Ryuta 'Utah' Sanui family fund

***Thank you all for your generous hearts and kind spirits.  We raised over $11,000 for Kai and Lukas Sanui's future education.  We know that Ryuta would be so grateful as well.  We have closed this fundraiser as of May 1, 2018, and all funds, including the bank fees, were disbursed to Somer Sanui by check.  Peace be with all of you.**

Utah Sanui was one of Atelier's very beloved teammates.  He had been in tech sales, but always wanted to work in a field that was person-to-person and be a hairstylist.  His wonderful wife, Somer, supported him 100%, and when he graduated cosmetology college, he came to Atelier and brought his light, his joy, and his dedication to service to us.  After two years of advanced training, he became an Atelier Artist, and after 3 months, he suddenly passed away of a brain aneurysm.  The Atelier team is raising funds for Utah's young sons, Kai and Lukas,  and his wife.  We honor his memory and his contributions to our salon family by helping his family navigate this devastating loss.  

Utah was one of those people that you instantly liked, and once you got to experience his warmth, humor, care, positivity and how willing he was to help others, you had no choice but to love him. 

He was a bright light in our salons, in our team, and in our hearts.  Our guests all remember him and his awesome hairwashes, and his attention to detail, his amazing customer service.  He would thank every guest for coming in, even if they weren't his guest.  He was proud to be a part of Atelier and we are proud that he joined our team, that we could give him all the education he could handle, and to offer him a joyful place to live his dreams. He cared so much about every single person in our salons—whether they were a customer or co-worker. 

He leaves more than just memories with us. He leaves us a legacy of positivity, an example of having a heart of service, and a mission of going after our dreams. We know that he was living his dream, and we are all better for it. 
If you ever met Utah at Atelier, you know...he was unforgettable, and inspired us so much. We all will carry a bit of the Utah spirit in our hearts and minds. 

We will miss you, Utah. (His real name was Ryuta, but it was a hard name to pronounce in English, so he let everyone call him Utah)

Thank you for caring, and for helping.  It will make a difference.

Details per GoFundMe:
Fundraiser organized by Karie Bennett on behalf of the team at Atelier Salons, Santana Row and Willow Glen
Relationship to Ryuta Sanui: co-workers
Funds to be used for college/school fund for Kai and Lukas Sanui - managed by Somer Sanui, their Mom.
Bank fees to be covered by Karie Bennett, all donations to be delivered to Somer Sanui by check.
Fundraiser to remain open till 5/1/18.