Civic-minded spirit goes a long way for performers

How do we express gratitude for a gift that is so special that words will barely suffice? As a member of Kenai Performers, I am somewhat daunted by the task at hand, and only hope the next few paragraphs will accomplish my goal.

Chris and Shelly Endsley, owners of the Orca Theater, graciously donated over 440 theater seats to Kenai Performers. Sounds simple; trust me when I tell you that the task was anything but simple. While installing new seats and running the day-to-day operations of the Orca Theater, the Endsleys spent countless hours removing and assisting in the loading and transport of the old seats. We applaud this selfless act of community minded recycling.

Thank you only begins to convey the depth of Kenai Performers appreciation. Instead, I encourage everyone to take some time over the holidays to enjoy a movie at the newly remodeled Orca. Treat yourself to some refreshments in the recarpeted lobby, relax in the comfort of the beautiful new seats and enjoy the show. You ll be supporting these young civic minded entrepreneurs who are giving so much back to the community in which they were born and raised.

We also owe a debt of gratitude to the Kenai River Brown Bears Junior A hockey team, who assisted by loading seats into vans, to Industrial Instrument Service Co., who lent us our premier van driver, Lori Williams, and to the Floor Center who loaned their van. With the help of these civic-minded folks, the Herculean task of moving all those unwieldy seats became manageable.

Thank you from the heart.

Chris Cook

Kenai Performers