Click Here
Wednesday May 22 2013
Juneau: 59°F
Now in Digital HD on Ch. 5.1!
Latest Alaska headlines from KTUU.com » NTSB: Pilots in Deadly Midair Collision Weren't in Contact » Court-Martial Begins for JBER Soldier Accused of Abusive Sexual Contact » AFD Investigating Fire, Possible Burglary at Midtown Coffee Stand » Ice Jam Breaks on Yukon River » Yup'ik Fishermen Found Guilty of Illegal Fishing » Canadian Guide Sentenced for Illegal ANWR Sheep Hunts » Invasive Plants Close Lake near Nikiski to Planes, Boats » ASD Educators Prepare For Natural Disasters » Parnell Signs Bills on Oil Tax, Budgets » Assembly Votes to Indefinitely Postpone Public Testimony Reform Ordinance » Finalist for Archaeology Curator to Give Talk » Graphic Photos Shown On Day 2 of Jones-Nelson and Harris Trial » AFD: Sunrise Grill Burglarized Before Weekend Fire » German Mount McKinley Climber Dies after Heart Attack » Former Alaskan Missing on Florida Keys Boating Trip » Former APD Officer Faces Records Misconduct Charges » Kulluk Coast Guard Hearing: Panel Collects Details of Shell Towing Procedures » Alaska Pacific University Approves Tuition Cut » ADFG Reduces Bag and Possession Limit for Razor Clams » Coast Guard Begins Hearing for Kulluk Marine Casualty Investigation » Military Announces Third Anchorage Sexual Abuse Case This Month » Bail Denied for James Wells in Kodiak Coast Guard Murders » Kenai Woman Wins Nenana Ice Classic Again » Money Stolen after Village Bingo Hall Burglarized » Grown Up: Young Adults Recall Their Life in Foster Care » Judge's Decision Called a Win for Yupik Fishermen » Nenana Ice Classic Tripod Has Latest-Ever Fall » No Signs of Missing Snowmachiners in Kotzebue Search » Minor Flooding Reported in Fort Yukon » Pavlof Volcano's Ash Prompts Flight Cancellations » Dimond Center Affected by Brief Power Outage » State Announces Plan to Assess Oil & Gas at Refuge » Do Iliamna Lake Seals Warrant an Endangered Species Listing? » State's Request for Waiver from Education Law Approved » Pavlof Volcano Eruption Ongoing, Ash Up to 22K Feet » Interior Alaska: Flooding Damages Homes in Circle » Man Believed Dead after Stolen Kayak Overturns » Alaska Among Five States to Receive Money For Tsunami Relief » Weather Hampers Search for 2 Snowmachiners near Kotzebue » No Injuries After Small Plane Crash Lands at Goose Bay Airport » DOT to Install Rumble Strips on Richardson and Parks Highway » Sutton ATV Rider Suffers Serious Head Injuries » Kenai Borough to Assess Nikiski Groundwater » Trial Due to Begin in Juneau Baby Death » Man Found Dead on Construction Site in Fairbanks » Alaska Air National Guard Members Receive Silver and Bronze Stars » Outdoor Death Near Mulcahy Stadium Not Suspicious, APD Says » Anchorage Sets New Record for Longest Snow Season » Long Winter Stalls Area Parks Improvements » Hundreds Walk in March of Dimes Charity Event on Snowy Morning » Spenard Farmer's Market Kicks Off 4th Season » Coast Guard Sets Hearing for Kulluk Grounding » Alaska Gold Miners Remain Optimistic Despite Dropping Gold Prices » Copper River Salmon Arrives for Consumers in Anchorage » Late Spring Delays Palmer Farmers, Anchorage Growers Remain Optimistic » Infant's Death Following ATV Crash Under Investigation » Yukon River Breakup Causing Flooding in Eagle » Juneau Empire Names New Publisher » Man Accused in Kodiak Coast Guard Killings Wants Release » Late Season Snow Takes Aim on Southcentral » Snow, Cold Delay Opening of Denali Highway » Coast Guard Finds Safety, Fishing Violations During Boarding » Anchorage Bike to Work Day Takes Place Today » Alaska Unemployment Rate Falls Again » Missing Teen from Eagle River Found Alive and Well » Man on Cheney Lake Ice Taken into Custody » Renovation Work to Start on Alaska Capitol » Pavlof Volcano Continues to Erupt With Lava, Ash » Sled Dog Could Face Death After Attacking Toddler » Bethel Woman Gets 22 Years in Death » Troopers Investigate Man's Death near Tok » Police Arrest 2 Homer High Students in Fake Bomb 'Prank' » Alaska Ferry System Considers Raising Rates » State to Recover $376K in Medicaid Case » Man Missing from Anchorage Airport Found in Talkeetna » Man Crashes Car into Tree, Remains in Critical Condition » Interior Department Releases Draft Rules on 'Fracking' » Renovation Work to Start Soon on Alaska Capitol » Agency to Consider Alaska Lake Seals as Threatened » APD Seeks Suspect in Eagle River Drug-Deal Shooting » Late Spring Sparking Flood Concerns in the Valley » Annual Motorcycle Training Courses are Ready to Roll » Five Alaska Guardsmen First to Summit Denali This Year » Juneau Picks New Police Chief » Firearm Found at Valdez Middle School » UAF Bethel Campus Hosting Suicide Alertness Event Friday » Bethel Officials, Businesses Weigh Impact of Tobacco Tax » Forest Service Dedicating New Lab in Juneau » ATV Crash Leaves Palmer Man in Critical Condition » Wasilla Man Injured in Pickup Truck-Bicycle Collision » Bean's Cafe Announces New Executive Director » Ash Plumes Rise from Pavlof Volcano » Illegal Kills End Unit 23 Musk Ox Hunting Season » One of the Latest Snows Ever? » Burger Index Not Good News for Alaska, Hawaii Cities » Flags to be Lowered Today for Peace Officers » Firefighting Exercises Set for Anchorage Airport » Man Faces DUI Charges in Car-Coffee Stand Crash
Gold Medal Basketball underway in Juneau
Published: 03/22/2012 12:45:00
Gold Medal Basketball is underway this week in Juneau; Sponsored by the Juneau Lions Club, it's a huge event every year for all of Southeast Alaska, but this year in particular it's even more special because the Tournament has received a very distinguished honor. We spoke with Steve Brandner, the President of the Juneau Lions Club, about that Honor.

"This is the 66th Annual Gold Medal Tournament, 66 years we've been doing this, it started in 1947. Actually it's a big year this year, we were inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame as an event this year, so that's a pretty big honor. Just some of the other events they have in there are like the Iditarod, the All Alaska Eskimo Olympics, Midnight Sun Baseball. And we've been nominated before but we finally reached the point where we received enough votes, they researched us enough and got a feel of what it was and we had some really great comments when I took a group of representatives up. Senator Kookesh, Johan Dybdahl from Hoonah and Herb Didrickson from Sitka as representatives of the communities to explain what Gold Medal Basketball really is and has meant to them from its incept in 1947. Villages literally empty out to come to Gold Medal Tournament for the week; shopping, basketball, cultural affairs, dance groups, just the event has become, because what the Gold Medal Basketball Tournament is all about."

The Tournament wraps up this Saturday with the Championship Games starting at four. Get there early, the Gym fills up quickly and the games are hot because it's a great honor to be declared Gold Medal Champion for your division.

Mr. Brandner finished by stating "Teams take it very seriously, it means a lot to their communities in community pride and respect and just the bragging rights of "We are the Champions for this year."

http://www.goldmedalbasketball.org/

By: Rik Pruett - rik@kath.tv