Veteran musher Jessie Holmes (bib #15 ), of Odenville, Alabama is the first musher to reach the Grayling checkpoint, which is the halfway point of the 2025 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race®. Holmes arrived at 9:53 p.m. with 14 dogs.
GCI became the sponsor of this award in 1994. This award is given in honor of the late “Mother of the Iditarod” and is presented at the Iditarod checkpoint when following the Southern route in odd years, and the Cripple checkpoint when following the Northern route in even years. This year, given the route change, the halfway point is the Grayling 1 checkpoint. By reaching this checkpoint first, Holmes received a trophy and his choice of $3,000 in gold nuggets, symbolic of the history of this interior area of the Iditarod Mining District or a brand-new smartphone with a year of free service from GCI. A beautiful perpetual trophy made of Alaskan birch and marble which features a photograph of the late Dorothy G. Page remains year-round at Iditarod headquarters.
“As the official technology partner of the Iditarod, we are proud to power one of the most historic sporting events in Alaska,” said Tiffany Vassar, GCI’s Senior Program Manager of Contributions and Events. “This race travels through some of the most remote terrain in our state, which we understand very well as GCI works to close the digital divide in rural Alaska. Through our partnership with the Iditarod, we understand how much fans and our neighbors around Alaska really rely on GCI’s statewide network. Congratulations, Jessie!”
This award will be re-presented to Holmes at the finishers banquet in Nome.
