TULALIP – Lloyd Brandt couldn’t believe the raffle items the Tulalip Tribes gave out during the tribe’s recent annual dinner for elders across Snohomish County.
He had his eye on a hand-carved wooden eagle nearly 3 feet tall.
“I said, ‘I wonder who’s going to win this gorgeous thing?’” Brandt said.
He couldn’t believe his good fortune when the Tulalips drew his name.
“This is priceless,” said Brandt, 81, a member of the Stillaguamish Senior Center in Arlington. “This was absolutely amazing. The workmanship is incredible.”
Brandt was one of 700 seniors who accepted the Tulalips’ invitation to a salmon luncheon.
So many people showed up at the June 23 lunch that the Tulalips had to set up extra tables and even commandeer the registration tables to seat everyone. And they had to make the food stretch to feed the crowd that filled the tribe’s spacious gymnasium.
“It’s wonderful,” Tulalip Senior Center executive director Virginia Carpenter said. “We ran out of everything. We figured on 500.”
The Tulalip Senior Center feeds about 40 seniors daily and also prepares about 50 lunches for home delivery. The annual dinner is an opportunity for the tribe’s elders to dine with seniors from other centers around the county and enjoy themselves.
“What a way for our elder community to get together and celebrate themselves,” said Deborah Wright, Everett’s executive administrator for neighborhoods and community services.
“I think it’s wonderful,” Jim Isom, 74, of the Stanwood Senior Center, said. “They’ve done an amazing job.”
Caroline Vaara, 74, known as “Little Bit” to her buddies at the Stanwood Center, also couldn’t believe the crowd.
“That’s a lot of people to handle,” said Vaara, who also won at the raffle – a 64-piece set of plastic storage containers.
Lynn Wilkerson, the Stanwood center’s activities coordinator, said that when the sign-up sheet went out, it filled up in one day.
They came by car, by city bus or activity shuttle. In addition to the salmon, seniors had mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, coleslaw, bread, cake and mixed berries.
They listened to a variety of speakers, including state Attorney General Christine Gregoire, who is a gubernatorial candidate, and state Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip. The two talked about their priorities and major issues facing the state, such as affordable health care and access to affordable prescription drugs for seniors.
The Filipino Native Dance group from the Snohomish Senior Center entertained the guests.
“The friendliness and hospitality of the Tulalip people is greatly appreciated and it creates a common bond,” said Edith Dial, of the Snohomish center.
The Snohomish group gave the Tulalips a gift as well – a mounted set of water buffalo horns.
The large crowd chatted throughout the meal and made new friends.
“It’s all been so good,” said Marge Guy, 83, also from Stanwood. “It’s my first time. But it isn’t the last.”
Reporter Cathy Logg: 425-339-3437 or logg@heraldnet.com.
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