Our Business

Hoop Dreams Come True at Red Dog

Coming from a small rural village in Alaska, travelling to a big city out of state is something residents living near Red Dog Operations don’t necessarily get the chance to experience; however, each year for selected high school students in the region, that opportunity comes knocking at their door.

In part due to the long, dark winters in Alaska, basketball is hugely popular among local young people. So in 2011, Teck helped develop an initiative that rewards students for outstanding performance in school and service in their communities with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to see National Basketball Association (NBA) games in major cities across the U.S.

The Red Dog National Basketball Association Program trips generally include between nine and 12 students, and to date have taken students to a variety of locations, including Florida, Texas and most recently New York City, where they watched the New York Knicks play the Detroit Pistons.

In addition to the game, students take part in professional development and cultural activities, guest speaker lectures, visits to college and university campuses and, in some cases, a basketball skills camp. 

One of the founders in establishing the program, Fritz Westlake, Community Relations Coordinator at Red Dog, says a lot of the youth have never travelled outside their region or been on a large aircraft before. The result of this new experience is often culture shock, but participants always adapt quickly, and for many it ends up being a highlight of their high school years.

“Everyone always has an amazing time on these truly unforgettable trips,” says Fritz. “It is really cool to watch the kids grow and become inspired to reach their dreams as a result of this special experience made possible by Teck.” 

Thank You

Download Connect Volume 19

Many thanks to those who contributed to and participated in this issue of Connect:

Catherine Adair, Community Relations Leader, Trail Operations; Ken Andersen, Mine Technical Supervisor, Highland Valley Copper; Mohammad Babaei, Senior Technical Analyst, IS+T Operational Technology, Line Creek Operations; Marsha Bradcoe (retired), Haul Truck Driver, Fording River Operations; Barbara Brice, Senior Human Resources Generalist, Pend Oreille Mine; Pamela Chait, Manager, Corporate Affairs, Santiago office; Rebecca Edwards, Communications Coordinator, Sparwood office; Francisca Gregorio, Communications Specialist, Corporate Affairs, Santiago office; Gord Kavaloff, Senior Reliability Specialist, Trail Operations; Hadden Kelloway, Blaster, Elkview Operations; Brian Kennedy, Project Director, Project Development and Engineering, Vancouver office; Peter Martell, Superintendent, Environment and Community Affairs, Highland Valley Copper; Cole Massaro, Equipment Operator, Greenhills Operations; Anna Mihalj, Technician, Mining, Engineering, Greenhills Operations; Nic Milligan, Manager, Social Responsibility, Sparwood office; Rick Plovie, Support Equipment Planner, Highland Valley Copper; Marisol Reategui, Executive Assistant, Exploartion (Americas), Surco office; Mark Richards, Manager, Mining Technology, Applied Research and Technology; Jacqui Schneider, Senior Community Affairs Officer, Highland Valley Copper; Herman Urrejola, Manager, Social Responsibility, Santiago office; Fritz Westlake, Community Relations Coordinator, Public Relations, Red Dog Operations; Richard Weymark, Dam Construction Manager, Highland Valley Copper; Alexa Young, Manager, Federal Government Affairs, Vancouver office

Man in hard hat and safety vest smiling, monochrome photo.

On the Cover

Sebastian Malagueño, Plant Manager, Quebrada Blanca Operations

Submissions

Have a story that you would like to share through Connect? Submit your article and high-quality photos to: connect@teck.com