Meet the 2011 Summer of Heroes Honorees!

Alaska Communications is proud to announce five Alaska youth heroes as part of the 2011 Summer of Heroes program. We gathered at the State Fair in Palmer on Sunday, Aug. 28, to honor each hero with a special ceremony and a $1,500 scholarship.

The 2011 Summer of Heroes program is a partnership between Alaska Communications and Boys & Girls Clubs – Alaska to support youth development programs throughout the state and recognize young Alaskans making a difference in their local communities. The five recipients of this year’s Summer of Heroes scholarships, ranging from ages 11 to 18, were selected from dozens of nominations collected from communities across the state this summer.

Congratulations Summer of Heroes Honorees! 

Samuel Allred

Age 11
Wasilla, Alaska

Samuel Allred has spent eight years battling a kidney disease called IgM Nephropathy, which requires medications that weaken his bones and cause severe swelling. He has been wrongfully judged by the world due to the treatment’s side effect of “moon face,” which causes him to have puffy cheeks. At 11 years old, Sam has already written and published a children's book, created his own non-profit called Kindness for Kids, and aims to help other children like him who live with a chronic illness.

While waiting at a doctor’s appointment one day, Sam turned to his mother and told her that perhaps the reason he became ill was so he could help other people. That day was a turning point and Sam, with the help of his mother, started putting his desire into action and created Kindness for Kids. Through the non-profit organization, Sam hopes to spread the word that people should not judge others because they don’t know the challenges others face.

One of Sam’s initiatives for the non-profit is Project Comfort, through which he makes travel-sized pillows from flannel fabric for hospitalized children. In its first year, Project Comfort was primarily a charity project Sam enjoyed with his family, but he soon recruited others in the community to pitch in and help as well. With his family and community supporting him, Sam was able to donate 1,700 pillows to Providence Hospital – while also sharing his message of compassion.

Sam is always trying to help others and wants to continue to help raise awareness and find a cure for his debilitating disease. He plans to work alongside the Nephcure Foundation to inform other patients about the studies and research available. Additionally, because he experienced how important a support team is during hard times, Sam and his family hope to arrange a support group in Alaska for other families who have a child suffering from a chronic illness.

Sam has big dreams to help people and encourage others to do well in the world and never judge others they encounter. Sam is a truly a youth hero, and will continue to make a big impact on the word in the years to come.

Krista Stapleford

Age 12
Anchorage, Alaska

Krista Stapleford was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a neuromuscular disease that significantly limits her mobility and requires a wheelchair to get around. This hasn’t slowed her down, though, especially when it comes to giving back to the community and helping other children with disabilities.

The Anchorage teen is currently in her second year as the State Goodwill Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and has made significant contributions through local fundraising efforts such as the MDA Telethon, “Fill the Boot” and MDA “Lock-ups.” You may have seen Krista around town, in MDA commercials, or heard her on the radio. Through her efforts, she has helped raise donations that help support research, resources and summer camps for children.

Her work doesn’t stop there, however. Through her relationship with MDA, she created a program called the Wheelchair Project. Each student in Krista’s grade would spend a day in a wheelchair so they could experience what Krista and other children with Muscular Dystrophy experience on a daily basis.

Students in the program create journal entries about their experience with reactions ranging from “Everyone just stared at me,” to “I couldn’t get through the library door!” and, “My calves were burning and my head was throbbing by second period.” Slowly, but surely, understanding and awareness trickled through the school and, because of this greater understanding, students developed new ways to include Krista and other kids with disabilities into every day school activities.

The Wheelchair Project was such a success at Krista’s school that another school in the Anchorage area invited her to bring it to their school. The MDA also plans to take the program to other schools throughout Anchorage and the Pacific Northwest. Krista plans to continue her work in the community and with children as she strives to become a child psychologist and a motivational speaker. She is passionate about fulfilling her dreams by helping others pursue theirs. Her words of advice ring true for children and adults alike: “Go for your dreams and never give up. You may think times are hard and you can’t do it, but if you keep trying and keep dreaming good things will happen.”

Fred Falealili

Age 17
Anchorage, Alaska

Fred Falealili will be a senior at East High School this year and while school is a major part of his life, Fred is involved in many other activities to help make the Alaska community a better place for youth.

Fred works at the Muldoon Boys & Girls Club where he has helped the organization grow its teen base. According to Fred’s supervisor, Chrystle, teens come to the Club specifically to play sports and spend time with Fred. Chrystle is positive that without Fred, they would not have much of a teen population in their Club.

