My husband and I want to extend our gratitude to the many community members, businesses, friends and family that were involved in the Go Siena Grow! benefit for our severely brain-injured daughter, Siena.

The Tin Room hosted a Go Siena Grow! benefit buffet that Dan the Sausageman, Sweet Petula's and Maplewild Bakery displayed and sold tickets to the event.

Approximately $13,000 was raised from the benefit. The efforts of Dan and Claudia House, Alicia Nakamoto and Shon Sylvia, Scott and Anne Marie Grant, and Kevin Koch made this possible.

This is a remarkable achievement for which we are extremely grateful.

Although I would like to list the names of all the individuals who contributed, there are far too many to consider it feasible. I will, however, acknowledge the following local businesses who generously donated: M.E.L. Construction, Able Towing, Great Little Box Company, Pollock Insurance, Dan the Sausageman, the Tin Room, Blue Handworks, Burien Honda, Al Dodson Insurance, D & K Hixson, and Health Excellence Chiropractic.

I would also like to thank the following people for donating items to the benefit raffle and benefit silent auction: Peter Fewing, Dan the Sausageman, Alicia Nakamoto and Shon Sylvia, Kelly Bretz, Dennis Spomer, Colleen Sullivan, Christy Lynn Nakamoto, Alaina and Carolyn Nakamoto, Anne and Bill Good, and Sweet Petula's.

In addition, we would like to thank John and Sandy Lievero for their commitments over the past three years to volunteering patterning, video taping, completing projects in order to help us continue home therapy with Siena, and staying with Siena on occasion so Paul and I can take a break and recharge over dinner.

We would also like to thank Jerry and Ruth Kalamar for volunteering their time in the evenings to pattern over the past three years.

Since health insurance will not cover the costs of therapy or visits to the Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential (www.iahp.org), and I stay home full time to continue the intensive program, we could not successfully continue Siena's intensive home treatment program without community involvement, financial contributions, volunteers, and the many prayers which Siena receives.

Ever So Grateful,

Mary Ellen, Paul and

Siena Armbrust

Burien