Wilma Klass – The 2014 Iditarod

Wilma Klass served as a citizenship educator for the Board of Cooperative Educational Services in Carle Place, New York, and a TESOL professor at

Nassau Community College in Uniondale, New York. Now she lives in Alaska where she donates

her time to the Anchorage Visitors Center. This year Wilma Klass also volunteered for the Iditarod and

helped in Nome for the end of the race.

Known as the Last Great Race on Earth, the Iditarod is an epic sled-dog race in Alaska that covers nearly 1,000 miles. The race draws its heritage from the dog teams

used for transportation among native villages and for daily work until the introduction of the snowmobile. In 1967, members of the Wasilla-Knik Centennial Committee

researching the history of the region developed the idea of a sled-dog race over the historic Iditarod Trail in memory of

that culture.

Now the Iditarod takes place annually, drawing mushers from a variety of backgrounds to compete in the

demanding race from Anchorage to Nome. The next race will begin on March 1, 2014, at 10 a.m. The Iditarod Trail

Committee has begun accepting entries for the 2014 Iditarod, and it will continue to accept applicants until Nov. 29. The committee will allow a maximum of 100 entries,

after which applicants will receive placement on a waiting list.