Friday, February 24, 2012 Selah Sound Page 3 COMMUNITY Valley unites for wish organization By JACK H. SMITH Selah SoundA 1986 graduate of Selah High School, Dr. Gayle Smith has re- cently opened a medical prac- tice in Selah and is very excited to serve the community that she said supported her in her youth. Earlier this month, Dr. Gayle Smith opened Begin Again Medical Practice in Selah. Smith is a Doctor of Osteopathyand opened her practice in Dr. Paul E mmans Jr. ’s old oce lo- cated at 118 So. 2nd St. (Suite B). Smith said she was able to start the business with the help of Dr. Emmans and his secre- taries Norma Tucker and Me- gan Eeells, as well as Dr. Anita Showalter. “Both physicians are Doctors of Osteopathy and have been in practice many years, so their ex- perience and advice have been invaluable, ” Smith said. Smith can see patients ofany age for urgent care needs, chronic illnesses and uses os- teopathic manipulation to treat many maladies including head- aches and back and neck pain. “I don’t prescribe narcotic pain medications for chronic pain, because eventually the for oce vis its are on e-half to tunity to serve the communitypick up. SelahSound Selah cheer squad excels at state By JACK H. SMITH Selah Sounde Selah High School cheerleading team made a bold state- ment earlier this month at the WIAA State cheer competition in Everett. Competing for the rst time at the event, the Vi- kings ended with a third-place nish in the 2A/3A non-tum- bling division. Selah ended competition with 190 points, nishing behind champion Steliacoom High School (205 points) and Mount Si High School (193 points). Following the competition, Selah head coach Kathey Hateld said she was proud that her team was able to nish so high. “Since this was our very rst time competing at state, my goal as their coach was to place in the top ve,” Hateld said. “So earning a top three nish was icing on the cake.” Looking to the future, Hateld believes the tremendous n- ish creates excitement for both the student body and the com- munity. “It also helps since we are having cheerleading tryouts in early spring and girls who are interested in turning out get to hear about how much fun it is, ” she said. Selah graduate opens medical practice Sound Photo courtesy of Dr. Gayle Smith Dr. Gayle Smith recen tly opened up a med ical pract ice in Sela h. Her oce is locate d at 118 So. 2nd St. (Suite B). By JACK H. SMITH Selah SoundIt was truly a remarkable eve- ning in Selah. Last Saturday, the Children’s Wishes and Dreams organiza- tion hosted its annual dinner auction at the Selah Civic Cen- ter, with residents from across the Yakima Valley coming to- gether to help raise funds for the program that grants wishes to chil- dren with life threatening or severe life alter- ing conditions. As the doors opened to the event, a large group of local residents made their way into the Civic Center which was decorated with the theme “Island of Wishes.” e large building began to get packed with interested par- ties beginning to look at auction items that included everything from golf and sports packages to a retreat on the coast, as well as a multitude of other items. As those attending took their seats, they were all able to see that something special had been leon each table. It was a sin- gle sheet of paper that craed a moving story that not only put life in perspective, but showed what the evening was about. Titled “Jonathon’s Helicopter” the letter told the story of criti- cally ill boy in the Yakima Valleyand how he was granted a wish by the organization. “A few weeks ago a mother of a critically ill young man called the Children’s Wishes and Dreams oce in Yakima asking to fulll as wish for her son, Jonathan,” the letter states. “He wanted a remote con- trolled, gas- powered heli- copter he could y outside.” Heidi Anderson, executive director of Children’s Wishes and Dreams soon began her research and contacted hobbystores and a gentleman who could spend some time with Jonathan to teach him to op- erate the helicopter beginning with a battery powered unit to practice indoors. On Feb. 13, Anderson re- ceived a call from Jonathon’s mother, informing her that he was in the hospice unit at Ya- kima Valley Memorial Hospital and that he asked if he could see a real helicopter land and then lioagain. Realizing the urgency of the request, Anderson and her as- sistant began making numer- ous calls and was nally notied that the Army had a helicopter in the air and could be at the hospital in 20 minutes. Ander- son was able to talk to the ight commander and told him of the specic circumstances. “Fortunately, Jonathan had a room in the hospital that pro- vided a view of the helicopter landing pad on the roof of the hospital,” the letter says. “e Army helicopter landed on the hospital roof and the ight commander and crew went into the hospital and into Jonathan’s room to say hello and present Jonathan with his very own ight wings. e ight crew then leand lied ofrom the landing pad only to then in- form the mother that Jonathan should continue watching out the window as they honored him with a ‘y by’ to complete his wish.” e letter goes on to say that all of these actions to complete his wish came to be in less than an hour and nobody knew just how timely and special this event would be to everyone in- volved, especially Jonathan. e nal words of the letter state “He passed away shortlyaer the helicopter ew by his window. ey had given him wings so he could y.” Children’s Wishes and Dreams volunteer Sandi Riley ofNaches was on hand at the event and was helping out at the door. When asked about what it means to help the organization, a smile came across her face. “It makes me feel happy,” Ri- ley said. “I know I’m doing it for a good cause,” she said. A volunteer for the past four years, Riley said her time with the program has been fantastic. e Children’s Wishes and Dreams organization is in its seventh year of existence and has granted over 100 wishes which vary from special trips to places like Disneyland or the construction of wheelchair ramps. Children’s Wishes and Dreams is a non-prot organi- zation that is solely operated byvolunteers and has no paid em- ployees. ey grant wishes for children in the Yakima Valleyand Walla Walla areas. e event Saturday was one of several fundraisers for the program. For more informa- tion about Children’s Wishes and Dreams please go to their web site at www.children- swishesanddreams.org or call (509)452-8312. “It makes me feel happy. I know I’m doing it for a good cause.” - Sandi Riley Sound Photos by Jack H. Smith A large crowd gathered Saturday night for the Children ’s Wishes and Dream’s organizati ons annual dinner auction at the Selah Civic Center. Pictured above are some of the many auction items donated by local businesses and individuals. T o the le, Dorothy Reisemauer and Sarah Pericich were two of the many volunteers who helped at the event.
