Brett and David take in the Atlantic Ocean, after completing their transcontinental run to protest GMOs. At 15, David was the second youngest person in history to run across America. (Photo courtesy of Running the Country)

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In 2014, Brett and Kris Wilcox led their family in a transcontinental run to protest GMOs in the food supply and the lack of labeling in the United States. Brett and his 16-year-old son David did the running, while Kris and their 14-year-old daughter Olivia drove a vehicle.

The 6 months and 3,000 miles included passing out GMO-free seed packets and presentations at farmers markets and a planting festival in Missouri. The run began in January 2014 in California and ended July 2014 in New Jersey. KCAW checked in with Brett and Kris halfway through the run. Brett and David also screened the film GMO OMG in March. You can read more about their run on the blog runningthecountry.com.

The Wilcox’s will be talking about their run across America on Wednesday, May 20 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 106 at the University of Alaska Southeast.

They will also be leading a March Against Monsanto on Saturday, May 23 that begins at noon at Crescent Harbor Shelter.

Sitka School Board members Jen Robinson, Tim Fulton, Lon Garrison, Cass Pook, superintendent Mary Wegner, and Tonia Rioux take a dunking for ALS. In turn, the board challenged the Kodiak school board, former Sitka superintendent Steve Bradshaw, and the Sitka Native Education Program. (KCAW photo/Robert Woolsey)

2014 in Sitka will be remembered for water: Water piling up behind a brand new dam, the most expensive project in Sitka’s history; water falling from the sky that brought down a mountainside, made a major highway construction project nearly impassable, and tested the limits of a high-tech temporary filtration system. And if that wasn’t enough, there was something about ice buckets.

Here’s a look back at our wet, weird year.

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The Blue Lake Dam, as it looked in September, 2014. Work finished ahead of schedule, and, thanks to heavy rains, the plant began providing Sitka with power almost immediately.

Although there were several public tours during construction, most Sitkans probably don’t appreciate the size of the Blue Lake hydro expansion — and won’t, until they drive up there next spring and see it for themselves.

Contractors erected the largest construction crane in the state to span the gorge, and raised the existing Blue Lake dam 83 feet — literally building a huge, new dam on top of the old.

Representatives from McMillen LLC, Barnard Construction, and the city cut the ribbon, including (l to r) Andrew Pharis, Dean Orbison, Mim McConnell, Mark Gorman, and Jessica Stockel (Emily Kwong/KCAW photo).

Project engineer Dean Orbison came out of retirement to oversee the two-year endeavor. At the November ribbon cutting, his over-the-top enthusiasm was infectious as ever.

Now that this plant is expanded and it’s bigger, and it’s higher, we can make more electricity from the Blue Lake plant than we can from Green Lake.

For consumers, the project had little direct impact on our lives — except maybe on our taste buds and our scalps. Budgeted into the $157-million for Blue Lake was a temporary filtration plant on the Indian River, to supply Sitka with water during the final stage of construction. While a technological marvel, the plant produced water with a bit more chlorine than the town was used to, and there were plenty of complaints about taste and dry skin. The large numbers of spawning and dying pink salmon in the river didn’t contribute to the water’s appeal. But once the new penstock was installed, the $4-million plant rolled away almost overnight, and Sitka was again awash in some of the best water anywhere.

But awash isn’t always a good thing. Heavy rains in August delayed construction of Halibut Point Road into September. The exposed roadbed wasn’t up to the deluge, and traffic was brought to a near-standstill by the ruts.

The main area of the slide encompasses an area of roughly 100 acres. (USFS photo)

Yet, things could have been worse.

And it wasn’t until we actually climbed through the initial front of the slide that we saw the magnitude of it.

That’s Forest Service hydrologist Marty Becker talking about a 100-acre slide in the Starrigavan Valley. If this slide had occurred anywhere involving human habitation, it might have ranked as an epic disaster. Yet, like the Blue Lake Dam, most people have not seen it.

Over history, we have had our share of human disaster. In March, Sitkans — along with the rest of the state — reflected on the 50th anniversary of the Good Friday Earthquake, the largest earthquake in North America, and the second-largest in recorded history.

Dennis Girardot (left) with his brother John Reitz (right) at the Knik River Bridge in Palmer. Girardot was five year old when he and his family survived the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Girardot).

KCAW produced a four-part series sharing some of these stories of Sitkans who experienced the quake — each tale more amazing than the last. This is Dennis Girardot.

