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Kent proclaims Mary Loupe Remembrance Day and names March American Red Cross Month
Summary
Mayor Dana Ralph read proclamations honoring longtime community volunteer Mary Loupe and declaring March 2026 American Red Cross Month; family members and a Red Cross volunteer spoke about local volunteerism and recent smoke‑alarm outreach.
Mayor Dana Ralph used the public‑recognition portion of the March 17 City Council meeting to read two proclamations honoring community service.
Ralph proclaimed March 29, 2026, to be "Mary Loupe Remembrance Day" in Kent, recounting Loupe’s decades of local service — directing youth choirs, teaching, founding a crisis center that evolved into Kent Youth and Family Services and leadership roles with Scenic Hill PTA and the Kent downtown partnership. Mike Hynish, introduced by the mayor as a former Kent Youth and Family Services director, and Kim Loop, Mary Loupe’s son, accepted the proclamation. Kim Loop described family archives and read an Emerson poem in tribute.
The council also proclaimed March 2026 as American Red Cross Month in Kent. Christy Merrill, introduced as a Red Cross community volunteer leader, described local Red Cross activities, including door‑to‑door smoke‑alarm installations (more than 400 alarms installed in Kent during a recent campaign), disaster services, and volunteer mobilization. Merrill said volunteers reflected the community’s diversity and highlighted Spanish‑speaking volunteers’ role in reaching some mobile‑home neighborhoods.
Mayor Ralph thanked both volunteers and civic partners for their contributions to community safety and wellbeing.
