“I witnessed an amazing act on Friday, November 3, 2017.”
-Steve Nevak, assistant coach, Homer High Mariner hockey
“When Homer High School students, Charlie Menke, Douglas Dean, Tucker, and little brother Phinny Weston walked over to Qdoba for dinner after our hockey game against Bartlett they found an inebriated homeless man bleeding profusely on the sidewalk. They guided him to Qdoba and got help, and called Head Coach Chance Rockett to inform him of the situation. I left immediately to the scene.
On the way over I noticed large piles of blood on the sidewalk and parking lot. After the fact, kids that went to Fred Meyers mentioned they followed a heavy stream of blood all the way out of Fred Meyer. When I arrived, Charlie was dressing his wounds with bandages and gloves from the Qdoba manager, while Tucker was on the phone with 911. We got the man bandaged, settled down, and I started conversation with him. He mentioned he was robbed at Fred Meyer and stumbled to where the kids found him. He mentioned he was feeling woozy from the loss of blood and the amount of pain he was in. We kept him talking and alert until EMS arrived. I told the kids how proud I was of them.
I worked a long time at the Alaska Native Medical Center with people such as this man. People with this horrible addiction, are still just that … people. The kids didn’t scoff, snicker, or walk past like so many in our society would have. Charlie later mentioned he was amazed by the looks he was receiving from kids his own age that walked by into the restaurant, as if they were wondering why these kids with Homer jackets on were helping this bleeding, inebriated Alaska native man. With how cold it was, how inebriated this man was, and how much he was bleeding, I can’t imagine he would have survived if he wasn’t found.
What a great example these kids have set for the future of our community. I am a proud Homer Mariner coach, Homer Mariner dad, and Alaska Native man. I really want to highlight and thank these four great kids.”
