ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – As a child of a military family, Army veteran Natalie Wallace Edison has lived all over the country. But Wallace Edison said the two years she has spent in Anchorage are enough to let her know this will be her forever home.
“I found a community here I’ve needed my whole life,” she said.
Alaska’s largest city has its charms, but Wallace Edison doesn’t think public transportation is one of them, especially for folks who are trying to get to work.
“It’s not like a New York or a Chicago where you can hop on a subway or a bus 24 hours a day, you can’t do that here,” she said. “If you work early, if you work weekends, if you work holidays, you are walking.”
Wallace Edison’s walking days ended on Thursday when she was chosen as the Alaska recipient of a new car as part of Progressive Insurance’s Keys to Progress event, which has been held nationally for 13 years to honor Veterans in advance of Veteran’s Day. During that time, the company has given away more than 1200 cars to veterans and veteran service organizations across the country, according to Progressive’s Matt Dufour.
Wallace Edison received a 2023 Ford Edge, insured for 6 months with a 12-month service contract. She said she couldn’t feel more grateful or excited. The car will give her a certain freedom, she said, and not just to get to work.
“Exploring more of Alaska, because there’s a lot more to see and I want to see it and I’ll be able to see it on my own terms.”
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