A Note from Susan and Joe

Dear Families,

Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Susan E Layng, and my son, Carlos Martin Zabala perished during the sinking of the F/V Katmai in the Aleutian Islands on October 22, 2008.  We have never recovered his remains.

On October 31, 2008, I was speaking with Joe Blake, Captain of the Katmai on the phone.  He and I agreed that we are blessed to have four survivors from the sinking, and blessed also to have a new family made up of the families of the seven lost at sea.  We determined that day to set up a fund that would help our friends weather the new storm they faced in dealing with the loss of their sons, fathers, brothers, uncles and cousins.  After a delay caused by the legal intricacies of insurance and probate laws, we are now in a position to act on our beliefs.

We have gathered a Board of Directors for the Katmai Memorial Fund.  Those members include myself, Joe Blake, Roy Brown, Jessie Luther and Sig Hansen.  All members have a vital role to play in our organization.  I hope to be able to present the families’ concerns, Joe will champion the causes of the survivors and captains, and Mr. Brown brings a wealth of insurance knowledge to our team.  Ms. Luther is an attorney-at-law and will help safeguard us from the legal pitfalls we may face.  Mr. Hansen needs no introduction from me…he is, of course, Captain of F/V Northwestern and an advocate of safety in the fishing industry.

Our Board has every intention of being a hard-working, responsible panel dedicated to finding ways to ease the financial burden faced by families who are struck by a disaster in the commercial fishing industry.  We are enjoying broad-based support from individuals and corporations such as the Discovery Channel.  We hope to guarantee that this Fund is helping people for many years to come.

To that end, Joe has been fundraising while I am setting up the business end of the Fund.  We are soliciting donations of a computer and software for maintaining databases of donors and ensuring Federal compliance with tax laws.  If you have any information on helping us secure these or other donations, please contact us at the address above.

We are of course also soliciting donations of funds to keep the Fund moving forward.  Any donations are gratefully welcomed at P O Box 9787, Helena MT 59604.

We are also accepting written and photographic memorials of loved ones who perished to be posted to our website.  We look forward to your submissions!

God bless us all,

Susan