Nursery Dedicated on All Saints' Sunday

Dr. Sawyer and Janet GilliamOur celebration of All Saints' Day on Sunday, November 2, was made even more special with the honoring of our own saint among us, Janet Gilliam.  Bob Sawyer presented Janet with a plaque and informed her that the Nursery in the Parish Life Center will hereafter be named The Janet Gilliam Nursery.  But what many people did not appreciate was the effort that went on behind the scenes to make this possible.

Some months ago, a group of parents was looking for a way to honor Janet. With the Center Campaign just kicking off, it seemed like a good idea to raise enough money to name a room for her in the Parish Life Center.  The Nursery was chosen and the drive to raise $100,000 began.  A letter from parishioners, Kim Andreaus, Meredith Decker, Marsha East and Anna Howard, was sent to all nursery and Sunday School parents asking for pledges and with strict instructions to keep this a secret.

In the end, over $130,000 was collectively pledged, and, even more amazingly, we managed to keep it a secret from Janet!  Anyone who saw her reaction on Sunday can attest to that.  Thank you to everyone who contributed to this effort.  And especially thanks to Janet for all she does for this parish family.