Willow reaps windfall from restart

WILLOW — Iditarod mushers weren’t the only ones restarting in Willow on Sunday.

Many Willow businesses hoped the race would also jump-start a much-needed winter cash flow in the area as thousands of spectators flooded into the quiet city for Iditarod weekend.

Linda Oxley, chair of Willow Area Community Organization (WACO), said sunny weather and warmer-than-usual temperatures brought in record numbers to this year’s restart, an estimated 22,000 to 25,000 people. That’s a significant jump from last year, when about 17,000 made their way into Willow for the restart.

“This supports the notion that it’s steadily growing,” Oxley said of the Iditarod re-start, which was recently announced will happen in Willow for the foreseeable future. “It was a beautiful day to be outside.”

Willow Chamber of Commerce (WCC) President Jim Huston said visitors most likely swamped local businesses, but he had no real numbers to report on the overall economic impact the re-start has on the Willow area.

“The chamber has always been active in supporting the restart in any way we can,” Huston said. “Everyone has a good time and we stay busy.”

Bringing Anchorage-based vendors with it, the Iditarod Trail Committee rented the grounds around Willow Lake from WACO for $6,000. That money, combined with WACO’s food and beverage sales of roughly $4,000, will help fund WACO-organized events, as well as local organizations and community enrichment programs for the rest of the year.

Oxley said the WCC, equipped with a kitchen and restrooms, saw an influx of 200 to 300 people each hour at a steady rate for Sunday’s restart.

Five Willow bed-and-breakfast establishments, including Huston’s own Alaskan Host B&B, were at full capacity with guests opting to stay overnight near the lake to catch the action of the next day’s race, Huston said.

“The traffic was intense,” he said. “Now that the restart is a sure thing here, we’ll find more and more ways to figure out how to get services out to the community.”

Curtis Stillwell, owner of Willow’s Pioneer Lodge, said restaurant sales at the lodge tripled as a result of the restart, but that people opted not to stay over the weekend.

“I think a lot of people stayed out on the lake,” Stillwell said. “We were busier than normal, more like our busiest summer days.”

See today’s Sports section for more coverage of the 2008 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Contact J.J. Harrier at valleylife@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.