Chenoa Nickerson: Husband of woman who died in Havasu Canyon flooding starts legacy fund
GILBERT, Ariz. - An east Valley man is speaking publicly for the first time since losing his wife this summer when Havasu Canyon flooded.
Chenoa Nickerson died after flash floods swept her away while she was hiking with her husband Andrew.
He's turning his grief into a project, all rooted in Chenoa's love for performing arts.
Andrew's tribute to his late wife is set against the sound of tap shoes and the sight of young people performing on stage.
"A big part of her school years, from middle school all the way through college, was performance, anything with music, singing and dancing," Andrew said.
As an impressive seamstress, Andrew says Chenoa appreciated the behind the scenes part of theater as well.
"That was one of the things she would geek out about, was just how much work would go into putting together an awesome performance," Andrew said.
Chenoa passed on that love for performing arts to her step-daughters, including nine-year-old Avery, who attends Christ Greenfield School in Gilbert.
"Her favorite thing to do with the girls was to take them to Hale Theatre, see performances. She came here to the school a couple times with Avery for some mommy-daughter dates and just made some great memories together," Andrew remembered.
Chenoa Nickerson: Family of woman who perished in Havasu Canyon flash flooding starts GoFundMe for rescuers
As a family grieves the death of a Gilbert woman who was swept away during a flash flooding in the Grand Canyon area, they are also honoring her memory by helping to raise money for rescuers who rescued many others who were stranded by the same flooding.
Chenoa's tragic passing this August forever changed the Nickerson's storyline, but from the grief, the Chenoa Nickerson "See the Good" Legacy Fund was born.
Proceeds from the fund go toward the Christ Greenfield Vocal and Theater Arts program.
"We have some big dreams to replace the entire sound system in our theater. New lighting design, new acoustical treatment to bless our students from day one at rehearsal. We don't have those capabilities," said Lyndsay Ermeling, Director of Vocal Music and Theater.
Chenoa's motto, "see the good," has turned into the "See the Good" award.
"Picking a student who has shown some incredible perseverance through a hard time and has chosen to have a positive outlook on everything," Ermeling said.
At a recent Disney-themed show, where the Nickersons were guests of honor, a student named Journey Stephens was given the first award.
Flash flooding at Havasu Canyon strands hundreds of tourists; Arizona National Guard deployed for rescue
A flash flooding at the Havasu Canyon area has left hundreds of tourists stranded and in need of rescue. Meteorologists with the National Weather Service said the area received an inch to two inches of rain within the timespan of an hour to an hour and a half.
The fund is already making a difference with many dreams for the future.
"It's just going to be such a blessing to our community and so many people that we won't even see the fruits of it for years to come, and it's just going to be amazing," said Emily Hollendoner, assistant principal at Christ Greenfield.
The perfect way to honor the woman who taught her loved ones to not only see the good, but also be the good.
"How overwhelming, right?" Ermeling said. "That grief could breathe new life into something."
One of the long-term goals of the See the Good Legacy Fund is to have a practice room built and named after her on school grounds.
"In our family, that's kind of been our rallying cry, is to just see the good and keep moving forward and make her proud every day," Andrew said.
An anonymous donor has agreed to match any donation to the fund up to $50,000. You can click here to donate.