Memorial honors "Father Joe"

The legacy of Joe Redington Sr. is known by many. Now, future generations will get to share that legacy, thanks to a planned life-size statue that will celebrate Redington's life.

The statue project is in the early stages of being planned, but organizers are hopeful the memorial statue will be unveiled before the 2003 Iditarod. It will be located at the Iditarod Trail Committee Headquarters building in Wasilla on Knik-Goose Bay Road.

Redington was instrumental in getting the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race started and keeping it going for years until it finally caught on with race fans. But good friend Bill Devine, who designed the statue, said Redington's legacy is bigger than the race.

"He wasn't content with just the Iditarod race," Devine said. "He was so important in getting the Iditarod Trail recognized as a state trail, and then a National Historic Trail. He did more for the ecology of Alaska than any other group has.

"Let's say the Iditarod ends today, and they don't hold another race ever. That trail -- from Seward to Nome, with both the Northern Route and the Southern Route -- would still be a National Historic Trail," Devine said. "That's pretty impressive."

Redington died on June 24, 1999 at the age of 82. A memorial service was held in conjunction with the sign-ups for the 2000 race a week later, and that's when the idea of a lasting memorial was first brought up.

"There was sadness all day. For three or four hours, people stood up and talked about Joe and how he changed their lives, and when I stood up, I talked about Joe and said that we need to have a life-sized memorial statue done, and I'll be damned if that wasn't the only time during the whole day that people applauded," Devine said. "It should have been done years ago."

The project has been led by Devine and Jeff Schultz, the official Iditarod photographer.

The Iditarod Trail Committee has helped get the project started as well, and gave organizers the go-ahead for statue project at an April 26 meeting.

"I think it is a great idea," said Vi Redington, Joe's widow.

The statue will look like the Joe Redington Sr. Trophy, which is given to the winners of the race. It depicts Redington looking off to his right, in a parka and a headlamp, with his famous lead dog "Feets" in his arm. The statue will depict Redington from the waist up, and it will rest on a three-foot tall rock and concrete base.

The base is being done by Dave Olsen, a mason who was good friends with Redington and his family.

Cordova artist Joan Bugbee Jackson is sculpting the statue, and it will then be sent to Oregon to be bronzed. Organizers are hoping to have it unveiled around the time of next year's race.

The statue will cost about $35,000 to complete, and the "Friends of Joe Redington Jr." group is soliciting donations, as well as in-kind services, to help fund the project.

"We've already started sending out letters to Joe's supporters, and we're trying to get things moving," Devine said.

There will be a bronze plaque on the bottom of the memorial listing donors over $1,000. Donors of less than $1,000 will be listed on the plaque as "The Friends of Joe Redington Sr."

The statue will keep Redington's legacy alive for generations to come, and there is even more in the works.

"I hope we are doing enough so people know what he did," Vi Redington said. "We are planning a Joe Redington Sr. Museum in Knik on our property. We created a bank account, and people donated when he died, and we are going to use the money to open a museum."

Vi Redington said a new roof has been put on an existing building on her property so she would have a place to store many of her late husband's artifacts, so that when a museum finally does open, all of the items will be in good condition.

"It's going slowing, but it's going," Vi Redington said.

The Joe Redington Sr. Memorial Trail runs from Wasilla to Mile 15 Knik-Goose Bay Road. The name was adopted last year by the Alaska Legislature as a way to further pay tribute to a man who helped shape Alaska during its early days.