As wildfire smoke impacted regional air quality last week, you may have noticed special visitors throughout our community. Fire fighters from California, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, as well as other parts of Washington, came to town to partner with local teams battling nearby forest fires.

With recess taking place indoors, many Snoqualmie Valley elementary students spent time creating posters, cards, letters and pictures to thank the many courageous emergency responders for their essential support that helped protect our community and forests. On Friday, we delivered hundreds of heart-felt messages to five locations where fire fighters were staying, at:  Snoqualmie Inn by Hotel America, North Bend Motel, Mt. Si Motel, Sunset Motel and the North Bend Ranger Station.

Michael Gentile, the host at North Bend Motel who helped distribute a supply of cards to his guests, shared some photos and explained, “While many went home this weekend, they specifically asked me to pass along their thanks to all the kids. The cards and letters gave them the inspiration to carry-on after 16 exhausting hours of fighting wildfires!”   

See more photos of fire fighters and classroom creations on our "Thank You Fire Fighters" District Facebook link. (You can view the photos without subscribing to Facebook.)