Mark and Mary Kurth played the bagpipes during Sunday's blessing of the fleet.
As a part of the blessing of the fleet, several boats participated in a parade by Heritage Harbor, where wreaths were thrown into the water in memory of those lost at sea. Pictured here is Eric Yancey of Breakaway Adventures tossing a wreath.
The Wrangell Mariners' Memorial Board and the Wrangell Ministerial Association came together last Sunday to jointly host the annual blessing of the fleet. The event is a tradition honoring Wrangell's fishing fleet and maritime history, according to board president Jen Miller, and to send them out safely as the fishing season draws closer. She added that this was the first year the memorial board has been involved in the fleet blessing. The ministerial association has held blessings at various harbors over the years, but this year they wanted to come together at Heritage Harbor, where the board is planning to construct a memorial to Wrangellites lost at sea. She added that the blessing brought together several other organizations, too.
"We decided to come together once Wrangell Mariners' Memorial formed because this is a perfect spot for that event, and have a joint effort," Miller said. "This year the Pioneers of Alaska joined and helped us, as well. They provided our salads and breads for us, and community members our desserts."
It was a short ceremony, but drew a large crowd. Memorial board member Brennon Eagle said there were roughly 150 community members in attendance. The blessing of the fleet opened with a flag procession led by Girl Scout Troop No. 31. "Amazing Grace" was played on the bagpipes by Mike and Mary Kurth, while several boats paraded past Heritage Harbor and dropped wreaths into the ocean, in memory of those lost at sea.
Kem Haggard, of Harbor Light Assembly of God, and Michael Bates of the Salvation Army, said prayers for safety and good luck for every Wrangell boat that would be out on the water this fishing season. At the close of the blessing, everybody was invited to stay for a banquet at the harbor. People got to enjoy a large dinner of shrimp, crab, coleslaw, garlic bread, and a wide variety of desserts.
Besides the blessing, the Mariner's Memorial Board also used the ceremony as a fundraising opportunity by selling shirts and stickers, and also showing off blueprints of the planned memorial.
"I'm really excited that it seems to be progressing, and having a place where people can come and gather, a natural gathering place to remember those people we've lost and to remember them, but at the same time celebrating our culture," said Haggard.
Eagle spoke about the progress the memorial project has been making, the Tuesday after the ceremony. This summer, he said, the board has committed to getting groundwork, cement work, and preliminary electrical work for the memorial completed. They want this phase of the project wrapped up by September or October. After this summer, he said the board will really focus on fundraising for the final parts of the project and nailing down the criteria for having someone's name added to the memorial. They have a completion date set, loosely, for the summer of 2020.
"We really intend to go forward with construction this summer," Eagle said.
The initial phase of construction will cost about $140,000, which Eagle said the board can afford thanks to the generosity of the community.
As far as fundraising goes, he said that he and the board cannot thank Wrangell enough for their support. He also added that there are several outstanding grants the organization has applied for, which will also be a big help if they are awarded.
"I feel we're over 50 percent right now, in hand, with what we need," he said. "If we get those two grants we'll be at 75 percent."
To learn more about the mariners' memorial, visit http://www.wrangellmarinersmemorial.com.
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