Web posted
Tuesday, April 23, 2002
Team Alaska makes record setting performance at Arctic Winter Games
The Arctic Winter Games is a circumpolar celebration of sports and culture that includes teams from Alaska, Greenland, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta, Nunavut, Nunavik/Quebec, and two Russian providences Chukotha and Magadan.
The 2002 games were held in Iqaluit, Canada, and Nuuk, Greenland. Team Alaska, which included a host of Peninsula athletes, returned home capturing 147 medals, the most medals ever taken by a team in the history of the Arctic Winter Games. Local medallists of Team Alaska were recently honored by the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly with a resolution of commendation, and in return presented Borough Mayor Dale Bagley with an official flag of the Arctic Winter Games.
Team Alaska captured gold medals in Boys Basketball, Junior Girls Basketball, Volleyball, Hockey, Cross Country Skiing, Snowboarding, and silver and bronze in a myriad of other events.
Accompanying the team were local officials Jack Brown, and Andrew Carmichael, who are part of a committee preparing a bid for the Kenai Peninsula to host the 2006 Arctic Winter Games.
"What impressed me most about the Games, was the extreme community unity that happened as a result of hosting the Games. Volunteers were working side by side with folks that had never met before," said Carmichael.
It is estimated that the Games generated $6-7 million dollars in revenues to the hosting communities, with costs of between $3.5 4 million dollars. Carmichael is hopeful that the Peninsula will be able to draft a successful proposal to host the 2006 games, "We have good facilities, and we'll be submitting a 3- 400 page official proposal document on October 15th. The award will be made in March of 2003," said Carmichael.
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