Region V Activities
Dear Editor: Thank you from Mt. Edgecumbe High School!
The Region V Alaska Airlines Basketball Tournament was held in the B.J. McGillis Gymnasium on Japonski Island March 5-9. Over 720 high school students from around the Panhandle participated in basketball, cheerleading, dance and pep band. Tagging along were a few hundred parents and fans. This phenomenal tournament is the largest regional basketball tournament in Alaska and also the largest multi-day event hosted in Sitka!
Number 1: This event could not have happened without the support of Allen Marine, Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal and Sitka Fine Arts Camp who stepped up and generously donated their facilities and cruise ship to help make this event happen. Thank you!
Thank you also to the businesses and volunteers that contributed time and money to help continue making this event the premier high school basketball tournament around Alaska:
Alaska Airlines - name sponsor; Allen Marine - housing over 150; Sitka Fine Arts Camps - housing hundreds in the gym; Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, Westmark - Region V officials housing; SEARHC Carolyn Black and Nicole Kingsley for providing great care for bumps and bruises; Sitka Bottling, Sea Mart, Subway, Trinity Business, Island Bus Company (Trudy and the crew), Malo’s Janitorial, Sitka Referees Association and Region V officials and table crew.
A few key folks who make the difference behind the scenes in this tournament: Hospitality Room, Lynn Bastoky, Cathy Hazel and the Drama Debate and Forensics team; front gates, Linda Blankenship, Rose Demmert, KathyHope Erickson, Shirley Perkins, Trish Bessert and the amazing MEHS recreation staff; concessions, Tyler Holmlund and the Dorm Rat coffee crew; Pep Band coordinator Heather Gluth; and cheer and dance coordinators Jaime Cabral and Sandi Wagner.
A huge thanks to Tom Gamble, Wilkenson Nestor, Kenyatta Bradley, Alex Weissberg, Margo Livermore and Matt Potter for helping organize, support and keep order amongst the student groups.
Student groups: MEHS SAALT (Student Athletes & Leadership Team), Dorm Rat concession crew, and MEHS boys and girls C teams spending countless hours helping out and cleaning up throughout the week.
Tournament talking head Keith Perkins for announcing EVERY SINGLE GAME FIVE DAYS RUNNING!
It truly is a team effort to make this event happen. I encourage everyone to continue supporting our schools and local businesses which positively impacts future generations and our economy.
Andrew Friske
Mt. Edgecumbe High School
Residential/Activities Principal
