The Founders

Royal and Nancy Bidwell embarked on the Forget-Me-Not Mission primarily because both felt a need to give something of themselves to help humankind. Nancy’s personal experience of losing her 17-year old daughter, Shelly Reed, to a drunk driver in 1983 prompted them to gravitate toward MADD. That experience demonstrated to Nancy in a powerful way what the MADD organization does for victims of drunk drivers by the way they supported and helped her through her ordeal. Her tremendous respect and gratitude for MADD won Royal over and MADD became the avenue to fulfill their need to give. Both have become more conscious of the tremendous numbers of DUI arrests reported in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner and Anchorage Daily News. Their desire to do something for MADD led them to their decision to act, and Forget-Me-Not Mission was born.

Nancy Bidwell was born in Manchester, New Hampshire and came to Alaska in 1950 with her Air Force family. They lived on Elmendorf Air Force Base until her father retired in 1961. Nancy spent over 55 years in Anchorage, graduating from West High School and attending Anchorage Community College and majoring in commercial art and design, and attending UAA to study computer science. Nancy started several businesses out of her home, in Anchorage in the 60's and 70's, including Anchorage Babysitting Referral Service, CB Radio Novelties, A-1 Engraving and The Mad Hatter Hat Shop. She worked for the Anchorage Daily News as a district manager for several years and also the Anchorage School District as Parent Resource Coordinator. She is very proud of starting the Readers Are Leaders Reading Program for the Anchorage School District. She retired from the Alaska State Troopers in 2002.

Royal Bidwell was born and raised in northwestern Oregon, served his country in the U.S. Army in 1962 - 1965, and moved to Fairbanks, Alaska in 1965 where he attended the University of Alaska. He began working at Yukon Supply Company, a plumbing and heating supply house, in 1967 and when it was sold to Amfac in 1972 was manager of Amfac Supply Company until 1979. He had his own residential construction company from 1979 until 1983. In 1983 Royal opened a branch for Familian Northwest, a plumbing and heating, industrial pipe, valve and fitting wholesale supply house and managed it for the next 19 years. He retired from Familian in 2002 and entered into a contract with the Greater Fairbanks Community Hospital Foundation as Construction Projects Coordinator. His contract expired in May 2006, then he and his charming wife Nancy hit the road with the Forget-Me-Not Mission.