Honoring Anna ...
All of us who knew and loved Anna will always hold her close in our hearts, but we also long for lasting ways to honor her—ways that will continue to bring her light and love to the world and to uplift people in the same way that she did when she walked among us.
The Book Angel Program: In 2002, The Book Angel Program was established at Seedlings Braille Books for Children using money that had been donated in Anna’s memory. Through this program, over 60,000 free braille books have been placed in the hands of children with vision loss across the United States & Canada, sharing with them Anna’s love of reading. http://www.seedlings.org/bkangel2009.php
Maeve, one of Seedlings’ kids, shows her doll how to read braille
Anna was happiest when she was on stage or backstage helping with a production. She loved every aspect of theater. Upon entering high school, she was thrilled to become part of the Creative & Performing Arts Program (CAPA) at Churchill High School in Livonia.
The Anna K. Bonde CAPA Scholarship: In 2002, with the help of a very generous donor who didn’t even know Anna, a fund was established that enables scholarships to be given to CAPA seniors. Since then, over $100,000 has been awarded to 50+ students. We hope that these scholarships not only help the students reach their goals, but that they will also carry with them a bit of Anna’s spirit.
CAPA Students may apply in the spring of their senior year here: https://forms.gle/e7nZMVXDm9JwGKP28
Deb Bonde with the 2019 CAPA Scholarship Winners
Anna loved her time at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, where she majored in theater and dance. She adored the beautiful campus with Boe Chapel at its center. But most of all, she was deeply touched by the caring community there. When Anna, Chris and Sally died, the St. Olaf Community deeply mourned the loss, and they reached out in caring concern to the families. They also established endowed memorial scholarships for Anna, Chris and Sally.
A few years later, the Anna K. Bonde Memorial Apprenticeship in Theater was established. This apprenticeship offers St. Olaf Theater graduates a way to gain experience in their field, to further develop their artistic portfolios, and to advance their careers in theater.
https://wp.stolaf.edu/theater/anna-k-bonde-memorial-apprenticeship-in-theater/
The Memorial Chime Tower at St. Olaf College
We know that countless other acts of kindness and donations have been made in Anna’s name over the years, and for that we are truly grateful. As Anna’s character, Anne, said at the end of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “In spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart.”