2023 Royalty 

Steve & Sara Irwin Goudreau

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It is our distinct pleasure to present to you the 2023 Gold Rush Days King and Queen, Steve and Sara Irwin Goudreau! It’s hard to imagine a recent Gold Rush Days without Sara or Steve being involved. Queen Sara has held of the title of GR President, Vice President, board member, and top raffle ticket seller over various years and has coordinated crowd-favorite events like the Gold Rush Open Air Market and Quick Draw. And although King Steve hasn’t had an official title on the board, we can think of a few: official tent master, official GR storage courier, official garbage hauler… we think you get the idea; he is heavily involved in the background!
 

“We have been involved with Gold Rush Days since the 1970’s, participating in great events like the Gold Rush Fashion Show, fish fry’s, and riding around in the Hoosegow with a keg of beer. Steve was 'Paul Bunyan' in the parade one year when Judy Londo rented giant blow up outfits from Anchorage. He kept accidentally hitting kids with the logs his costume had tucked under his arms, it was hilarious.”
Steve and Sara officially became Valdezians in 1974 after being hit with the “Black Gold” fever, AKA
Trans Alaska Pipeline. They had stated they’d stay for 3 years to make their fortune and then head back
home to Michigan. Obviously, it didn’t turn out the way they had planned and our community is better
for it! The stories from those early Valdez days are something straight out of an old Gold Rush tale with
characters like “Bullets”, underground gambling raids, and rowdy nights at the Club Valdez Bar. They
were both avid softball players out at the Gold Fields and participated in many tournaments.
 

Sara initially took a job with Harborview Developmental Center as the Recreational Program Director
and later worked many years with Valdez City Schools. Steve was with Laborers #341 before taking a
position with Alyeska as a technician and retired as supervisor after 37 years with the company. Family
life added another level of busy as their kids, Kate, Matt, and Jamie, were active in many sports and after-school activities.
 

Between the two of them, Non-profits like Valdez Food Bank, Torpedoes Swim Club, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, Little League, Little Dribblers, Emblem Club and Gold Rush Days (to name a few) have benefitted from their time and talents.
 

These days are spent playing LOTS of Pickleball, enjoying their family and friends, cabin life on Silver
Lake, and sun resets in Hawaii during the cold winter months.The royal couple extends an invitation to play in a royal pickleball match on Thursday, August 3rd from 10-noon at the Barney Meyring courts, weather dependent.
 

Valdez Gold Rush Days is pleased to present King Steve and Queen Sara, 2023 Royalty! They will be
crowned at noon on Wednesday, August 2nd at the Prince William Sound College Golden Opportunities Luncheon. We hope to see everybody there!