Volunteers make the Iditarod successful

The first weekend in March comes alive in the Valley, as hundreds of dogs and their mushers take to the trail for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Thousands of fans follow the race in Alaska, and millions more follow it around the world.

On the surface, the race is about dogs and mushers battling the elements, trying to get to Nome first. But look a little closer, and you'll see that the race just doesn't come together through a miracle. The race everyone watches would never happen without the efforts of hundreds of volunteers, who man every aspect of the race -- from updating the Web site with the current leaders, to serving as parking lot attendants at the start and restart.

Volunteers really do make a difference for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and not just a week before the race. The Iditarod may take place during the first three weeks of March, but it takes a year-round effort to stage such a large race.

Months of planning go into the start in Anchorage and the restart in Wasilla. Volunteers are required to make sure things run smoothly, from getting the cars parked correctly to the mushers getting to the starting line on time. Once the mushers hit the trail, volunteers work at the media center in Anchorage, and more volunteers serve as the official checkpoints.

The checkers fly into the remote portions of the trail -- sometimes into villages where they represent the entire population -- and stay there for a week or two, working around the clock.

In Nome, volunteers man the community center around the clock as well, waiting for the new champion to arrive. When they do finally get to the finish line, volunteers are there to make sure the dog team is taken care of.

The volunteers give freely of their time, just to be a part of the race they love. In the summer, the Iditarod Trail Committee rewards the volunteers with an official volunteer picnic, held at the race headquarters on Knik-Goose Bay Road.

Without volunteers, one of the Valley's biggest spectacles -- the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race -- would have a hard time taking place.

Communities in the Mat-Su Valley benefit every day from the work of volunteers.

Mostly, the work performed and the volunteers themselves remain out of the spotlight. They are faceless people who give their time and their talent each day, without expecting or receiving much recognition.

We want to change that. Is there a volunteer your nonprofit agency simply could not live without? Does one person make a big difference in your life every day, all without asking for anything in return?

If so, please let us know.

We want to shed light on the efforts many of these unassuming people give every day to charities, nonprofit agencies, local organizations or even their neighbors.

In future issues of the Frontiersman, we will highlight some of these people and the work they perform that makes the Mat-Su Valley a great place to live.

To nominate a person to be highlighted, please e-mail the person's name, a contact number for them and for yourself, and a brief description of what makes the work they do important. E-mail submissions to editor@alaska.net, or mail them to the Frontiersman, 5751 E. Mayflower Ct., Wasilla, AK, 99654.