Editor,

During this special season of giving thanks, we would like to acknowledge the sponsors, vendors, presenters and participants for their support of the 2013 Caregiver Conference, “Caregiver Safety Nets.”

These donations made the conference experience a very rewarding one for our caregivers, who play such an important role in the lives of their loved ones and their community. Caregivers on Whidbey Island are fortunate to have the support of so many community agencies, businesses and individuals. This event was created in collaboration by Senior Services of Island County, Whidbey General Hospital and HomePlace Special Care Center.

We would like to thank our many community partners, Maple Ridge Assisted Living, Whidbey Weekly, Visser Funeral Home, Whidbey Memorial, Regency on Whidbey, Island Family Hearing Clinic, Summer Hill Assisted Living, HomeWatch Caregivers, Island Home Nursing, Harbour Pointe Retirement, Arbor Hills Adult Family Home, Gentry House, Island Transit and Whidbey General Life Line for their donations which helped to cover the cost of the event. A special thank you to Family Bible Church in Oak Harbor for the use of their church and their kind assistance during the event.

Thanks to Linda Gipson, Ph.D, R.N., chief nursing officer at Whidbey General for her great key note address, and for those who presented workshops — Michele Renninger and Robert May, Whidbey General; Debbie Metz and Nancy Martineau, Senior Services Dietary; Suzanne Turner, Island County Public Health; and Dr. Stumbelmore who taught us the importance of humor and healing. Thank you to Vivian Rogers-Decker, La dolce Vita, for preparing the tasty box lunches; volunteers from Whidbey General Hospital — Gary Taylor and Janice Raymond; Senior Services — Pat Moll-Nevins, Gena Stiles and Terri Hagstrom; HomePlace — Mary Gould, Linda Emerson, Sydney Coughlin and Austin Sines; Oak Harbor Senior Center — Roxanne Dunn-Terry.

CHERYN WISER

Langley