(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - For their significant contributions to the education of Ketchikan's youth, the Delta Kappa Gamma International Epsilon Chapter honored three Ketchikan residents in a ceremony held Wedesday evening. David Jensen, Erik Jensen and Bobbie McCreary, all involved with Ketchikan Youth Initiatives' Youth Community Center Project, were presented 2017 Red Apple Awards. Each year these prestigious awards are given to community organizations or individuals for their significant contributions to the education of Ketchikan’s youth and families.

Two of the prestigious Red Apple Award Recipients
Pictured are David Jensen and Bobbie McCreary
Photo By MARIE-JEANNE CADLE ©2017

Members of the project receiving the 2017 Red Apple Awards for their contributions were:

David Jensen – Commercial Construction

Jensen is the General Contractor on the Youth Community Center Project and has been involved since the rebuilding the foundation with 21 new pilings and footings a back in 2009. Jensen was born in Klawock and moved to Ketchikan in 1959.  He has five children and has raised 14 foster children.  Jensen has been building since he was a kid, is always involved with fishing, logging and construction, and has worked on clan houses and the Heritage Center, a 40 ft dugout canoe with master carver Wayne Price and many other carvings such as totem pole, paddles, boxes, bowls, and carving tools projects. Jensen served on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Home and he has always had kids around, providing them with a safe place to go and food to eat.  At the Ketchikan Youth Initiative's Youth Center Project, Jensen has gone out of his way to work with volunteers, particularly with youth, training them how to work safely and get the job done while STAYING OUT OF TROUBLE.  Jensen has also put a lot of his own sweat equity into the Youth Center Project.  Even under difficult situations, Jensen always has a sly, witty comment to catch one off guard and dispel the stress - a really valuable role model for kids.

Erik Jensen – Electrician employed by Channel Electric

Erik was born in Ketchikan and followed in his Dad’s [David Jensen] footsteps.  He has been building all his life. At age 10 he was featured on the front page of the Ketchikan Daily News when Hall Anderson interviewed him about building a fort.  He also love fishing and lumber.  With three children at home there are always kids hanging out at his house.  He likes to work with kids, to set the pace and encourage them to keep up.  In electrician’s school he won the prize for bending conduit the fastest.  Erik had come to work on the Youth Center building’s electrical on several occasions over the history of its development.  However, he is to be gratefully acknowledged, along with the materials donated by his company, for the countless hours he worked at no charge when the Youth Center Project desperately needed his assistance to open the front 750 sq ft. of the building last Fall.  Without his installation of the bones of the electrical system the Youth Center Project could not have moved forward to close in the space.  Erik is known for always finding something to do for our community, and always with a smile!  

Bobbie McCreary – KYI Administrator

McCreary founded Ketchikan Youth Initiatives (KYI) in 2005 and has worked with teenagers and AmeriCorps VISTA members to create a program of healthy alternative activities, beginning with the development of a paintball park on Cape Fox land on Revilla Road.  Over 10 years later the span of activity has increased exponentially, thanks to giving people like David and Erik and the generous donations of property and resources from the City and the Borough of Ketchikan and the community overall.  With support of many, many hours of volunteer service and resources KYI has been able to continue their goal of creating a Youth Community Center to serve teens and young adults, ages 14 to 24, free of debt and lease obligations. During this time, KYI was able to develop a state-of-the-art skatepark and has focused the bulk of their attention on the Youth to Work program that uses on-the-job business training and opportunities to serve the community to create job-ready youth ready to become valuable workers in local businesses.  As an organization committed to providing youth-led and adult-mentored programs and activities KYI's goals include continued development of Ketchikan's youth leadership and funding for paid staff to carry the vision forward.

Editing by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News:

Ketchikan’s Delta Kappa Gamma International Society, the Epsilon Chapter

 

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