We truly are the home of the Iditarod

While the eyes of the world turn our way for a few days each March, here in the Mat-Su Borough, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race never really leaves us.

In line at the gas station, the guy buying gas to your right is Jason Mackey. You begin to feel like he might be stalking you when you see him a few days later when you stop in at Underdog Feeds. Rookie Lisbet Skogen Norris manages that store when she isn’t training dogs.

Maybe DeeDee Jonrowe goes to your church or plays softball on your team.

You probably know Vern Halter. When he isn’t riding the runners training sled dogs he serves on the Mat-Su Borough Assembly.

Then there is Kelly Maixner. He’s seen the inside of lots of Valley mouths working as a dentist here.

Perhaps your student was part of an effort by St. Ann’s Academy to help prepare hundreds of dog booties for Ellen Halverson’s team. Students put Gold Bond Medicated Powder in each bootie and wrapped them up in sets of four.

We crossed paths with the Fiedler family Sunday at breakfast at Willow Elementary School, where a trio of toe-head boys was playing on a miniature sled the family donated a couple of years ago. Kathi Fiedler, wife of race veteran Linwood Fiedler, has worked at the school for many years.

Could be you know Justin Savidis of Willow from Boy Scouts. He was the head of the Bear Paw District for a number of years.

If your kids attend Goose Bay Elementary — or if they did last year — then they will remember meeting Martin Buser and Matt Failor there after the 2013 race. They talked to students about the hard work necessary to train a team to compete and about the winter gear they use to stay warm outside at minus 50. Failor even brought in a canine athlete from his team for students to meet at the end of the lesson.

We know Dallas Seavey as the guy who signed a ton of Iditarod memorabilia for a student raising money to travel on a People to People exchange. He could have just showed up to deliver the winning sled ride in her raffle, but he gave a little more when he inked his name.

All told, of this year’s field of 69 teams, there are 19 teams that live and train here year-round. They are: No. 13. Kelly Maixner of Big Lake; No. 14. Dallas Seavey of Willow; No. 16. DeeDee Jonrowe of Willow; No. 24. Ellen Halverson, of Wasilla; No. 28. Cim Smyth of Big Lake; No. 30. Rick Casillo of Willow; No. 31. Lev Shvarts of Willow; No. 32. Linwood Fiedler of Willow; No. 33. Karin Hendrickson of Wasilla; No. 34. Justin Savidis of Willow; No. 36. Martin Buser of Big Lake; No. 37. Jake Berkowitz of Big Lake; No. 39. Jason Mackey of Wasilla; No. 41. Lisbet Norris of Willow; No. 49. Ramey Smyth of Willow; No. 51. Ray Redington Jr., of Wasilla; No. 55. Elliot Anderson of Big Lake; No. 57. Matt Failor of Willow; and No. 67. Wade Marrs of Wasilla.

To our friends and neighbors out on the trail, thanks for choosing to make your homes in the Mat-Su Borough. We are all richer for your contributions to our community.

And to all the canine and human competitors in this year’s race, good luck and safe travels.