Volunteer picnic, musher signups this weekend

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race would never come together every March without the effort from hundreds of volunteers. Saturday, the Iditarod Trail Committee will say thanks, as the annual volunteer picnic is slated for noon.

Saturday will be a busy day at the ITC headquarters at Mile 2.2 Knik-Goose Bay Road. Even though the race is almost a year away, the last weekend in June is always one of the busiest there.

At 9 a.m., the annual membership meeting and the election of the board of directors will take place. The volunteer picnic begins at noon, and it is always a large and lively event. At 1 p.m., the first meeting of the new board of directors take place.

Then, at 2 p.m., Iditarod 2004 officially gets started, as the mushers can begin signing up for the race. Mushers must submit all the proper paperwork, as well as a $1,850 entry fee. Knik musher G.B. Jones has been in line a week to get his name on the top of the list. Many mushers make it to the first day of signups, giving race fans a chance to meet and talk to the men and women who run the Iditarod every year. Mushers can sign up by mail or in person through Dec. 1.

All of the events take place at the ITC headquarters.