Industry Appreciation Day is back this Saturday, August 19th, from Noon to 4 p.m. and will be held in Kenai on the fields surrounding the softball parks. The annual celebration of Kenai Peninsula Industries – oil and gas, healthcare, tourism, and commercial fishing – is unofficially known as a “leave your wallet at home” event, and offers free food, drinks, games, activities, and prizes.
Event organizers, and some community representatives joined KSRM to talk Industry Appreciation Day.
“We’re excited. I think the people will be excited. We’re kind of rebuilding ever since the pandemic – we had to close for a couple years there – but we’re ready and excited,” said Tim Navarre, one of the event’s original organizers.
Industry Appreciation Day committee member, Cathy Gensel talked about some of the ways local groups can be involved in the festivities. “So far we’ve eighteen groups that are going to have booths there on Saturday. And all we ask is that they don’t sell anything, so there’ll be booths that are giving stuff away, and it’s not too late. If you want to go ahead and have a booth there, it’s not too late. Just go to the Facebook page for Industry Appreciation Day, and the application is on there.”
All of the industries being celebrated will have folks there representing them, and according to Special Assistant to the Mayor, Dana Cannova, they won’t be empty handed. “I compare it to a great celebration, or birthday party, and our different industries bring the swag bags. So, there will be light up bouncy balls, and sunglasses, and recipe books, and posters all given away free. So don’t miss out on that. And not to mention also 21 bikes will be given away.”
Navarre, who been helping organize Industry Appreciation Day for more than 30 years, shared some of the history of where the event started, as well as how it has grown. “[We] didn’t plan on this. I can tell you, Aaron Goforth and Jack Brown, when they were doing hot dogs, they didn’t think it [would become this]. It went from the parking spot across from Agrium and Conoco Phillips, to the Leif Hanson Memorial Park, to then it moved onto the park strip, and it probably took about seven years to get to there.”
The long time event is held annually, and is open to everyone.
