By Mary Owen
When the lights go on at Stayton events, Chuck Kvam is usually behind their dazzle.
“Chuck has been a quiet volunteer at all our community events where expert power distribution is necessary,” said Ken Cartwright of KENC Community Radio in nominating the 75-year-old Stayton mainstay for the Stayton-Sublimity Chamber of Commerce’s Man of the Year. Mary Albert was the co-nominee for Kvam.
“He has personally invested in expensive power distribution spiders, cables and adapaters to make sure vendors and booths at SummerFest, car shows, Covered Bridge festivals and summer park concerts have safe, adequate power,” Cartwright continued. “Chuck never complains about donating his time or equipment for any cause, rain or shine, heatwave, conflicting schedules. He is always there and has been for a long time.”
Cartwright said Kvam truly deserves the recognition.
“I’m sure there are other people more deserving than I,” Kvam was quick to say. “This is all done for my pleasure because I love doing things for other people. That’s all!”
Kvam began tinkering with electrical things as a young boy, an interest that followed him through his career in the U.S. Air Force to working for several companies including Hughes Aircraft, helping put astronauts into space through the UCLA space program and working for the city of Santa Monica.
“When I was in California, I got involved with young people at Santa Monica City College,” Kvam said. “We went around volunteering at festivals there – Grand Summer Nights, L.A. ã la Carte, Taste of Orange County – annual shows.”
Kvam and his crew also helped with communications, electrical and other technical needs at the Los Angeles Open and Senior Open golf tournaments.
After coming to Stayton to help family, he simply carried on sharing his expertise.
“The first thing I ran into was the Covered Bridge Festival in Pioneer Park,” he said. “The organizers had borrowed a generator from Emery & Sons, but didn’t know how to use it. Someone gave them my name. I helped for six years until they stopped.”
His technical expertise has since been put to good use at the Aumsville Corn Festival, SummerFest, Jefferson’s Mint Festival and a slew of other local events. He also helps with the Christmas lights in town each year. And he has stretched his volunteering to help Battle Ground, Yacolt & Chelatchie Prairie Railroad, a tribute to the area’s logging past.
“If there’s an outlet for the things I know, I’m more than willing to help people out,” Kvam said.
And he’s quick to add, “I’d rather be anonymous. A thank you is more than enough.”
But Cartwright, speaking for many of Kvam’s fans, disagrees.
“I’ve known Chuck for 11 years,” said Cartwright in summation. “He not only is a good friend, but is the kind of person you wish every dad or grandfather was to everyone he meets. He is very respectful of all persons, and he never wants recognition for his deliberate acts of kindness as he feels those kinds of actions are what all people on earth are supposed to do. It’s long overdue to recognize this great volunteer and mentor!”
Kvam has a son, Kevin, who is a pilot for Hawaiian Airlines, and a daughter, Krista, the mother of his two grandchildren.
