With help from their communities, those dreams will become realities.
“It’s potentially a life-altering experience to see the seat of our country,” said parent volunteer Margaret Quarton, whose daughter, Ruby, is one of the youngsters from Homer Middle School who will be making the trip.
Not a school-sponsored activity, arrangements for the trip are being coordinated with School Tours of America, a company working with tour groups to develop student travel opportunities.
“But the school has been very supportive, providing us with a room to met and helping us pass out fliers,” Quarton said.
The invitation to make the trip was extended to all eighth graders at HMS.
“This year we had some that wanted to go, but the parents said they just couldn’t afford it,” Quarton said. “I can understand that because the cost is so prohibitively expensive. So we’ve started a scholarship fund and are really working hard getting donations for the scholarship fund.”
Sons of the American Legion are sponsoring the scholarship fund, which means donations can be tax deductible.
“We’re very grateful to them,” Quarton said.
Fourteen students and four adults have signed up to make the trip. The cost per student is $2,400, which includes transportation, meals, lodging, admission, security and a Broadway show. Adults are responsible for their own expenses.
The trip itinerary, with a March 16 departure, includes visits to Capitol Hill and Alaska’s congressional delegation, the Smithsonian Institution, Arlington National Cemetery, the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall, Williamsburg, Jamestown, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street and Ground Zero. They have requested tickets to see the Broadway musical “Stomp.”
“And we have someone working on getting us a tour of the White House,” Quarton said.
When the travelers return to Homer March 24, Quarton anticipates many of them will be changed by the experience.
“This shouldn’t just be for those who have the money and can afford it,” she said.
An aggressive effort is unde rway to bridge the financial gap.
“We created a Homer calendar with pictures donated by Bill Scott. It’s for sale online at www.homercalendar.com,” Quarton said. “We had 750 printed and have only 200 left.”
Thanks to the Emblem Club, a raffle also is being conducted, with prizes donated by local businesses.
“There’s a halibut charter from Time Out Charters; a romantic getaway donated by Alaskan Suites; Picture Alaska art gallery has donated a gift certificat; Land’s End Resort has donated one night/dinner for two; Café Cups has donated dinner for two; the Homestead Restaurant has donated dinner for two. There’s a lot of stuff. You can’t list them all,” Quarton said.
And there’s Friday night at Homer Theatre, for an 8:30 p.m. showing of “Pursuit of Happyness,” starring Will Smith.
“We’ll also be selling the raffle tickets and calendars at the theater Friday,” Quarton said.
Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. The raffle drawing is Jan. 19. The winning ticket holder does not need to be present.
Fund-raising efforts, to date, have netted about $10,000, with an additional $6,000 in the scholarship fund, according to Quarton.
“That’s really incredible. People have been very generous,” she said. “We’ve done well, but we still could use more. We have a ways to go.”
Twelve high school juniors in Ninilchik have signed up to make a seven-day trip to Washington, D.C., departing March 25. It is being organized through the Close Up Foundation, with the help of Tim Helvey, high school social studies, government and world history teacher. Each year since being founded in 1970, this citizenship education organization draws more than 20,000 students, teachers and adults to its D.C. programs.
The busy agenda includes workshops on a variety of subjects, including the selection of presidential candidates, responsibilities of Congress, international relations and political values and ideologies. The students will visit a number of sites, meet with Alaska’s congressional delegation and have an opportunity to meet students from around the country also participating in Close Up.
“It’s kind of cool because there are actually four students to a hotel room,” Helvey said. “They’ll have two from their own school and two from wherever the other kids are coming from.”
The cost per student is $2,054.
“We’re doing everything from fund-raisers to grants to writing letters to businesses. If there’s a way to get money, we’re doing it. One way or other, we’ll get there,” Helvey said.
“This is the trip of a lifetime. Any kid who ever did this trip said it was the most exciting trip they’ve ever done.”
To donate to the Ninilchik School Close Up trip, call the school at (907) 567-3301.
McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky@homernews.com.
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