50 YEARS— Chuck Fagerstrom was awarded with a golden bugle commemorative award for having served the Nome Volunteer Fire Department for half a century during last Saturday’s Firemen’s Carnival.

Chuck Fagerstrom honored for 50 years of service at NVFD

Hundreds of people from near and far streamed into the Nome Rec Center for the 2016 Firemen’s Carnival on Saturday night.  
The main fundraiser for the Nome Volunteer Fire Department once again drew a big crowd to support the local firefighters and other civic groups and organizations to raise funds for good causes.
NVFD Chief Jim West Jr. estimated that at one point, 350 to 400 people were making the rounds in the Rec Center. Bingo, raffles, wheels of fortune offered carnival goers enough opportunity to spend money for the good cause. Other groups such as the Nome Rotary Club, the Nome Preschool Association, the Ambulance Department, the NEA and others also set up booths to raise funds to support their programs. West explained that NVFD does not charge the vendors a booth fee. “It’s a good fundraiser for everybody,” he said. The carnival originated with the Roof Garden, an annual social event sponsored by the Pioneers of Alaska between 1948 and 1958. Then, the NVFD took over the event and turned it into the Firemen’s Carnival. While the big ticket items such as fire engines and trucks are funded by the city, the fundraiser supplies the firefighters with cash to buy personal protection equipment, hand tools, ventilation fans and ventilation saws and so on. Currently, according to Jim West Jr., there are 31 men and women volunteering at the fire department, which not only provides fire fighting services but also conducts Search and Rescues.
This year, the NVFD had the joyous occasion to celebrate 50 years of service of one of their own, Battalion Chief Chuck Fagerstrom. “We honored Chuck for 50 years of continuous service to the fire department,” said West. “It is very rare that people stay with the department that long.”
According to documents that West found, Fagerstrom joined the department in April 1966. According to a letter from Alaska Governor Bill Walker, that makes him “the oldest volunteer as a certified Fire Fighter 2” and “role model for all firemen.” Walker issued a thank you letter for Fagerstrom’s services, congratulating Fagerstrom and calling him a respected pillar in the community. “Thank you for 50 years of excellent service to the Bering Strait Region, the community of Nome and Alaska as a member of the Nome Volunteer Fire Department,” Walker wrote. “Through your outstanding example of hard work, efficiency, and leadership as a business owner, a leader in the native corporation and as a valued elder in the community, you have made a positive influence and impacted the lives of many Alaskans,” Walker noted. “Your willingness to also serve with the Nome Volunteer Fire Department since 1966, in addition to all these responsibilities shows a deep commitment to serving others.”
When asked about the honoring gestures of the fire department, Fagerstrom said he was very touched. “It brought back a lot of memories of all the firemen that I served with,” he said. Being still an active firefighter, Fagerstrom said since 1966 every Wednesday evening was and still is dedicated to fire department business, may it be attending workshops or training or other chores that need to be done. Any thought of retiring? “NO,” was the resolute answer. “I still feel young and I still participate,” Fagerstrom said. When asked why he joined the NVFD, he answered, “For the same reason that you hear from anybody who joins now: We all want to give back to the community. That’s how I feel, too.”   
He added that serving the community gives him satisfaction. “It is always a rewarding time, especially if you can work with a bunch of good, fellow firemen, with the same dedication,” Fagerstrom said.
At midnight, the big moment of drawing prizes from the raffle tickets was near. Here are the winners of this year’s raffle prizes:
1. Kenna-Sue Contreras: 2017 Snowmachine
2. Darla Jemowuk: Two RT tickets on Alaska Airlines, donated by Alaska Airlines
3. Chanel West: One ounce of gold, donated by Anderson and Sons Mining
4. Punky Punguk: One ounce of gold, donated by the Christine Rose
5. Trent Ellis: One ounce of gold, donated by DMC
6. Benny Piscoya: 100 Gallons Heating Fuel, donated by Bonanza Fuel
7. Karla Nayokpuk : 100 Gallons of Gasoline, donated by Crowley Marine
8. Trevor White : 60” Flat Screen TV, donated by Phoenix Marine
9. Iryna McDowell : $500.00 Local Shopping Spree, donated by Phoenix Marine
10. Roy Ashenfelter: DeWalt 4 Piece Combo Pack, donated by Grizzly Building Supply
11. Sine Holly: 1,000 pounds Barge Freight, donated by Alaska Logistics
12. Roger Nassuk Jr.: 500 pounds of Freight, donated by Northern Air Cargo
 

The Nome Nugget

PO Box 610
Nome, Alaska 99762
USA

Phone: (907) 443-5235
Fax: (907) 443-5112

www.nomenugget.net

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