Iditaread

 

 

      We are doing the Iditarod in my class, but we are reading not sled dog racing. So we call it the Iditaread. We each pick out two mushers and keep their score on the trail. The Iditarod is race that started long ago when Alaska needed help because, a disease called diphtheria that was killing people. The only thing that could help the disease was antitoxin serum and the town was out, so a doctor named Dr. Welch sent out a message on the radio saying,

            NOME CALLING WE HAVE AN OUTBREAK OF

            DIPHTHERIA. NO SERUM URGENTLY NEED HELP

                                                    DR. CUTIS WELCH

         They got a reply and it told them the nearest supply of serum was at a hospital in Anchorage 1,000 miles away across a snowbound wilderness. The Iditarod was created to remember this life saving race. Mushers compete to be the first into Nome, Alaska.

One of my mushers Ally Zirkle came in second place. Mitch Seavey came in first place. Our Iditaread ended Friday, March 22, 2013.