Two Juneau athletes seek travel help from a youth fund that closed its year with $1,237 left

The contingency fund of Juneau's Youth Activities Board ended fiscal 2026 with $1,237.52, not enough to cover Sonny Mazon Jr.'s $2,885 request alone, let alone the $3,605 sought with fellow athlete Maia Cole-Undurraga when the board meets Sept. 8. That year ran through June 30.

Cole-Undurraga requested $720.06 for airfare, a car rental and fees to swim at the Alaska Junior Olympic Championship. She applied Feb. 28, and nothing in the board's packet records an award. Mazon requested $2,885 for airfare, lodging and a program fee to compete in the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program Inter-Regional Event, Jan. 14-18, 2027, after winning one of 18 Western Region roster spots. He applied July 28. The board's last posted minutes are from April 15.

The fund started fiscal 2026 with $17,500. Eight awards totaling $16,262.48 have already spent nearly all of it. "As budgets get tighter for the non-profit youth programs, these pools of money are becoming more strained," board chair Tom Rutecki wrote.