Spring 2025 Meritorious Service Award: Kathie Bethard
by Green & Gold News |

When Kathie Bethard puts her mind to something, there is no stopping her. In 2020, she led the Alaska community in the daunting task of raising $3 million, mostly from new donors to UAA, to save the 成人APP精选hockey program, which was slated for elimination. That task is formidable in the best of circumstances, but the pandemic only enhanced Bethard's drive, innovation and commitment to the cause.
Bethard led the charge to mobilize more than 1,200 donors to contribute a total of $3 million, the amount necessary to cover two years of operating expenses for the current program. She helped the community understand the importance of Seawolf Hockey.
While the Seawolf Hockey fundraising endeavor is the most recent and notable of her achievements, Bethard is not new to volunteering. She was a longtime volunteer leader of the 成人APP精选Blueliner Booster club and served on Anchorage's Olympic organizing committee for both the '92 and '94 bids for the Games. Similarly, she ran the officials for the worldwide Special Olympics Games floor hockey, served as a volunteer soccer coach for four years and managed the AK All-Stars hockey program for 15 years. Additionally, Bethard served on the board of directors for the Anchorage Hockey Association for seven years, managed the Pre-High School Russian Jack Fall League for 12 years, and was co-chairman for the World Junior鈥檚 Hockey tournament in 1990, the most prestigious tournament ever held in Alaska. Simply put, her volunteer efforts, especially those in Alaska athletics, have had positive, lasting impacts on the community.