An
Open Letter to All That So Kindly Contributed to The Hidi Ja
Memorial Athletic Fund for Costa Mesa High School.
September
4, 1994
Today
would have been Hidi's 23rd Birthday, but instead of Celebrating
her Birthdays, we now give Remembrance to her short life on
August 16th each year in Detroit, Michigan along with the other
families and friends who lost their loved ones also.
The
Support Group “Flight 255, Their Spirit Lives On”
has worked very hard these last 6 years and has finally gotten
permission to erect a “Marker" or “Monument”
in Memory of our loved ones on the corner of Middlebelt Road
and I-94, an area which we refer to as “The Hill”
and should be ready for Dedication by our next “Candlelight
Vigil”, August 16, 1994, in which you are all invited to
come.
However,
my main reason for writing you all was to let you know what
was done with the money that was collected for Hidi's Memorial
Fund. The 1st year, which would have been Hidi's Senior Year,
we purchased a Portable Electric Scoreboard, which the Junior
leagues had wanted for quite some time, and some weight-lifting
machines for the boys gym and 2 $5000 scholarships for 2 girls
on the various Cheer Squads. But when the 1988 Year Book came
out, and I realized they had intentionally omitted Hidi's Senior
photo and did not even include a Memorial page to her, I froze
the balance of the funds in my furor 'til just now.
Hidi's Memorial Plaque and the new trophy
cases grace the main entrance to the Gym at Costa Mesa High
School.
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The
new Vice Principal contacted me and asked if I would be willing
to spend the balance of the funds (approx. $7000) on replacing
the trophy cases (left) in the main entrance of the gym, which
would include a special Memorial to Hidi. Of course I thought
it was a great idea and the balance of the fund has been spent
on this project.
Cioser
view of Hidi's Memorial Plaque
I
have enclosed a couple of photos (above) which may be hard to
see what's in the cases, but they are childhood photos on the
left side, cheer leading photos on the right , and 2 Prom photos
on the bottom along with Hidi's beloved “BUG”. I have
also enclosed a copy of the article
on top, and the poem
in the lower right corner, so you can read it.
I
had promised everyone that I would give them an accounting of
the Memorial Athletic Fund a year after her death, but I guess
“better late than never” would apply here. Again,
I want to say Thank You All for helping make Hidi's Memorial
Fund possible.
Sincerely,
Mary
Ann Ratliff
Hidi Ja's Mother
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1
Loving
Memorial for Hidi Ja Ratliff 
