President's Message
Kevin Hostler, President and CEO

Employees’ actions spread holiday cheer

It’s my first winter back in Alaska after more than 20 years and I was looking forward to celebrating a holiday season with snow on the ground. I am delighted to report that the snow is nice, but my real source of seasonal cheer is the variety of events that Alyeska employees are putting on to benefit their communities.

Anchorage staff members hosted their annual Thanksgiving lunch for students and staff at Russian Jack Elementary, Alyeska’s Anchorage School District business partnership school. They also hosted Alyeska’s fifth consecutive military appreciation lunch for members of the U.S. Armed Services who are stationed in Anchorage.

Fairbanks staff members put on a school-wide holiday card art contest at Hunter Elementary School that attracted more than 50 entries. Alyeska holds this contest at a different school in Anchorage, Fairbanks or Valdez each year. This year’s winning image by fifth grader Kao Yang is featured on our company holiday card.

Alyeska’s central warehouse crew in Fairbanks is running its seventh annual food drive. Last year’s campaign collected 2,641 pounds of canned and dry goods.

Fairbanks-based employees are also continuing another long-standing tradition of collecting gifts for children in communities along the pipeline corridor. Last year they delivered presents to 73 children in Stevens Village, Wiseman and Rampart and donated additional gifts to the Fairbanks Rescue Mission.

Our Valdez staff has the holiday spirit too. Their Thanksgiving food drive collected more than 240 pounds of food and $200 cash for the Valdez Food Bank. Alyeska volunteers are also working with Copper Valley Telephone Company volunteers to collect children’s gifts and money for the Angel Tree Program. Last year’s campaign gave gifts to more than 90 children. Finally, Valdez staff members have been working since September with Valdez Fire Department and Alaska Department of Transportation volunteers to send care packages to nine local military personnel who are stationed in Iraq.

I thought you’d like to know a little about what the “Pipeline People” do to reach out during the Holidays. I know there are many other great stories by members of the TAPS family. I join many in publicly saying thanks.