An unanticipated gift of over 95,000 pounds of individually portions wild caught Alaska salmon from the Wild Alaskan Company has filled their freezers to near capacity, says Mike Reusser, chief operating officer for the Food Bank of Alaska.
“We are excited and grateful for it,” Reusser said, of the gift delivered to the food bank’s Anchorage warehouse in March. “Usually, we get donations of canned salmon. This is a huge donation, a real big deal for us.”
The four trailer loads of sealed portions of wild sockeye and coho salmon are valued in excess of $1.4 million.
Reusser said on Tuesday, April 12, that the bulk of these portions would be shared with food pantries in Anchorage and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, with a trailer load also going to Kenai for distribution to food pantries in that area.
“Because of your efforts, tens of thousands of Alaskans in need of food assistance will have the opportunity to enjoy this for months to come,” he told Arron Kallenberg, founder and chief executive officer of Wild Alaskan Company.
“There would be no Wild Alaskan Company without Alaska,” Kallenberg said. “We are fortunate to be in a position to give back to Alaskans during this time of need — so that’s what we did,”
TOTE Maritime Alaska also played a role in the donation by facilitating transportation and coordinating delivery of the salmon to the state’s food bank headquarters, donating its resources during this stressful time for the global supply chain.
Wild Alaskan Company filed as a public benefit corporation in May 2021, an exclusive legal designation for businesses committed to the highest social and environmental standards. The new status, shared by less than 5,000 companies countrywide and supported by a near-unanimous investor vote, underscores and codifies Wild Alaskan’s foundational, company-wide commitment to sustainability.
Wild Alaska Company, founded in 2017 by Kallenberg, describes itself as the personal fishmonger for thousands of members nationwide, while maintaining the highest standards in seafood quality and sustainability. The direct-to-consumer processor has built its business on three generations of family history and expertise in the Alaska seafood industry, with a custom-built eCommerce marketing and logistics platform.
