b'The river has provided Wades father and uncles remember Riverboat Discovery FOGHORN FOCUS first becoming involved with PVA in the 1970s when the for our family for over associationwastheNationalAssociationofPassenger Vessel Owners. Jim and Mary Binkley were active mem-100 years, Wade said. bers and made many friends through the association over the years, especially with a group of fellow Alaskan mem-So, its imperative that bers. Jims early business partner Chuck West was part of the association at the time, as were Stan Stephens of Stan we treat it with the Stephens Glacier & Wildlife Cruises and Brad Phillips of Phillips Cruises and Tours.respect that it deserves. Wade remembers working in the business after college and reading each issue of Foghorn to find out what was going on in the industry and discover what fellow operators were doing. He began to learn more about how PVA was taking nightandthenextmorningshedgivefreecoffeeandthe lead to help support and provide services for small orga-doughnutstoeverypassenger.Today,theteammakesnizations like Riverboat Discovery. thousands of doughnuts each day and often jokes that as a company they go through more coffee than diesel fuel.His involvement grew after he took over as president in 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Wade explained that Riverboat Discovery is deeply invested in the region whereworking closely with PVA, then PVA President Colleen Ste-it operates. They are welcoming people into their home andphens, and PVAs leadership made a significant difference as as such, look to protect the environment where they cruise.the company navigated uncertain times. We were in com-The company is a member of PVAs Green WATERS Pro- munication all the time to understand what was happening, gram, as well as other sustainable tourism associations, andwhat was going on, what were the regulations that were going considerstheenvironmentalimpactofboththeirboatsto affect our industry, and how could we leverage relation-and offices. The river has provided for our family for overships with our Washington, D.C., delegation, Wade said. 100 years, Wade said. So, its imperative that we treat it with the respect that it deserves. He noted that the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Trans-portation Services (CERTS) Program was instrumental for To celebrate their 75-year milestone, Riverboat Discovery istheir business. He saw the work that PVA did to support the planning a weekend of events in July to recognize the peopleprogram and bring it to fruition. It was just tremendous who have been a part of the operation, shaping the companyfor a business like us to have that backstop and understand through the decades. A large alumni event will kick thingsthat, okay, we can make it through another year, Wade ex-off, honoring everyone who has worked for the company.plained. To have that support and to have a community of A community event will bring together industry leaders,people all working together and experiencing this all at the dignitaries, close friends, and alumni for a celebration atsame time was really impactful for our business.Steamboat Landing, complete with a riverboat cruise.Being a part of PVA has made a difference for Riverboat To give back to the community that has given their com- Discovery beyond hurdles like the pandemic. Wade dis-pany so much, there will be a philanthropic element to thecussed the benefit of being able to make a call or send an nights festivities. Guests will be asked to make a donation,email to a fellow vessel operator to ask for advice or to to be matched by the Binkley family, to the University ofbounce ideas off. The network of people with shared expe-Alaska Fairbanks. The university is building an indigenousriences and who are willing to help each other matters a lot. studies center that will offer traditional programs and serve as a home base and resource on campus for indigenous peo- The next generation of the Binkley family is coming of age ple coming into the university system. with the oldest of the fifth generation 18 years old. Seeing FOGHORN 28'