The Denali National Park and Preserve quarter, the 15th in the U.S. Mint’s “America the Beautiful” series, was officially launched on Thursday, November 15th, during a ceremony that took place at the Tri-Valley Community center in Healy, Alaska. 

Elwood Lynn, the park’s assistant superintendent for operations, was master of ceremonies for the event, which included music by the Denali Borough School District choir, presentation of colors by student members of Eielson 71st Civil Air Patrol, and remarks by acting superintendent Jeff Mow, park historian Jane Bryant, and David Croft, plant manager for the U.S. Mint at Denver.

As Croft finished his remarks, he invited Mow to join him for the “coin pour.” The students sitting on mats close to the stage were particularly impressed by the sight and sound of the newly minted quarters as they tumbled from the U.S. Mint bags into a large, well-used gold pan borrowed from the park’s interpretive division.

Afterwards, Mow and Croft passed out quarters to the students near the stage, and student council officers assisted in distributing quarters to other young people age 18 and under. Event participants then  lined up to purchase rolls of the newly minted quarters at the Healy Branch of First National Bank of Alaska, located in the building, or enjoyed cake made and decorated  for the event by  local baker Selena Dixon.

Approximately 400 people attended the event, including 200 students and staff from Denali Borough’s three schools and the Denali Preschool and Learning Center, coin enthusiasts from as far away as Kansas, California, Illinois and Indiana, NPS staff, and local residents.

For more information on the quarter, click on the link below.

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Name: Kris Fister, Public Affairs Officer