Alaska Man Monday - a Remarkable Charity, an Even More Remarkable Kid, and the Susitna West

Just to the west of us is the Susitna River, the river that gives the name to the valley we live in. Now, it’s difficult to get to the other side of the Susitna in our part of the valley, except by airplane, boat, or, in winter, sled. Oh, the Parks Highway crosses the “Su” farther north a little ways, and at Trapper Creek, you can drive up the Petersville Road over into some pretty country. But down around Skwentna and points south and west? Not so much. The Yentna River gets in the way if you’re trying to get there from the Petersville area.

This proposed road would start near Big Lake, though, and would open up a lot of territory for vehicle traffic. There are some good things about that—and some bad things. See the video at the end for a brief overview.

In the meantime, we have two pieces of heartwarming Alaska news.

The Iditarod, it turns out, had a side show – the Igivearod (yes, I know, someone didn’t consult their inner 12-year-old) that set along the Iditarod trail to take donations for Alaska-based charities. This year, they raised over $130,000. Great job!

A social media-driven fundraising group called the Igivearod has raised over $130,000 for local Alaska charities.
Igivearod spokesperson Shannon Cole says since Igivearod was formed in 2019, they have focused on fundraising for projects and organizations and projects that benefit Alaska schools, women, children and animals along the Iditarod trail.
Cole said the effort covered 126 projects over 60 schools.
“Everything from snacks to rugs to books, sensory items — and my personal favorite project was helping a class in the Denali area get a couple of DSLR cameras for their students because they’re learning photography, but they’re sharing one camera, and it’s really hard to sort of compartmentalize your creativity in the timeframe that you have the equipment,“ Cole said. ”I was really excited to see that one funded to completion.”
The fundraiser runs every year through the entirety of the Iditarod race.

This is heartwarming, and believe me, in Alaska in March we need all the warming we can get. Spring is coming - but it ain't here yet.

Alaska Man score: A resounding five full moose nuggets.

Now, here’s a real Alaskan hero: Little Paxson Schultz, from Wasilla, who may be one of the toughest kids on the planet.

Eight-year-old Paxson Schultz loves hunting, snowmachining, and spending time with his dogs but last March, everything changed when a tree fell on him, crushing his skull.
His mom, Jodee, was told her little boy might not survive his injuries.
“They let us know that the medicine he was on for swelling started not to work anymore and to be prepared in the next 12 hours, that he most likely won’t make it,” she recalled. “ It was the most excruciating pain a parent could ever go through.”
But today, Paxson interrupted his mom to remind her he in fact did survive, saying, “I mostly did all the hard work.”
His hard work continues in Chicago, where he’s undergoing physical therapy for his traumatic brain injury.
The injury left Paxson wheelchair-bound. He’s had to relearn how to walk and talk in therapy.
“I got hurt,” he said. “I’m here to get better.”

What a great young man. What a great family. Paxson, I feel very confident in saying that today all of Alaska is proud of you. Get better soon, and come back to the Great Land, where I feel certain you’ll get a well-deserved hero’s welcome.

Alaska Man score: An even more resounding five full moose nuggets.

Now, let’s talk about the other side of the Susitna River.

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