For many volunteers Iditarod is a Nome away from home

NOME -- The Iditarod is the event of all events in Alaska. To ensure the smooth operation of a major event, a dedicated group is required. The Iditarod is no different.

"It is staggering what people give to this race," Iditarod Nome coordinator Mike Owens said.

In Nome Owens has a large group of volunteers who work diligently to accomplish the wide array of tasks presented. It is not only a large and dedicated group, but a diverse group.

"People come from all over to volunteer," Owens said.

People have come from 11 countries and 44 states to Nome to lend their help to the 31st Iditarod. There are volunteers from Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Norway, Spain and Mongolia. Volunteers have traveled to Nome from as far south in the United States as the Florida Keys and as far east as Maine.

A great percentage of the volunteers come back every year to lend their service -- they put in time, effort and expense. For many of the volunteers, Nome becomes their annual vacation spot.

Each year the army of volunteers return to a sea of familiar faces eager to make the Iditarod even better than the year before.

"It is truly like a family," Owens said. "It is your Nome, Iditarod family."

The Iditarod officials in Nome host a special breakfast for the volunteers each year as well.

"It is like a family reunion," Owens said.

The number of volunteers not only include those who travel to Nome to lend their aid, but residents of Nome who help out each year.

"Without the volunteers, we just can't do this job," Owens said.

According to Owens there are three major operations in Nome. The lead responsibilities are the set up and operation of the Nome Iditarod Headquarters, the Nome dog drop lot and the annual banquets. Volunteers also help with security and crowd control during the finish.

Owens said there are a great number of local volunteers who do every thing from serving as a host family to setting up the finish chute.

"My house is not the only one loaded with Iditarod," Owens, a resident of Nome, said.

According to Owens, organizing and hosting the banquet could be the largest task of the Iditarod army. Owens estimated that nearly 100 volunteers alone are needed to help with the annual banquets.

According to Owens, a vast amount of the volunteers who organize and run the banquet are from Nome. The Millennium Hotel, Wells Fargo and Alaska Airlines are the major corporate sponsors of the banquet.

"This is not just food pulled off the shelf," Owens said. "There are special buys for this. The food is phenomenal."

Owens describes the event as a culinary extravaganza. "It's the best banquet in the bush," Owens said. "It is second to none," he said. "The strawberries are renown and the prime rib is coveted," a nearly salivating Owens said.

The Millennium Hotel sends a crew of gourmet chefs to Nome to prepare the feast.

A number of volunteers are used to run the Iditarod Headquarters in Nome. While mushers are out on the trail, the headquarters is open 24-hours a day. Headquarters receives constant updates from the trail about the progress of the mushers.

A smaller group of volunteers are used to set up and oversee the dog drop lot. The dog drop lot is an area where the dogs who were dropped from their team are held and taken care of until they are reunited with their respective musher.