A letter of thanks from a 12-year-old was the inspiration for two long-time islanders to decide to match up to $1,000 in donations to the Vashon Heritage Museum.

“Having a school-aged child take the effort to write a letter like that, in such a well thought out way, was inspiring,” said the anonymous donors. “The Vashon Heritage Museum is an amazing museum. It is always good to know where you live and where you are coming from. Combining education and history helps our students understand and relate to the larger world off of the island.”

The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, saw the letter in the Vashon-Maury Beachcomber in a visual display thanking each VHM donor for their gift in 2020. The donors were impressed by recent exhibits, citing 2018’s exhibit telling the story of Japanese Americans on Vashon as particularly impressive.

“We went to that exhibit with a friend that lived in Japan for 30 years,” says the donors. “We all learned a lot. It is fantastic to have the museum in our community.”

The generous donors will match all gifts up to $1,000 through Feb. 28, 2021. Click here to make a donation and help keep the museum open for generations to come.