Day 4! Today was busy at the Ruby checkpoint as mushers came and went on their way to Galena. It wasn’t a very cold day, but it was overcast, which is helpful when the teams are running. Many of the mushers are commenting on how the trail conditions are quite different from what they have been training on all winter. Perseverance is strong in this race and the teams are overcoming challenges each day. While watching the movement at Ruby today, I focused on the volunteers and their importance.
The Iditarod is so successful with the help of volunteers and I’ve been very impressed with how the race organizes over 1,500 volunteers every year to be in the right place, the right time, and meet all the needs of the mushers and their teams. At each checkpoint, there are crucial volunteers such as the trail crew, a race judge, COMMS (communications), and the veterinarians. Each group of volunteers has different responsibilities throughout the day, while waiting for or tending to a team.
Today I had a conversation with a woman who has been volunteering with the Iditarod for 30 years. She also spends time volunteering with the shorter races near her home in Alaska. Volunteers come from all over the world to contribute to the success of the Iditarod; however, some of the shorter races are struggling to find enough volunteers. This then creates a chain reaction. If the shorter races that are prerequisites to the Iditarod cannot prosper, then where would that lead?
If little victories lead to larger accomplishments, then this is a great concept for students to grasp at a young age. They can identify small, local ways to help out. Although they might not see the larger impact at first, they can focus on the life skills that help along the way. Check out this poster of Athabascan values that’s hanging in the local school.
Questions? Email me! emailtheteacher@iditarod.com
