Kem Haggard, pastor of Harbor Light Church, was surprised when he was named grand marshal for the Fourth of July parade. "It meant the world that someone would say, 'Hey, you did a good job.'" Kem and his wife, Susan, have been at the church 23 years.
Kem Haggard, pastor at Harbor Light Church, will lead the parade as grand marshal at this year's Fourth of July celebration. He received this honor for his extensive volunteer and fundraising work, along with his ability to connect with and inspire Wrangell's youth during his 23 years at Harbor Light.
After two brief summer visits to the island starting in 1999, Haggard told his wife, Susan, that he felt drawn to accept a pastor position in Wrangell. Moving across the country from Texas to an unknown town was "a faith walk," Susan recalled, but by the end of her first visit she was convinced that Wrangell would become home for her and her family. "This is where we're supposed to be," she remembered thinking.
For Kem, the motivation to move was his love for Wrangell's youth. "We found out there wasn't a youth pastor on the island," he said. "Down south, they're a dime a dozen. ... It was really a love for the kids. When I see people that don't have somebody, I think that goes back to me as a kid. I moved around a lot when I was little ... so I was always the new kid. And so for me, seeing that new kid, seeing that person that's struggling all by themselves, I don't want to see that."
Since arriving in 2000, the couple has spent the past two decades connecting with the community and offering activities for youth. "Being here 23 years, we're now seeing the children and the teenagers of our original teenagers coming through," said Susan. "A lot of times, on an island especially, the turnover is crazy."
But she and Kem are "not going anywhere," she added. "The trust factor is huge."
Kem describes his role as a pastor as "pouring in" to the community - sharing his beliefs, offering inspiring messages, supporting those who are struggling, providing a safe and welcoming space for people and letting them know that they are loved.
However, for both Kem and Susan, this spirit of giving goes both ways. When the Haggards were diagnosed with cancer - Susan in 2013 and Kem in 2017 - they were both grateful for the overwhelming support Wrangell offered them. "This community is so incredible. It's very embracing," said Kem. "During those two journeys, the community just really really reached out was just, you know, 'whatever we can do to help you.'"
The Fourth of July grand marshal is usually also the chamber of commerce's citizen of the year award recipient. The award goes to engaged community members who improve people's lives through volunteering, explained outgoing chamber Executive Director Brittani Robbins.
Haggard was selected by the chamber board to be grand marshal and citizen of the year based on written nominations from community members. "It's a process of what people are noticing, and in those letters, what they're doing for the community as a whole," explained Robbins. In Haggard's case, "some of the things that were mentioned is that he counsels anyone, anytime, anywhere. He genuinely cares about the people in the community, raises money for organizations that aren't his own, and offers a safe space for kids at his church."
Haggard was surprised and humbled to receive the title of grand marshal. "To me, I'm just one of the many people who make Wrangell Wrangell," he said. "I'm just part of the family. There are other people, they've done way more than I have. It completely caught me off guard. ... It meant the world that someone would say, 'hey, you did a good job.'"
He admitted to being mildly embarrassed at the prospect of sitting atop a fire truck and leading the Fourth of July parade but is willing to rise to the occasion. "It's like the penguins in 'Madagascar,'" he said. "Smile and wave, boys, smile and wave."
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