R 081331Z FEB 11

ALCGPSC 021/11
SUBJ: 2011 IDITAROD SPONSORSHIP
1. I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE COAST GUARD'S CONTINUED SPONSORSHIP
OF 2011 IDITAROD COMPETITOR MR KEN ANDERSON.  KEN, A NINE YEAR
IDITAROD TRAIL SLED DOG RACE VETERAN HAS VIGOROUSLY TRAINED OVER
2,500 MILES WITH HIS TEAM OF DOGS FOR THE 2011 RACE.  KEN AND HIS
SLED DOG TEAM PROVED TO BE TENACIOUS COMPETITORS IN 2010, COMING IN
FOURTH PLACE OUT OF 55 TOTAL FINISHERS.  HE FINISHED WITH AN
IMPRESSIVE TIME OF NINE DAYS, SIX HOURS, AND 25 MINUTES.  THE COAST
GUARD IS PROUD OF HIS PERFORMANCE. HE OVERCAME SLED DAMAGE AND
WEATHER-RELATED OBSTACLES THAT LESSER QUALIFIED MUSHERS WOULD NOT
HAVE SURMOUNTED, WHILE PROVIDING OUTSTANDING CARE FOR HIS SLED DOGS.
2. THE IDITAROD IS TYPICALLY A GRUELING NINE-TO-SIXTEEN DAY TREK OF
MORE THAN 1,150 MILES FROM ANCHORAGE TO NOME, ALASKA. AGAIN THIS
YEAR, BEGINNING MARCH 5, THE DOG SLED TEAMS WILL MUSH THROUGH SOME OF
ALASKA'S TOUGHEST AND MOST TREACHEROUS TERRAIN AND WILL FACE BELOW
ZERO TEMPERATURES AND BONE CHILLING WINDS.  THIS RACE IS RECOGNIZED
AS THE LAST GREAT RACE ON EARTH AND HAS WORLDWIDE ACCLAIM AND
INTEREST. "THERE HAVE BEEN MORE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SUMMITED EVEREST
THAN HAVE FINISHED THE IDITAROD," SAID ANDERSON. "IT'S A VERY
DIFFICULT RACE."
3. THIS RECRUITING COMMAND AND MSU VALDEZ JOINT INITIATIVE PAYS
RESPECT TO BOTH THIS CHALLENGING RACE AND PROUD COAST GUARD HISTORY.
DATING BACK TO THE 19TH CENTURY, DOG SLEDS WERE USED BY THE COAST
GUARD TO PERFORM PIVOTAL RESCUES OF TRAPPED WHALING SHIP CREWS,
ENFORCEMENT OF FUR SEAL TRADING LAWS, AS WELL AS HUMANITARIAN
DELIVERY OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND ASSISTANCE.  WITH OUR RENEWED
COMMITMENT TO THE ARCTIC IN THE 21ST CENTURY, IT IS FITTING THAT WE
HONOR OUR PROFESSION AND OUR HISTORY.
4. DURING THE 2010 IDITAROD, KEN'S EXPOSURE FOR THE COAST GUARD
INCLUDED 2 MILLION WEB HITS ON IDITAROD TRACKER, 3,000 HITS ON THE
WINDY CREEK KENNELS WEB SITE WHERE CG SPONSORSHIP/LINKS ARE
PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED, AND EXPOSURE IN 52 ALASKA SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
5. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT KEN'S IDITAROD ADVENTURES AND PLANNING
FOR THIS RACE AT HIS WEBSITE, WINDYCREEKKENNEL.COM AND WITHIN THE CG
BLOG ON USCG.MIL, AT HTTP://COASTGUARD.DODLIVE.MIL OR THE ITIDAROD
WEB SITE HTTP://WWW.IDITAROD.COM/.
6. I ENCOURAGE ALL COAST GUARD MEMBERS TO FOLLOW KEN ANDERSON'S
PROGRESS AND CHEER HIM AND HIS TEAM ON IN THEIR RACE FOR THE 2011
IDITAROD GOLD.
7. RDML DANIEL R. MAY, COMMANDER, CG PERSONNEL SERVICE CENTER, SENDS.
8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.