All of the pieces are falling into place for the memorial service and reception to celebrate JoAnne's life on the evening of July 14, 2012. I have found the key to organizing a gathering of this type. Have a good friend with years of corporate meeting planning experience. Have a good friend who is a minister. Have a good friend who is a musician. Voila!
The reception with be held at Wooddale Church, Edina Campus, 5532 Wooddale Avenue South, Edina, MN 55424. Visitation will begin at 6:30 with a service at 7. It will be the perfect venue for our gathering and is air conditioned if the current warm weather continues. It has easy access, adjacent parking in back of the church and very nice handicap access. Please send along a message if you have special needs so we can make this a comfortable evening for you.
We then travel to The Atrium of International Market Square, 275 Market Street, Minneapolis, MN 55405. It is a short 15 minute drive from the church heading directly north for about 3 miles on Highway 100. Just past I-394, take the Glenwood Avenue exit and head east about 3 miles towards downtown. IMS will be on the left with convenient parking. We will have maps available at the service. Guests can be dropped at the front doors via the circle drive. There are some stairs to be negotiated inside however there are elevators and wheelchairs to the left as you enter. May I encourage our older guests to please make use of them so you conserve energy and comfortably enjoy the evening. Your presence is important to us.
I called my friend Dee last week. We two had worked together for many years in the medical device business. She is a very experienced corporate meeting planner. "Dee!", I said, "We want to have a reception as part of JoAnne's memorial; in less than two weeks, on a Saturday evening in the middle of July, competing against all the weddings and reunions that go on during the short Minnesota summertime. Can you help me?" Dee immediately ran with it and in a short period of time confirmed what we both had feared. There was not much available. But there were a couple of hotel ballrooms that would have worked and....The Atrium at International Market Square (IMS).
"This can't be right," I thought. IMS is one of the more popular venues for weddings, receptions, proms and corporate galas. It is a stunning historic renovation with a 5 story atrium. When Dee asked why they were available on a Saturday night in July, the catering director also expressed some surprise. She said it was the only Saturday night they have had open in forever and they are booked through the summer and into fall.
My original plan had been to find something in the airport/Mall of America area. IMS is on the western edge of downtown Minneapolis. It is convenient to the church but gets to be 20-25 minutes from the airport. We were hedging back and forth when Dee and I both agreed that maybe divine intervention played a role in making The Atrium available for our memorial. That or JoAnne still has a hand in our lives and didn't want me cheapin' out with a VFW hall.
Gosh! This promises to be a wonderful evening. There will be a few tears and many laughs, just like JoAnne. Reflecting JoAnne's heritage, we wanted to give our gathering an Irish Wake atmosphere. I wasn't exactly sure what that meant so I searched and came up with some interesting narratives on the history and traditions of the Irish Wake:
In terms of the reception, we will skip most of the steps and concentrate on the food, drink and music to celebrate a life well lived. Celtic music will be provided by Laura MacKenzie and friends, and I suspect we may be treated to some Irish dancing as well.
Our arms are open to all who cared about JoAnne and knew her well as family or friend. We promise it will be a memorable way to spend a Saturday evening.
Keep the faith
It was such a joy to see this and to see the pictures of JoAnne and family. I so appreciated her strength and candor as I worked with her at the clinic and the hospital. She is missed. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteClaire Carrier