News from The Senate Majority

Alaska State Legislature

Wendy Lindskoog, Senate Majority Press Secretary
716 West 4th Avenue, Suite 510
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
Phone: 907/258-8184
http://www.akrepublicans.org
Broadcast Actualities: 800/478-6540

Senator Ward Praises Exxon’s Summer Hire Program as Model for Private - Public Solutions

For Immediate Release: July 1, 1997 Contact: Senator Jerry Ward at (907) 258-8183

Anchorage -- Senator Jerry Ward Tuesday praised Exxon’s donation of $6,000 to three community organizations on the Kenai Peninsula, saying it has set a good example of how the private sector can work with the public sector to provide needed programs and services for Alaskans.

The Exxon Summer Hire Program donation will be used to pay a local young person to work at the community organization during the summer months.

"As oil production and revenue declines, the need to redefine the role of government becomes more important. Let’s face it, the oil haydays are gone, and so are the days the state could spend without restraint," said Ward. "As we reduce Alaska’s state spending, it is important we recognize those private companies, like Exxon, that are helping to fill the budget gaps by sponsoring community programs."

Exxon representatives asked both Senator Ward and Representative Mark Hodgins to help identify groups in the community which might benefit most from the Summer Hire Program.

"We named The Hospice of the Central Peninsula, The Kenai Senior Center and People Count," said Senator Ward.

The Hospice provides care services to the terminally ill and has been putting a lot of effort into an information network for patients with AIDS and HIV. The Kenai Senior Center serves as a center of activity for many local seniors and offers affordable housing and a supportive community which has given many Alaska seniors the added incentive to remain in the state after retirement.

People Count is a local vocational school for teens and adults. The school provides a GED program, workshops with local employers, counseling and support groups for students who are going through recovery, as well as a tight knit family type atmosphere.

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