To the People of Friday Harbor:

I would like to thank the community of Friday Harbor and San Juan Island for the love, kindness, and generosity you have shown Phil McKee during his fight to overcome non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

As Phil’s (geographically) closest blood relative, I know I speak for every member of his family in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and here in the U.S. when I say that the support he has received from this community has been a constant source of strength and encouragement to him throughout his ordeal.

The generosity shown at last Saturday’s golf benefit, from the sponsorship of holes by local businesses, the donations of goods, merchandise and services to be auctioned, and the incredible generosity of the bidders themselves, revealed the true heart of a community that cares about its own and acts accordingly, in the most beautiful and human of ways.

There are too many people, many of whose names I do not know, to thank individually, but special appreciation goes to Dana and Stacy at Friday Harbor Electric for their unhesitating and constant support from the very beginning, and to Stacy, Kelly, and the other ladies of “Phil’s Team” for their tireless work in making last Saturday’s event the unbelievable success that it was.

Thank you, Friday Harbor, for being what “a village” should be. You are an example to all. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

David Roche
San Francisco, Calif.