In the past year, Fred organized and coached four teen boys to compete in a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. He also organized and coached a co-ed flag football team to compete with other Boys & Girls Clubs in the Anchorage area…they were undefeated in their last season. 

Fred’s impact goes beyond activities he leads at Boys & Girls Clubs. He serves as a responsible, dependable role model and mentor for other youth at the Club, many of whom are rarely exposed to men of Fred’s caliber. Those who know and work with him describe Fred as a true gentleman and a young man who sticks to his morale, and always greets everyone with a genuine smile. As a mentor, he treats other youth with respect and wants them to feel comfortable sharing and interacting with him and their peers. 

When asked why community work is so important to him, Fred said, "I am blessed with a great family who supports me, and I wanted to give back in any way I could.” Now, he is helping others teens achieve success. Fred believes Boys & Girls Clubs - Alaska helps keep teens on track, remain in school and stay out of trouble. 

Fred is an all-around, amazing young man who has dedicated much of his time to making the lives of teens in Alaska better. He is also a dedicated family man, helping support his family while both his parents travel to Seminary School in American Samoa for the next year. He often looks to his father for encouragement and as a role model, explaining that his father’s moral lifestyle and attitude has taught him to be a better person. 

After Fred graduates, he plans to attend the University of Alaska, Anchorage to double major in business and music. He was truly surprised to hear he was one of five youth selected for the Summer of Heroes program and greatly appreciates being recognized. 

Fred is an outstanding young hero who has touched the lives of the many youth who look up to him, and is leading the way for future young heroes in Alaska.

Jayden Tumbaga

Age 17
Kenai, Alaska

Jayden Tumbaga’s childhood was anything but normal. Born in Hawaii, while his friends were out enjoying the sun and surf, he was spending his time in and out of hospitals dealing with multiple childhood ailments. Jayden and his family then moved to Nikiski, Alaska just before his fifth birthday where he almost immediately became involved in Boys & Girls Clubs – Alaska and after-school activities. Through the years, he also became very involved in his local community and donated his time helping others.

“Giving back to my community was never something I had to think about,” Jayden explains. “That’s partially because my parents raised me that way, but also because helping others is just the right thing to do.”

In 2004, Jayden’s work and strength were put to the test again. His parents were in a major car accident, paralyzing his father and severely injuring his mother. Without skipping a beat in school or his other community commitments, Jayden jumped into the role as both caretaker and provider for his family. In addition to taking on a job to earn extra income for his family and give additional medical care for his father, Jayden also volunteered at the schools in Nikiski in the special needs classes to work with children with severe disabilities. 

Jayden thinks it is extremely important to give back to the community and encourages other Alaska youth to volunteer their time as well. “You have the opportunity to change someone’s life for the better,” he says. “Anything that you can give, whether it’s time, supplies or physical help, will make your community and the world a better place.” 

Jayden recently graduated from Nikiski High School with honors and received an academic scholarship to attend the University of Colorado, Denver, where he is studying to become a pharmacist. 

“I’ve spent a lot of time in hospitals so I’ve become increasingly interested in the medical field. I also love helping other people so working in medicine is definitely where I want to be.” 

Mersades Basford

Age 18
Anchorage, Alaska

Mersades’ passion for helping others started when she was a young child. One Christmas, when she was 6 years old, Mersades’ stepmother was in their garage filling stockings to donate to a local shelter. Mersades started asking her stepmother, Kelley, questions about why the children at the shelter didn’t have homes of their own and why their parents couldn’t make their stockings for them. Kelley explained that not all children are fortunate enough to have a home and presents to celebrate Christmas. 

Since that Christmas, giving has become second nature to Mersades who always puts the needs of others before her own. The list of ways Mersades gives back to her community is long. She volunteers several times each year with Project Homeless Connect, where she sews hundreds of blankets for homeless children in Anchorage. She works with Kids Kitchen to collect food donations and provide healthy meals to children from low-income families. She organizes drives to collect everything from toys to socks to help those who need it most.

Mersades’ friends and family describe her as a person who is always there to help anyone that needs it, whether she knows them or not. She participates in the annual Walk for Lupus Now in Anchorage to support her friend who lives with Lupus, raising money to fund research towards a cure. And when a friends’ house burned down in a fire, Mersades bought all new blankets for the family.  

Mersades’ generosity and compassion extends beyond helping people. She also helps animals through her volunteer work with Friends of Pets, assisting the organization in its efforts to find homes for abandoned animals.

You don’t find youth heroes like Mersades every day. She has touched the hearts of friends, family, coworkers and strangers around her, treating every living being – human or animal – with kindness and compassion. It’s young people like Mersades who set an example for other Alaskans and make us proud of our communities.