Bikes and helicopter part of Kodiak strategy to combat COVID-19

Kodiak’s city leaders and health experts worry that the community may get coronavirus fatigue and ignore public safety messages about how to stop COVID-19 from spreading, especially now that there’s been a cluster of new cases – five since last Thursday, a third of the 15 cases that have been reported in the region since the first one was confirmed in April.

To revitalize Kodiak’s prevention campaign, the city launched a bicycle contest for kids.

To win a one, they had to find banners around town with prevention reminders. There were several dozen to track down, not exactly a treasure hunt, but a similar concept – that health is a treasure too, a message driven home on Friday, when the prizes were awarded.

There was a small crowd assembled at the Kodiak Harbor to watch. They wore their masks and fanned out across the parking lot. There were police and fire trucks on hand to mark the occasion.

And at the front of the gathering, there were five kids, but only four bicycles — awarded one by one, until one boy was left without one, Rylee Otto, who looked a little worried.

 

But that was City Manager’s Mike Tvenge’s plan, to create a little suspense.

“The excitement of this whole ordeal was having four bicycles available,” Tvenge said. “Five winners. Where’s the fifth bicycle?”

The crowd didn’t have time to wonder for very long. Out of the blue came a thundering sound, as a Coast Guard helicopter approached the harbor.

When it landed, a stunned Otto was brought to the chopper to get his bicycle.

“It was confusing,” said Otto, “Really windy. Really, really exciting.”

The city’s strategy to generate positive feelings about taking precautions against COVID-19 seemed to work for the families who took part in the banner contest.

“They talked about wearing masks and reminded me we have to stay six feet apart,” said Stefanie Kondro, who’s daughter Emma won a bike.”

“That’s something that needs to be kept in front of all of us, no matter what age we are,” said Kodiak Mayor Pat Branson. “We get so tired about hearing of another case, this kind of gives us another break from that.”

But there’s no break from the coronavirus. Health officials say as the statewide numbers continue to rise, Kodiak’s numbers are likely to grow as well.