On the shortest day of the year, there isn’t a lot to do in Kenai. That’s why Johna Beech, a volunteer with the American Cancer Society, created the StarLight StarBright ski fundraiser. The no-stakes ski raises money for the American Cancer Society on Dec. 21, hours after sunset.
“It means a lot to me personally because I’m a long-time volunteer with the American Cancer Society, and I believe in their mission. And having people turn out for the event raises awareness of what they do for people, and it’s just a way to celebrate the Alaska solstice,” Beech said.
This is the third year of the event, now organized in partnership with the Kenai Peninsula Outdoor Club. There are about 70 skiers gathered on the Kenai Golf Course, which is groomed in the winter into a cross-country ski trail. Skiers wear glowstick necklaces and carry poles wrapped in string lights. The event isn’t a race — just an opportunity for fundraising and camaraderie on the solstice night.
“There’s no prizes. The prize is the gift of giving and pushing us closer to a cure for cancer,” Beech said.
Beech said the event came together with help from local organizations, and donations of food and coffee from businesses. The beginning and end of the trail are lit by about 60 luminaria, paper lanterns guiding skiers around the track. Beech said they’re practical, but also symbolic.
“The dark part of the night kind of relates to a cancer patient’s battle with cancer where the going gets rough, and just remembering that there’s always dawn is just around the corner, and things get better. And that’s one of the things, in regard to luminarias, we like it at nighttime because it does light the way, and it’s a way to remember those we’ve lost, and to honor those that have battled,” Beech said.
Within just minutes of the start, skiers begin to round the end of the track, traveling down the path lined with lanterns. The event raised $2,600 for the American Cancer Society.