My mother was in the kitchen preparing a pot of chili and this beautiful cake, birthday cake for my brother in a shape of a guitar. He was a Beatles wanna be at that time. I remember hearing her scream and the chili just went all over the kitchen. All over the cake. A door fell open to the closet and my brother’s presents birthday presents flew out of the closet so he got to see what he was going to get.

2014 was also the 40th anniversary of Porky Bickar’s legendary April Fools prank, the Eruption of Mt. Edgecumbe. Like the Great Quake, Porky’s story will be passed on indefinitely.

2014 was a year of big transitions in Sitka. Both school systems got new superintendents: J. Thayne at Mt. Edgecumbe, and Mary Wegner at Sitka High. Wegner was the first to make headlines, from a highly-placed shout-out this fall.

President Obama addresses educators at the ConnectED conference in Washington, DC.

President Obama – And then you’ve got Mary Wegner, the superintendent of the Sitka, Alaska, School District. Where’s Mary? She came a long way. There she is. Give her a hand for coming from Alaska….

When she was not receiving presidential accolades for adopting new technology, Wegner and the school district were dealing with a simmering gender-equity dispute over the use of Sitka’s new ballfield. Although an initial Title IX complaint was settled amicably, the federal Office of Civil Rights may have more work to do in Sitka next year.

In the Forest Service, Perry Edwards took over as District Ranger, the first biologist to hold that post in recent memory. Lawrence Spottedbird became the new General Manager of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska. Don Kluting passed on his carabiners to trooper Lance Ewers as head of Sitka’s fabled Mountain Rescue team.

David Mahaffey, the new Bishop of Sitka and Alaska at his installation ceremony in Sitka. (KCAW photo/Emily Forman)

And in October, Jeff Comer took the job as CEO of Sitka Community Hospital, and quickly recognized that he had inherited an organization in critical condition. Comer appealed to the assembly for $1-million in life support at its last meeting. The future of Sitka’s local hospital, however, may be a bigger story in 2015.

On a more spiritual note, the Orthodox Diocese of Alaska got a new bishop. Fr. David Mahaffey was invested in a ceremony last February at St. Michael’s Cathedral.

“A bishop is to be a papa. And that’s what he brings to us. Someone who loves us.”

Lt. Lance Leone, right, hugs Darryl Penn, a La Push resident who helped rescue him from a helicopter crash. Leone visited La Push at the fourth anniversary of the July 7, 2010 crash. (Photo: Ed Ronco/KPLU)

Some transitions in Sitka this past year fall squarely into either triumph or loss. Coast Guard helicopter pilot Lance Leone survived a 2010 crash that killed his commander and two crewmates; this summer he revisited the scene outside La Push, Washington, to thank his rescuers, and then quietly prepared to leave the service after being permanently denied promotion.

Listen to an investigative report about the crash of Air Station Sitka helicopter 6017 and how it — and other high-profile accidents — have affected accountability in the Coast Guard.

David Wilcox (l.), Brett Wilcox, Olivia Wilcox, and Kris Wilcox are greeted on the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ, as they wrap up their 6-month, 3,000 mile run. (RunningTheCountry.com photo)

Meanwhile, the father-son team of Brett and David Wilcox were attempting to run across the country to raise awareness about genetically-modified food labeling. They made it, averaging around 20 miles a day for six months supported by mom Kris and sister Olivia. The entire Wilcox family team arrived in Ocean City, New Jersey, on July 19.

Heidi Horner Raffaele fills out the application. She and Karla traded traditional Irish wedding rings — called Claddagh rings — depicting a crowned heart cupped in a pair of hands. (KCAW photo/Emily Kwong)

In October, a federal judge struck down Alaska’s same-sex marriage ban. Teachers Heidi Raffaele and Karla Horner went to the Sitka courthouse the next morning to tie the knot, but learned that their legal marriage in California in 2008 was now recognized. Raffaele says their long partnership got off to a slow start.

Yeah. She did not notice me in the least. But it’s been kismet ever since. 19 years.

There was more joy in Sitka when the Wolves took the state high school baseball championship, during a home-field deluge in June. Later in the fall, the Mt. Edgecumbe Lady Braves took the state 3A volleyball title, in a warm, dry gym.

Kettleson’s collection of Alaskana, and the C.L. Andrews collection, are right at home in Stratton. (KCAW photo/Robert Woolsey)

And speaking of warm and dry, Sitka’s Kettleson Library up and moved in August, into temporary quarters in the former Stratton Library. Stratton had been buttoned up since the closure of the Sheldon Jackson College in 2007. The Kettleson move returned more than just heat and electricity to the now state-owned building, according to librarian Brooke Schafer.

