This fund covers the costs of shipping dogs and gear to Kotzebue. Which was a little more this year than in the past and some of us were a bit surprised. But the dogs travel safely via Northern Air Cargo.

This is our fuel fund for return trip home... I mean HOME, home. Back to the midwest. Very far from Kotz or even Anchorage. Many miles to go before we sleep...

An option for those who want to support musher/handler showers and sleep. Not always essential, but really really nice for a change.

This is actually for dog jackets, which seem to get lost/eaten lately. But some of us couldn't resist the title. ???! (we set this one to venmo)

Need to replace old bunny boots thru new or good used bunny boots. There are only certain ones that work well (Bata, etc.). For some reason Q's feet have grown, even though he's long past growth plates closing. We're not sure why but... Mushing, I guess??

I will think of you every time I wear the warmest, best hat I've ever put on. My host family knows someone who makes them, and you know who knows how to make a warm hat? Someone who makes them with generational knowlege for family and others who live in the Arctic... You'll be supporting both musher warmth and vital craft practice/knowledge.

Thanks to race I have a credit for a handmade (Skookum) parka but it only covers just under half the cost. I would like to purchase the medium-weight parka with a good ruff as my existing medium-weight one is threadbare after 6-7 years full-time wear. This last Iditarod did it in. It's what I wear mushing and doing chores 85% of the time. A new/upgraded parka would keep me warm/happy and I'd have warm fuzzy thoughts of #uglydogs love every time I wear it.

Alas, the human needs to travel to/from Kotzebue, too. He is already there but has no return flight home. Any contribution to this fund helps cover the round trip air travel costs.

This allows ya'll to contribute to the dogs flying back to Anchorage after the race. Dogs aren't "cargo" exactly (I try to comfort them about this) and are subject to special care fees, but "backhaul" on a relatively empty cargo plane is still substantially cheaper than the flights out. This is set up to allow folks to use venmo if they like.

Chicken Thighs. Bone-in Pork Chops. Frozen Fish. Warmish Balls of Bacon Fat with Peanut Butter. This isn't actually a wedding, but each trail stop is a special occasion for these pups. Here's your chance to sponsor a round of snacks for the team! (NOTE: some of the snacks will take place before/after the race as we do some local runs in prep and celebration...)

The dogs love their special foot cream. We use it liberally in racing and pre-race training, massaging it into their feet, which they love.

We want to bring two new sets of runner plastic out on the trail. From CAC plastics in Wasilla, AK. Not exactly jet-ski rental, but it does help move us along smoothly and the dogs appreciate pulling a good ride.

We love our kipmik dog booties. Purchased in bulk, they help us keep the dogs' feet comfortable and safe from the ice/snow that can ball up in dog feet during long runs in many conditions. Each bootie change requires 64 dog booties! When we remove booties at a checkpoint, we'll collect used booties and dry/sort them for training next fall/winter... But the dogs will get new/fresh booties during the race so we don't have to worry about wear or stopping frequently to check them.

AKA a nice dinner with our host family in Kotzebue. :)

Caribou Creek Gold dog food -- we love it.

The racing life is exciting and demanding. Sometimes dogs are distracted and a little bored with the day-to-day and lose interest in our staple meals. It is then that we pull our our secret weapon: CAT FOOD!

Dogs love bacon. Give them a very special treat.

Dogs will have a warm happy home during their stay in Kotzebue with lots of straw in which to bed down. We are north of the Arctic Circle, but these sled dogs keep warm.

This covers the cost of material for a fresh "pecker protector." We do dry and reuse these year-to-year.

It's time to replace our nail clippers. Keep them new/sharp is great b/c they get tons of use with 68 dog feet on this trip alone... We will of course use the clippers when we return as well. We get a good year out of them. (the ones from Italy with orange handles are the best).

They love chicken skins. Lots of fat and great flavor.

New towline/tugline sets with stays in the middle. Gotta keep our lines fresh/strong/safe. We're replacing many sections this Spring.

Actually a container of electrolytes for dogs to have in their water. :)

Actually just a new knife/tool bc somehow Iditarod ate two knives.

Actually just a rake for straw bc ours broke.

I mean, race organizers aren't totally unlike wedding planners... right? If your wedding is a destination wedding above the Arctic Circle that involves 150 dogs and 6000 lbs of raw beef.

Since some of the younger dogs (and younger at heart dogs) do occasionally still chew their harnesses up... Hey, it's very exciting out here! Lots of nervous energy! (also normal wear and tear - we replace a few each season)

What can I saw? We broke our poop rake. It held out all season, but...

This buys a round of HEET, which is what we use for cooker fuel while racing in the Arctic.

So... mushing sun jackets aren't commercially sold as far as I know. But I found some strange tee shirts on closeout at a retailer in Wasilla, and I think it's possible to repurpose them. They may look slightly strange, but I think the team will appreciate it. In April, the sun is only down for a few hours each night.

This will purchase some good waterproof mascara for the dogs to use in Kobuk 440. This especially helps the lighter colored dogs in the sunlight. We'll be sure to share a pic so you can see what we mean...

These are some next level musher socks. Kinda pricey but good if you like keeping your natural feet functional and attached to your body. Need to replace a few that are holier-than-thou.

We give omeperazole/probiotics leading up to a race and during the race to protect the dogs gut linings and for good digestion.

This is not a favorite charity at all. It is just wind pants. The wind pants match my sun suit. IYKYK.

Felted wool insoles for boots. 11mm thick.

Here's a chance to contribute to musher sustenance along the trail. So much easier than dog sustenance that we forgot to include this category at all until someone texted asking whether Q is going to eat chicken skins. I mean, he could... But it sure is nice to have cheesecake and instant coffee.

It's not easy to find a place to park truck/trailer. Sometimes local rentals and uber help out, especially in Anchorage...

There's no need to worry about spitting cobras on the Alaskan tundra. You can totally wear a headlamp at night. In fact, you should. Lupine headlamps are the best. The batteries last a long time, and it's time for us to replace a couple we've had for 10 years...

Lupine headlamp battery. These are good. They will illuminate our dogs and keep us all safe. Otherwise, we'll be constrained to running in daylight. But sled dogs like to run at night. Help give these apex predators the lighting they like. Be a sled dog hero.