The 1976 Walk for Hope
Music Video

by Michael Dougherty
(California)

BONUS

Remember when as you look at the 1976 Walk for Hope. By the way, the song used for the video is “A Fifth of Beethoven” a disco instrumental by The Big Apple Band that was released that same year.


The first Walk for Hope took place in May 1970, when 4,500 Anchorage residents raised $137,000 dollars for what was then called “Hope Cottage.”

In 1976, Anchorage's Public Broadcasting station, KAKM channel 7, had a weekly TV magazine show called “Southcentral.” Director, videographer, and editor Michael R. Dougherty of Anchorage Memories, along with engineer Joe Gill, followed the 1976 Walk for Hope. KAKM engineer James Chafin provided the opening voice over, introducing the completed video.

It should be noted that for years after this walk, Hope Community Resources used the KAKM video to promote their yearly walk.

To keep up with the walkers and capture as much video of the walk as we could, Joe Gill and I drove along the walk route in the KAKM van. We would then come to a stop and set up our camera when we found interesting scenes.

Editing the video took hours and hours, but the finished “music video” is fun to watch.

Hope Community Resources is a non-profit organization started in 1968 by Nancy Stuart Johnson and called Hope Cottage. This very active organization provides community support to Alaskans and families who experience traumatic brain injury, mental health challenges, intellectual and developmental disabilities across the state of Alaska.

Now called “Walk and Roll for Hope” this event continues today as an important fundraiser for the organization. And Anchorage.

Did you ever walk for Hope?

Yours Free

Anchorage and Alaska Facts, History, and Pioneers

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