classroom discussion this past week, “what is the one thing she wants in life?” Her answer: "To see my dad walk again."

Kendra has become the sole support of the family, working nights and spending many of her daytime hours with Louie for medical visits and treatments as well as the daily chores of a normal household. Emma and Evie help out but at this age they should be out playing with their friends, not dealing with more adult issues and responsibilities.

This may not be the medium to air family issues, but MS is such a debilitating disease that affects so many, even right here in our community. If there can be hope and success through the research studies that we hope to participate in, it will be worth the risk of it not working.

Please say a prayer for our family as we move forward in this life changing event. We have set up a GoFundMe page, but I am not asking for donations, only that you share this information and get the word out about this study, in the hope it will be successful for us and anyone else who may need it. We are forever grateful for your prayers.