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| September 30th, 2009 |
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Only 4 months before Start day on Saturday February 6th in Fairbanks! A reminder to everyone that the race starts a week earlier this year: The Yukon Quest now starts the 1st Saturday of February. For those of you planning on physically following or volunteering for the race, please be aware the same weekend hosts the NFL Super Bowl, and that the Vancouver Olympics will be opening on February 10th (about the time mushers are expected to pass through the Dawson City check point). Gumbie the Yukon Quest's 2010 Pin and Patch Dog!
When Kate and Warren Palfrey saw this photo of Gumbie, taken by photographer John Gaedeke, they predicted this lovely dog would win us over with his noble posture and handsome face. And they were right! Gumbie is the inspiration for our 2010 Yukon Quest merchandise design, a project currently in the works with the help of volunteer artist Amber Walker.
 But it was more than Gumbie’s fine features that eventually landed him title of 2010 Yukon Quest "Pin and Patch Dog". According to Kate, Gumbie is an "absolute love junkie". He loves to give big hugs by wrapping his paws around his human-friends and squeezing tight!
Gumbie is also an accomplished Yukon Quest veteran, finishing 9th alongside Warren Palfrey’s team in February of 2009. After running a number of races with Warren in the Northwest Territories, this was the 5-year-old sled dog’s first Yukon Quest.
Seen here beneath the Finish Line of the 2009 Yukon Quest, Gumbie looks right at home, sitting in one of his favourite poses. We’re honoured to have Gumbie as the Yukon Quest’s 2010 Poster Dog.
If you would like to see our 2010 patches and pins, please stop by our offices in Whitehorse or Alaska, or become a member to receive one with your membership! 2010 YQ Patch 2010 YQ Pin
Yukon Quest Selected as Finalist for the National Awards for Tourism Excellence Presented by the Globe and Mail
September 23, 2009 (Whitehorse, Yukon) - The Yukon Quest has been named a finalist for the National Awards for Tourism Excellence presented by the Globe and Mail to be held at the Canada’s Tourism Leadership Summit on November 3, 2009 in Saint John, New Brunswick. The Yukon Quest is one of three finalists nominated for the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Event of The Year Award.
“We are thrilled to be a finalist for this prestigious award”, said Wendy Morrison, Executive Director of the Yukon Quest International Association Canada. It is exciting for the Yukon Quest to be recognized as an event that has gone above and beyond to offer to superior tourism experiences to travelers in Canada. Thousands of events take place in Canada every year and to be recognized as one of the three finalists for event of the year is a great honour.”
Yukon Quest’s nomination for the national award was submitted by the Tourism Industry Association of Yukon (TIA Yukon). “Yukon Quest is an awesome event that deserves national acclaim”, says Sandy Hachey, Executive Director with TIA Yukon. “The Quest was awarded the Creative Travel Media Implementation Award at our 2009 annual spring conference. We were proud to nominate them and are ecstatic that they have been named one of three finalists.”
Update on our Opening Day:
After a very exciting Opening Day on August 8th,
we now have 18 mushers participating in the Yukon
Quest, including 10 veterans such as Hugh Neff, Sonny Lindner, and Lance Mackey as well as 8 rookies from Alaska, Belgium, France and the UK. The YQ300 has 5 people registered for now, and one person in the Junior 130 miles race.
As in other years, we are expecting a rise in the numbers as soon as the snow appears and gently "reinforces" the call of the wild in our local mushers!
These are the first three mushers to sign up for each race (from left to right):
- Ken Brown, YQ 300 Miles Race
- Meredith Mapes, Junior YQ 130 Miles Race
- Brent Sass, YQ 1000 Miles Race
FAIRBANKS NEWS AND EVENTS
Update on the Yukon Quest and Sourdough Fuel Black Gold Raffle:
The Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race wants to give a HUGE thank you to all of our volunteers who sold tickets as well as those who bought tickets for the Yukon Quest and Sourdough Fuel Black Gold Raffle.
