Volunteers help make city brighter Published Oct. 31, 2007 By Staff Sgt. Francesca Popp 3rd Wing Public Affairs ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Anchorage became a little brighter Monday night with a flip of a switch and the star at the top of Site Summit sparkled. For the 25th year, the City of Lights celebration encourages Anchorage residents and businesses to hang white lights and have them on during nighttime hours. It took more than 200 volunteers to hang the 250,000 lights downtown and in other key places throughout the Municipality of Anchorage. Of those volunteers, about 50 were military. Tech. Sgt. John Post, 3rd Civil Engineer Squadron, gathered 10 people from his section to help string the lights after reading on the Elmendorf Portal that volunteers were needed. "This sounded like the perfect opportunity for a 'shop' community service project," said Sergeant Post, the Simplified Acquisition of Base Engineer Requirements (SABER) construction project manager. Sergeant Post and his co-workers hung lights near the "Anchorage Welcomes You" sign at the corner of International Airport and Jewel Lake roads Oct. 26. He said he volunteered to help to make things better. "The lights make the city look better for the holidays," the sergeant said adding he also wanted to get others involved. "Many people want to volunteer, but they don't know what to do, where to go, etc.," he said. "The military community is a pretty easy group to get volunteers from. So, I try to be the person to find projects for base or community volunteer efforts." The Buffalo, N.Y., native added that the community and businesses give military members a lot so it's nice to "repay" some of that. The repayment to community doesn't go unnoticed. "Year after year, the military troops provide substantial support to our City of Lights endeavor; in fact, it is the Army who lights and cares for the star at Site Summit that we look to with a sense of community pride," said Stacy Schubert, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce president. "I think this year, the value of that star is more pronounced. In the next couple of months, many men and women in our volunteer military will return from an extended tour overseas. Undoubtedly, during the flight home that star will be the first welcome symbol they see." The 300-foot diameter star has been a part of the Anchorage skyline since 1958. It was originally built by Army Capt. Douglas Evert, then the commander for the B Battery, 4th Missile Battalion, 43rd Artillery, on top of the gatehouse at Site Summit ‑‑ a Nike Hercules missile battery from about 1959 until 1979. In 1960, the star was redesigned and relocated to the side of Mount Gordon Lyon. "I hope all Anchorage residents can look to that star with a swell of pride as reminder of the great work military members are doing in our own community and across the globe," said Ms. Schubert. The lights remain lit until the last musher crosses under the Burled Arch in Nome, ending the 2008 Iditarod Dog Sled Race.