Ander Edens has high hopes for big 4th of July ticket sales

As Wrangell prepares for its biggest event of the year - the Fourth of July - one teen has taken it upon himself to ensure that the celebration will be prosperous for years to come. Though Ander Edens is the only contestant in this year's royalty fundraising competition, he is setting his sights on a record-breaking run.

The ticket sales are the main fundraiser for the chamber of commerce, which organizes the holiday festivities.

The current fundraising record is $126,408 in raffle ticket sales in 2016, though there were two ticket-selling contestants that year. "I want to beat that," Edens said.

The high school sophomore has been planning to participate in the royalty fundraising raffle since last year. He decided to run for Fourth of July king because he's passionate about the success of the town and wants to support its traditions. "I just love Wrangell," he said. "It's just a good little spot. ... I would like to see it build up a bit more."

But Edens isn't working alone. Making a potentially record-breaking royalty run is a team effort, and his dad, James Edens, is pitching in as food manager for his food booth. "He's been working really hard on this," Ander said. "A lot of our menu prep is on him, making food for a hundred-plus people every day. It's stressful, but it's worth it."

Like his son, James Edens is excited to be involved in the fundraising efforts. "I wanted to be involved because it's a Wrangell legacy thing," he said. "It's important for the town. Everybody loves the Fourth."

James Edens thinks of himself not only as the food manager but the "everything manager," he said. "(His role) entails getting (state) permits to run the booth, getting donations, organizing volunteers, tracking volunteer hours, organizing special events like silent auctions and rummage sales, creating signage, developing the menu, starting the Facebook page."

So far, the pair have gotten 10 local business sponsors on board, with donations of at least $250 each.

Ander's dad was "very supportive" of his decision to run, he said.

The booth will serve burgers, hot dogs and fry bread daily, interspersed with themed specials. He's planning to hold a carnival day, fried everything day and Diamond C breakfast day at the booth.

Ticket sales will begin June 1.

The menu is a combination of traditional Fourth foods, plus a few personal twists like barbecue inspired by James Edens' Texas roots. "I don't miss a ton about Texas, but I do miss the barbecue," he said.

Not only the Edens family, but the whole town has rallied behind the candidate. "We've gotten quite a few responses," Ander said. "'We are supportive, we are happy somebody's running' has been the general response of Wrangell."

In the past, big ticket selling years have had more than one royalty contestant, since the competition between candidates drives community members to give more. Selling thousands of tickets as a single contestant will be "an interesting challenge," Ander Edens said. "There's more money to be given to a single person, but there's such a thing as royalty wear-out, where they get tired of the same person asking for money. ... I want to change that attitude. We're excited to have a Fourth."

He also hopes to set an example for future royalty contestants. In past years, only high school juniors and seniors have been involved. At 16, he hopes to make the role "more appealing to younger people."

He knows that the coming month will involve long hours knocking on doors and flipping burgers, but he is confident that he and his team are up to the task. He is no stranger to volunteer work - when he isn't at school or playing jazz classics on the tenor saxophone, he's volunteering with his church.

"He's just a focused kid," said his dad. "He has a lot of self-motivation. ... I think he's going to be dedicated long-term to the success of the town, too."