We’ve all heard the story of the man who was walking on a beach littered with millions of starfish. When asked why he was engaged in a seemingly futile attempt to throw them back to sea one at a time he remarked that it didn’t seem futile to the individual starfish.
The Alaska Railroad Corporation shares the same philosophy. They decided many years ago that they wanted to make a difference in schools, and they determined that if they couldn’t make a difference in every school they would do it at least for one.
To the average citizen when you mention the Railroad pictures of yellow and blue engines, trips to Denali, and high trestle bridges immediately come to mind. Not so for those of us at Government Hill Elementary. We think of a cocoon of generosity, support, and concern for students and staff. The Alaska Railroad Corporation is our Business Partner, and we think that we are probably the most fortunate school in Anchorage.
| Alaska Railroad |
Each year, volunteers from the Railroad hand out more than 750 hot dogs, chips, drinks, and smiles to returning students, teachers and families. The Back-to School Picnic has been going on for several years, with the Railroad providing full-service support. We donate the food, blow up a bunch of balloons, offer prizes, and provide all the necessary volunteers who set up, cook, engage, and clean up. |
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Every year we could chronicle scores of examples of the benefits we receive from our Business Partner. They would prefer that we didn’t. They are not looking for accolades; they just want to provide a service. So... we won’t list the number of hours that are spent adjudicating Spelling Bees or judging Science Fair projects. We won’t count the number of scholarships provided for needy students. We won’t talk about the times they’ve donated goods to local fire victims. We won’t detail all of the functions when food is provided for both students and staff. We won’t discuss the positive, caring role models that they provide for students. We won’t dwell on their mantra, “If you need something, just ask.” We don’t want to embarrass these wonderful people!
We want them to know that they share in all of the successes of our school. For every proud smile at a new accomplishment, every giggle shared with a friend, every act of kindness, every new skill mastered - thank you, Alaska Railroad.
| James Blasingame |
James Blasingame, VP Corporate Affairs, presided over this year’s annual Spelling Bee competition, which involved 28 students, each vying to be the top speller for the school.
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