That’s kind of the soul of the library, of this place. It’s not that there are books here, but there are people who have come here to spend time thinking and reading and being together quietly in this space.

There were tough times, too. In May, Sitka endured the week-long trial of Joe Robidou. The former middle school principal was acquitted of sexual assault, but his defense painted an unflattering portrait of the social and professional culture of Blatchley that Sitkans may find difficult to forget, much less to forgive.

The Sitka Assembly prepares to be doused in the Ice Bucket Challenge (KCAW photo/Rachel Waldholz)

And can you ever forgive someone who pours a bucket of ice over your head? Many Sitkans explored that question, as ALS insanity swept through the community, including the assembly, who then challenged the school board.

Lon Garrison – One, two, three! (Lots of screaming.)

As weird as it was, the viral phenomenon raised over $90-million for research into Lou Gehrig’s Disease — the most successful fundraiser in the history of the ALS Foundation, and possibly in the history of all non-profits ever.

Uncommonly good journalism: The Daily Sitka Sentinel is independently owned and published by Sandy and Thad Poulson. (KCAW photo/Robert Woolsey)

And finally, the story behind Sitka’s stories: The Daily Sitka Sentinel turned 75 years old in 2014. The fact that you pick it up every day is a testament to its solid, intelligent writing; its profound editorials; and its often-breathtaking photos. We’re all aware that much of what passes for media now is an attempt just to get our attention, however briefly. That this little newspaper after 75 years surges ahead on principles of thorough, ethical journalism really is big news.

David Wilcox (l.), Brett Wilcox, Olivia Wilcox, and Kris Wilcox are greeted on the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ, as they wrap up their 6-month, 3,000 mile run. (RunningTheCountry.com photo)

Brett and David Wilcox ran into Ocean City, New Jersey, on Saturday (7-19-14), after covering 3,000 miles on foot. The project was intended to raise awareness about the hazards of genetically-modified foods.

There were some lonely times for the Wilcoxes, especially in the vast stretches of the Southwest.

But on the eastern seaboard, that had changed.

“We hit the big bridge going into Ocean City, and got a police escort. We were joined by a local runners club, so there were 10 or 12 of us. Kris (Wilcox) joined us. And with a police escort, they would stop all the traffic, even if we had a red light we got to keep running through it. And we ran right on to the boardwalk. There was a huge crowd waiting. They had been informed that we were coming. They were very excited. People had passed out GMO-free USA seeds. So they had some inkling of what our mission was….And it was the culmination of six months of actual running, and a year-and-a-half of preparation and time leading up to that moment.”

53-year old Brett Wilcox and his 15-year old son David are now the first father-teen son team to run across the country. They started on January 18 in Huntington Beach, California. David is the second-youngest runner to accomplish the feat.

The family concluded its epic run on July 19, 2014, Brett and Kris’s 25th wedding anniversary.

Covering 20-miles a day, six days-a-week, Brett Wilcox is glad the United States is only 3,000 miles across.

“I’m down 8 pounds, and I bet David is down a few pounds, and up a couple of inches. I don’t think we could sustain that sort of schedule long-term. I think we were eating muscle. And we’re pretty worn out and pretty exhausted.”

The Wilcox family was on a campaign to raise awareness about GMO’s — or genetically-modified-organisms — and their prevalence in the American diet. Trying to live by their ideals, they were often frustrated trying to buy GMO-free food in stores along the more remote parts of their route.

But Wilcox says their message seemed to catch up with their run as they crossed the Mississippi and entered more densely-populated areas of the country.

“The final few days were pretty epic. There were some key people in Pennsylvania and New Jersey who got hold of our run, and really turned it into a mission. From GMO-Free PA and GMO-Free NJ, and they did all sorts of things to make sure the media was aware of what we were doing.”

The Wilcoxes maintained a website and blog during their run, and the number of media events increased significantly as the family moved eastward — and almost sabotaged their grand finale, as they ran to a radio interview only 14 miles from the finish line in Ocean City.

“And I took a wrong turn, even though we have the phone which told us exactly where to go. So 14 miles turned into 16 miles, and we made it to the interview with three minutes to spare, dripping wet.”

The Wilcoxes gave up their jobs, and started an Indiegogo campaign to accomplish their activist run. Their house and apartment in Sitka are leased through August. Though he’s optimistic that he’ll be able to get his old job back as a behavioral health counselor, Brett Wilcox and his family are essentially jobless and homeless.

