I am 60 years young and celebrating my birthday by joining the Serum Run Commemorative trip across Alaska to Nome. I had a desire to join Bob Ernisse many years ago when I met him at the Captain Cook Hotel through a friend of his Larry Williams. The years past but kept coming back to Alaska as a volunteer for the Iditarod. I worked with the Veterinarian Team doing field drug testing on the race dogs. I was fortunate to meet Colonel Vaughn a couple of times at the Iditarod banquet. After 14 years of volunteering, I am finally getting to participate in this living historical event commemorating the life saving relay. Having seen many of the villages from Ruby through to Nome, I can’t wait to see parts of Alaska in between. I have made friends in some of the villages, met teachers in the schools and even given a couple of talks to the high school kids. What keeps bringing me back is enjoying and learning about the Native American culture of the Athabascans in the Interior and the Eskimo culture on the coast.

I am looking forward to traveling with this year’s group from different parts the US having similar goals and reliving the spirit and witnessing first hand the heroic historic trip to Nome. I will be driving a snow machine this time and hope to drive a team of dogs next year.