JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Martin Buser is best known for his prowess on the Iditarod Trail, but the champion musher is also an author and advocate for literacy. Buser is the guest speaker on a dinner and cruise hosted by the United Way of Southeast Alaska on May 5.
Buser knows the challenges of language learning and development - English is his most newly acquired language. He knows firsthand how one letter can make a huge difference.
Buser has raised two children, described as voracious readers, with his wife, a former schoolteacher.
“We read to them every night before bedtime, then they read to us every night before bedtime; eventually we had to take their books away so they would go to sleep,” Buser said.
When Buser isn’t mushing, it seems his other favorite way to travel is with a book.
“Books open up the world to you,” he said. “Even on the smallest of budgets you can travel by means of books.”
Books, whether used for fun or education, are a great equalizer and can reach beyond socio-economic barriers, Buser believes.
In addition to talking about literacy, Buser will talk about his book, which came out after the 2014 Iditarod ended.
He had received many requests over the years for a book, but he wanted to avoid coming out with “a cheesy book by a ghostwriter.”
After spending a lot of time collecting stories, the book came to fruition.
UWSEAK will host Buser from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. May 5 aboard an Allen Marine catamaran from Don Statter Harbor to Orca Point Lodge on Colt Island for dinner. Tickets are $100 per person, available for purchase at UnitedWaySEAK.org. Guests should arrive at Statter Harbor by 5 p.m.
The fundraiser will support literacy efforts in Southeast Alaska, funding programs like the Born Learning initiative, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and UWSEAK’s Literacy by Third Grade campaign.
“Children who have trouble reading at grade level often struggle in school and drop out as a result, while successful readers are more likely to graduate on time and be better prepared to enter the workforce,” UWSEAK reports. “By placing emphasis on reading success, United Way of Southeast Alaska expects to see graduation rates increase, dropout rates decrease, and substance abuse rates in young people decrease.”
Successful readers are more likely to be successful students and that makes for a successful community, but Pew Research Center reports a 7 percent school dropout rate, which is higher among some demographics. Alaska Native students experience a dropout rate of twice the Juneau School District average, according to UWSEAK.
Buser will share his views on literacy and more in a talk that will be unique to the event. Buser also says the sun always shines when he’s in Juneau, which makes a cruise even more appealing.
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Information from: Juneau (Alaska) Empire, https://www.juneauempire.com
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