SOLDOTNA, AK (March 28, 2006) – Freshmen from the Alaska Christian College spent their Spring Break helping with an international competition for athletes above the 55th parallel.<\/p>\n
Every two years, thousands of spectators and athletes travel to Soldotna for the Arctic Winter Games. Teams competing include athletes from Russia, northern Scandinavia, Greenland, and various parts of Canada and Alaska.<\/p>\n
The students served the competitors by doing small and large projects. “They showed off their servant hearts,” says Keith Hamilton, president of the college.<\/p>\n
The athletes are age 13 and above and compete in numerous indoor and outdoor events that include a snowshoe biathlon, figure skating, cross-country skiing, indoor soccer and volleyball. The competition also includes two Native games: the Dene games and the Inuit games. Adults are allowed to compete only in the Native contests.<\/p>\n
The games, which were started in 1969, are meant to celebrate sport, build partnerships and promote culture. They also give athletes the opportunity to compete that they might not otherwise have had because of their localities.<\/p>\n
The college students made the games run smoothly for the athletes and fans. They helped with trash pickup and hosted lounges for the participants, which meant playing games with the athletes and coaches. The time also proved educational as they learned about the competitors’ countries. Officials complimented the students for managing more than 900 coats while running a coat check at a dance for the athletes.<\/p>\n
An ACC student led an Eskimo dance group and was invited to travel to other towns on the Kenai Peninsula to perform several times. As a result, he was given a Team Alaska jacket and a medal for participating in the games.<\/p>\n