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Kodiak cancels school basketball tournament, dance team trip after travel disruptions

Funviralpark 2 years ago 0 5


Benny Benson Airport in Kodiak on December 27, 2022. After several days of storms and canceled flights. (Kirsten Dobros/KMXT)

Many travelers are still trying to get home after a massive winter storm hits the continental United States 48, disrupting travel across the country over the weekend. Ferries and flights to and from Kodiak Island were also delayed, and other cancellations followed.

Kodiak’s Joe Floyd Christmas Tournament draws high school basketball teams from across the state to the island each year, but by Monday afternoon, the Kodiak Island Borough School District announced the cancellation of this year’s tournament. The team couldn’t make it.

And by Monday evening, the Kodiak High School dance team announced it had canceled a trip to Tampa, Florida. I was scheduled to perform at the show.

“It is very disappointing,” said team coach Sarah Nugent.

Nugent says the team was able to reschedule with a flight from Kodiak later this week, but was not given enough time to practice on the stadium stage.

“If there is a cancellation or delay on one leg of the trip, we may not even be able to perform,” says Nugent.

Nugent said it would be a huge disappointment for the dance team not to be able to perform halftime while the weather was out of control.

“As you know, life is full of ups and downs, and how we handle those ups and downs allows us to develop our character and become stronger people.

The popular Kodiak community Facebook group was flooded with posts from fellow travelers trying to figure out how to get to and from the island.

Kodiak resident Sadie Virgo arranged charter flights to Anchorage for stranded travelers. She and her husband said they were waiting for the crew to arrive in town ahead of Kodiak’s upcoming Tanner Club season, which starts in mid-January.

“There seemed to be so many people desperate to get back on the Kodiak that it seemed like the best option. I was desperate,” said Virgo.

Vargo says at least 20 people have asked about seats on the plane. She even started a waiting list.

Thousands of flights have been canceled across the country due to this weekend’s storms. A spokeswoman for Alaska Airlines said in an email that Alaska alone caused the cancellation of 30 of his flights due to bad weather on Friday. Many of the ongoing delays are due to crews and planes not being in the proper locations to fly their planned routes.

And airlines weren’t the only ones dealing with weather issues. The Tustumena service was also canceled over the holiday weekend. Tusty is the only Alaska Marine Highway System her ferry currently serving the Kodiak Islands. Storm warnings were issued late last week for both the east and west sides of Kodiak Island, with forecasts showing up to 30 feet of water.

Meanwhile, the Kodiak High School dance team has been rescheduled to perform at next year’s game, including the team’s only alumni. Nugent said all the work already done for this year’s performance isn’t going away.

“I’m really proud of this team,” she said. “And a big thank you to our Kodiak her community for helping us raise funds and support our program.”

She said the team is planning an exhibit at a later date to showcase Game Day choreography for the community.

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