JDHS football team volunteers sandbag help for neighborhoods preparing for flood

Football players at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé and other people fill sandbags at Dimond Park on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in preparation for a glacial lake outburst flood from Suidice Basin expected to occur this month. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Independent)

By Laurie Craig

Special Correspondent

Nineteen members of the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé football team devoted a few hours of volunteer labor on Saturday filling and delivering sandbags for Mendenhall Valley homeowners hoping to protect their property from the next glacial lake outburst flood, which could occur at any time as Suicide Basin nears its filling point.

Defensive line coach Zach Starbard oversaw the Dimond Park sandpile operation, while other students and their coach were delivering full bags to residents needing extra help. Both varsity and junior varsity players participated Saturday, Starbard said.

Valley resident Tim Kissner was joined by JDHS “Chorebusters” football players Jonah Mahle and Noah Ault as the trio worked together to fill, tie and load vinyl sandbags into a truck.

“These guys work fast. They filled 15 bags in 51 minutes,” Kissner said. “I live close to the river,” he added.

Kissner said he has stockpiled about 125 sandbags. He posed for a photo with Mahle and Ault after the work was completed.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé freshman Hendrik Van Kirk lifts a full burlap sandbag into the bed of a pickup truck for a valley homeowner on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Independent)

Starbard said Chorebusters is a football organization that gives players the chance to exchange their service for team fundraising purposes. The sandbag effort was a volunteer project, however.

Freshman Hendrik Van Kirk loaded bulging burlap sacks into the bed of another pickup truck after securing the bags with black ties. He is a running back on the team. Although his family doesn’t live in the flood zone, Van Kirk has extended family members who do.

“I’m trying to stay out and help the community because the community has helped me a lot,” Van Kirk added. The team was scheduled to be on site from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Contact Laurie Craig at lauriec@juneauindependent.com.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé football players Jonah Mahle and Noah Ault flank homeowner Tim Kissner at the completion of their joint effort filling sandbags to protect Kissner’s home on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Independent)