Photo courtesy of Annie Ngo

The Heart of the Aleutians Festival was held Saturday, August 16th. The annual festival included yard and group games, a dunk tank, hamster balls, an inflatable bounce house and obstacle course, food, prizes, local vendors, and live music. It was all hands on deck this year as the city’s Parks, Culture and Recreation staff (including library, aquatics center, and community center employees and volunteers) all pitched in. Luckily, the weather held up and the community members gathered at Kelty Field were able to fully enjoy their Heart of the Aleutians experience. Thank you to everyone who made this event a success!

Sixteen teams came out for the annual Aleutian Tundra Golf Classic on August 9 and 10.  This was a fundraiser for Unalaska Community Broadcasting and the event brought in more than $10,000. Tournament scoring is based on the honor system and scorecards turned in by participating teams.  Iquique won the tournament at 11 under par.  Harbor Welding and North Pacific Fuel tied for second at 8 under par.  Bong Tungul won the Closest to the Pin contest with a hit four feet from the pin.  He gets a monogrammed green jacket. Longest Drive was a split-the-pot competition and the winner was Lee Constanti with a 290 yard drive.  He took home 70 dollars.

Photo courtesy of Annie Ngo

The Alaska Hoops Basketball Camp began on August 4 and will continue through August 8. The program was founded in 2009 by Buddy Bailey as a way to help young athletes of Alaska earn a college education through participation in basketball. The program aims to help players both on and off the court by connecting them with coaches who also act as role models. The coaches use basketball to teach lessons about character, leadership, worth ethic, and moral awareness. This year’s coaches range from University of Alaska students to professional players, but the one thing they all have in common are their ties to the state of Alaska. They say they are grateful to be able to give back to their community through a sport that has helped them in their own lives.