KCAW – Do you feel it has all been worthwhile, or is it too early to tell?
Wilcox – Right now I would say it has absolutely been worthwhile. It’s been very challenging, very difficult. Day-by-day struggles just making it work, and dealing with the exhaustion and the potential injuries — it has been hard. But I wouldn’t want to have missed this experience for anything.

David Wilcox suffered from an injury for part of the trip. His dad credits a chiropractor in Pennsylvania for diagnosing and correcting the problem. David will be entering 10th grade in Sitka this fall, where his ambition is to try out for the Cross-Country team. Olivia will be entering 8th grade.

And due to some last-minute re-arranging of the itinerary, Brett and David crossed the finished on Saturday, rather than on Monday.

For Kris Wilcox, it was a special day.

“I did tell them that this would be a great wedding anniversary gift for me, if they finished on the 19th.”

Brett and Kris have been married 25 years. They’re headed to Washington DC next, for some additional activism on GMO’s, and plan to be back in Sitka sometime in August.

Brett, David, and Kris Wilcox on the run. The jogging stroller holds the provisions for their 20-mile days. (Russell Youngberg photo)

The father-son team from Sitka is running across the country to raise awareness about genetically-modified-organisms — or GMO’s — prevalent in the American diet.

The runners are in Parsons, Kansas, a little beyond the halfway point of their journey from Huntington Beach, California, to Atlantic City, New Jersey.

KCAW’s Robert Woolsey caught up with the Wilcoxes by phone, to find out how things are going.

Brett Wilcox is 53 years old. After running 20 miles each day, he takes a nap in the family’s camper.

If there’s a wi-fi signal, though, his 15 year old son and running partner, David, has to do his schoolwork online.

“It’s totally unfair. Yes. Kris and I quit our jobs to do this, so it does seem like a little bit of a walk in the park for us. But the flip side is that we’re having to deal with the financial burdens.”

Brett and his wife Kris have been planning this trip for months. The run across America started on January 18 from the Pacific side of the continent. Their younger daughter, Olivia, and dog Angel, round out the support team.

The team has grown along the way.

“And we now have a new dog, Jenna, that we picked up in Dalhart, Texas. So imagine two parents, two teenagers, two dogs, living in this small trailer. It makes for living the way our grandparents may have done on a small farm in a home. And we’re together all the time.”

When they’re not running that is. Brett and David are on the road six days a week, putting in 20 miles a day.

Read the Wilcox’s Running the Country blog.

Including schoolwork, David says it is like having a full-time job. And for a sport that requires little but shoes, the shoes are taking a beating.

“I’ve finished three pairs, but I’ve only worn out two.”

David and his dad spent some time early in the trip running on interstates, but the route lately has been two-lane highways, which can have a lot of traffic. He says people often stop to offer them rides. And sometimes they call the authorities.

In the past few days, three or four policemen have stopped to see about our baby in the stroller.
KCAW – Baby in a stroller?
David – We carry the stroller for our gear. And when Jenna — our dog — is tired we can put her in the stroller and push her until she wants to run again.
KCAW – Okay…
David – People think we’re taking a baby somewhere.

The Wilcox family began their run in January. Brett says that after 1,700 miles he’s starting to feel run down, while David is getting stronger.

At home in Alaska, the family eats as much organic food as possible, and as much non-GMO food as possible. Brett says traveling across the country — from a culinary perspective — can be discouraging.

“Living in Sitka it’s much easier to get the foods that we would like to eat, than running through America’s heartland, which seems kind of strange. But we can go two- or three-hundred miles without being able to find an organic loaf of bread.”

“Going through some of these small towns, there are no choices,” says Kris Wilcox. She hit a low point in Gallup, New Mexico.

“I went into a Wal-Mart a month or so ago and got angry, because I wanted to feed my family. And there were tons of food there, but nothing that I could get for them. We wanted something quick and easy, and ended up getting bananas. And I wanted them to have a meal.”

Kris says the warmest surprise of the trip was dining at a Chipotle Mexican Grill in Wichita. The chain serves a non-GMO menu. When the managment learned that the Wilcoxes were running across the country to spread the word about genetically-modified-organisms in our diet, the meal was served on the house.

Their next stop is a spring planting festival in Mansfield, Missouri, which could be attended by as many as 7,000 people. The Wilcoxes hope to arrive in Atlantic City by mid-July.

David Wilcox says he’s already looking forward to getting back to Sitka and trying out for the high school Cross Country team.

Listen to iFriendly audio here.

Sitka father-and-son team Brett and David Wilcox talk about their plan to run across the United States to raise awareness of sustainable agriculture and GMO-free food.