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Hello Everyone!
I thought yesterday was exciting when I met a dozen mushers at the Iditarod Headquarters. Today I met almost all of them, face to face! Wait until you hear about it!
The day began with our second teachers’ workshop. There are three teachers who are candidates to be the Teacher on the Trail for the 2003 race next year. Each teacher had to present lesson plans to a room full of teachers, and explain what activities they do with their students for the Iditarod. They had some wonderful ideas, which gave me lots of ideas to do with you when I return. Here is a picture of the three finalists.
Donna Finner, Cassandra Wilson, and Diane Blain
When they finished their presentations, I had to run to hotel next door for the Idita-Rider Pizza Party. Guess who I saw in front of the hotel?
Zuma was a little shy for the camera, but very friendly.
Zuma on her way into her office.
My mouth dropped open when I went into the hotel. I found myself on an elevator with Tim Osmar, stepping out of the elevator and running into Jeff King, and talking to Linwood Fiedler. I knew I was in the right place! All of the mushers were at the pizza party to meet their Idita-Riders. They posed to have their picture taken. Here you can see most of the mushers.
The mushers pose for a picture.
How strange it was to actually see the mushers that we talk about each year in class. They all seemed like friends already. I also learned quite quickly that if I was brave enough to introduce myself and to tell them about my second graders back home, they were happy to say hello to me.
We found our mushers and had a pizza lunch with them, which gave us time to get to know each other. Al is a really nice man. I gave him the cookies I baked for him back in Vermont, and our class Beanie Baby husky, Nikki. Along with Nikki, I handed him the photograph of all of you on snowshoes. I reminded him that he was in charge of all fifteen of you, to take good care of you and Nikki, and to take you all to Nome. He slipped you all on his pocket!
Nikki and Mrs. Holmes’ class are on their way to Nome!
Tonight was the Musher’s Banquet. I have never seen such a sea of people. There were about 1,600 people there. Hobo Jim started the banquet off singing the Iditarod Trail Song.
Hobo Jim sings "I did, I did, I did the Iditarod Trail."
The mushers found out what order they are going to start in. Out of the sixty-four mushers, guess who is starting in eighth position. Doug Swingley! Charlie Boulding will be starting first.
The recent champion, Doug Swingley.
Charlie Boulding eats a lot of pemmican, or dried fish, along the trail.
The prize money was at the banquet. There was a check for $62,857 and whole pot of gold.
The gold is protected by two security guards.
After dinner each musher came up on stage to thank their sponsors, families, and friends. When each one was finished, they offered their autographs to anyone who wanted them. Instead of autographs, I asked each of the mushers to answer one interview question on videotape. (These were the questions that you gave me before I left). Wait until you hear the mushers tell you about what they eat on the trail, what the scariest part of the trail is for them, and what made them want to run this difficult race.
I told Linwood Fiedler that we are from Vermont too.
Aliy Zirkle likes the Yukon Quest better than the Iditarod because she won it.
Martin Buser said that the idea for his dog wheel came from watching the Fisher Price popcorn toy and from watching hamsters run in a hamster wheel. He explained that the dogs love running on the wheel and go in there on their own. Sometimes he has to take them out because they will run themselves to exhaustion! He is working on some new models too.
Martin Buser’s dogs love running in the dog wheel.
The evening was so much fun. I can’t wait to see all of the mushers out on the trail. I hope I recognize them in their huge suits! Have fun following the Iditarod on Monday!
Mrs. Holmes
Anchorage, - Friday, March 01, 2002 at 11:24:42 (EST)
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Mrs. Holmes
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Webspace for Mrs. Holmes Iditarod 2002 project was provided courtesy of
ValleyNet of Norwich, Vermont.
