Alaskans celebrate Job Corps' 40th anniversary

June 21, 2005

LYNSEA GARRISON/Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - Friday marked the 40th anniversary of the National Job Corps. In celebration of the event, the Alaska Job Corps in Palmer put on a health fair, open house and barbecue.

Members of the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Palmer Police Department and several other agencies and businesses were represented at Friday's event.

"It was cool to see all the vendors and people from the military come," said Mike Stewart, a Job Corps student.

Job Corps students gave tours all day long to officials and the general public, and "Just Playin' Jazz" played upbeat songs.

Along with music, there was a Native dance demonstration outside the recreational building, as well as a Native Youths Olympics demonstration. Events also included a fashion show, health walk and a climbing wall demonstration.

"Every year we have an open house and a health fair separately, but because this is the 40th anniversary nationally, we thought we'd combine them," said John Douglass, the business community liaison for Job Corps. "We invited anyone and everyone we could get; we wanted this to be a bigger event because of the anniversary."

About 385 students and staff members attended the anniversary celebration, not including the public and officials who participated.

At about 3 p.m., a HH-60 Pavehawk helicopter took off from the lawn of the Job Corps Center, sending smiles across the audience as the wind from the blades blew against them.

Susan VanGorder, the program's director, said that was an exciting part of the day.

"The students keep saying this was awesome," she said. "The staff thinks this is the best event we've put on. Everyone was really excited to see the helicopter take off."

Stewart agreed it was a fun event.

"I think by doing things like this, people see what Job Corps is all about," he said. "It's like a hand-on experience for the public."

Lynsea Garrison may be reached at 352-2250.