When Cheryl first learned of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race© in 1992, she was living on Whidbey Island, Washington, where she met Bob and Connie Hendershott. Cheryl said, “We shared the love of dogs and in talking, they shared their love of the Iditarod.”  Since they had never been to Alaska and since Cheryl had a sister living there, her Christmas present to all of them was a trip to the Iditarod in 1973. They even went to Raymie and Barb  Redington’s (son and daughter in law of Joe Redington, Sr., Father of the Iditarod) for a dog sled ride. Cheryl was very quickly ‘hooked’ on the Iditarod and Alaska. After having visited Alaska four times in one year, in 1995, she moved to Alaska.

Cheryl had been in the Army Medical Corps from 1972 -1974, married her high school sweetheart in 1973 and moved back to Minnesota after leaving the service. In 1977, she became a surgical technician and through the years has worked in Minnesota, California, Washington, Pennsylvania, and has now set her roots in Alaska.

Cheryl met Joanne Potts, who is now the Assistant to the Race Director, at the 1996 Knik 200 and mentioned that she wasn’t sure how to become an Iditarod volunteer. She explained that she was working three days a week at Valley Hospital in Palmer and had some free time to volunteer. Cheryl says, “When I told Joanne that, she told me to come in on Monday. I did and she locked the door behind me!” Thus began her continuous involvement in the last 21 Iditarods.

Before the 1996 Iditarod, Cheryl was actually coming into the office every day, beginning with three days a week to start with, then going to five days a week, arriving after she got off work at the hospital, and finally working seven days a week.  She was quick to learn and soon became indispensable. When Cheryl began working nights at the new Alaska Native Medical Center in 1998, even though she was driving to Anchorage and back daily, she continued to come into the office when she got off work in the morning and staying until around 3 p.m. when she finally went home to get a few hours of sleep before going back to her paying job again.

Cheryl has volunteered in many areas over the last 20 years. She became the volunteer coordinator in 1997 and continued in that position until she went to California. She said, “When I was Volunteer Coordinator I would always tell people who wanted to volunteer, Come to the Iditarod but be warned—the Iditarod gets into your blood and you will be coming back year after year.”

Following the death of Milette Barber, the Race Headquarters Coordinator, in the summer of 1997, Joanne asked Cheryl to take over that position and she agreed, a position she’s held ever since. She served on the Jr. Iditarod Board of Directors from 1998 until 2002. She coordinated the volunteer picnic the previous four years and several years before she moved to California. Cheryl has also worked at the State Fair in Palmer, Musher Food Drop, People Food Packaging, and making foot ointment.

Even during her years in California, Cheryl returned to Alaska in February staying from 3 to 6 weeks working full time in the Iditarod office. She remembers many 15 to 20 hour days in the weeks before the race. Cheryl is not only a fantastic and dedicated volunteer, but she has also been a terrific friend over these last 20 years, always being there when needed, whether it was at work or in personal situations.

In her ‘other life’, she is wife to Troy  Zachary, mother to Justin and Bryce, and doting grandmother to her two pride and joys,  ‘Little’ Bryce and Esther.

The Iditarod Trail Committee is thankful for Cheryl’s dedication as well as all the people who selflessly volunteer to make The Last Great Race on Earth® an iconic Alaska tradition.

Article by Joanne Potts, Assistant to the Race Director