The draw was held at Big Daddy’s Bar-B-Que Saturday, September 19th. Here are the people who went home winners Saturday night:
Winning $100 each were: Jeff Johnson
Stosh
Mr. Hunt/Doering/and Smith (who shared a ticket)
Brian Eastman
Dawn Hansen
$500 winners were: Jess Sundby
Adrienne Brownel
Gary Wilken
Jonna Weed
Crystal Haman
Finally, in a huge surprise ending to the evening, Tom Richardson held the last TWO tickets to win $10,000 in whatever Sourdough Fuel sells (Heating fuel, AV fuel, Gasoline, deli items, grocery, etc.).
June Ryan, YQ Board of Directors member, sold the most tickets with Julie Estey, another YQ Board member, selling both Grand Prize tickets.
A special thanks goes to Big Daddy’s Bar-B-Que for hosting the draw and to Sourdough Fuel, Ivory Jack’s, the Big I, Big Daddy’s, and the Boatel for selling tickets.
The following people also deserve huge thanks Wendy Ehnert and Travis Stagg for selling tickets and compiling accurate records all evening as well as June Ryan for selling the most tickets, followed by more wonderful ticket sales people including: Dale Rankin, Nicole Stewart, Dick Ellsworth, Gwen Holdman, and Julie Estey.
Again, a huge thank you to all our volunteers for promoting this fundraiser and supporting the 27th Running of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race!
Volunteer Call for our Rookies Meeting on October 9th 2009
In the midst of a golden autumn day it is difficult to believe the winter mushing season is just weeks away, and it is now time to get ready for the races! Here in Fairbanks the 2010 Yukon Quest Rookie Meeting is scheduled for October 9 from 10:00 to 4:00 at the Civic Center at Pioneer Park. Again, October 9 through October 11, the Alaska Dog Mushers Association, Inc. is holding the 2009 International Sled Dog Symposium.
The Yukon Quest will have a booth at this event, also at Pioneer Park in the Civic Center, and volunteers are needed to cover the booth on Saturday and Sunday. If you are able to offer assistance for this event, please contact Lori at the Fairbanks Yukon Quest office at 452-7954.
Yukon Quest's Fairbanks birthday party
The Yukon Quest Birthday Party will be celebrated on First Friday at the cabin November 6 from 5:00-8:00pm. Art Cross and Lance Mackey will be signing autographs and, of course, we will have refreshments. Come and join volunteers, mushers, and staff as we celebrate the birth of this great race!
WHITEHORSE NEWS AND EVENTS
Summer Gold Rush Raffle update:
It is with great pleasure the Yukon Quest congratulates Jim Shewchuk of Whitehorse and Stephen Quin of Vancouver as our two Gold Rush Raffle winners! They each have won 2 oz of Placer Gold, approximately worth $2000, kindly donated by the Klondike Placer Miners' Association! One wonders how those nuggets will be spent...
Yukon's 2010 Memberships are now available!
The 2010 Membership patches are now available, along with our new selection of 1000-Mile Club jackets.
This year, members have the choice between a parka or a soft shell, in a variety of different colours. As always, custom embroidery of your name and mile number is available.
To download the membership form or for more information, go to http://www.yukonquest.com/site/1000-mile-club/ or contact the Whitehorse office at questadmin@polarcom.com
Katimavik volunteer Julie wears a TMC softshell in red.
It's time for the Whitehorse 27th Yukon Quest's Birthday Party!
Join us for our 27th Birthday Party at the Old Fire Hall in Whitehorse on October 16th 2009! The event will quick off at 6:30pm with a dog handling demonstration by re-known acclaimed physiotherapist Wes Rau, and this will be a great opportunity to meet our local mushers while listening to live music. There will be food and a cash bar. Entry is $10 and included a free drink. Come and join us for a great evening with the Yukon Quest team, mushers and volunteers!
Don’t miss your chance to win $10,000!!! With only 300 tickets printed, this is a great opportunity to win lots of money! Our first prize is $10000, the second is $2000 and third prize is $1,000... Still well worth spending $100 a ticket! We will be launching the $10,000 Cash Raffle at our Birthday Party on October 16th, 2009. Make sure to drop by the Old Fire Hall to get your ticket before they sell out, and why not have a drink with us at the same time! (Raffle Licence 2009-096)
Call for Volunteers for Winter 2010!
Now is the perfect time to start sending in your details if you are interested in volunteering for the Yukon Quest 2010 race! We need people in the offices, at events selling merchandise, setting up the banquet, building the finish line, etc. Our Volunteer Packages are almost ready and will be sent to you soon.
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