HUMAN

Name: Jo Crane

Residence: Sterling, Alaska

Age: 75

Years involved with Iditarod: I’ve been involved with the Iditarod since 1974.

Past Iditarod Roles: Mostly helping my husband, who was very involved. We lived in Nome. We put on the banquet in 1976 at the finishing end, and he was president of Iditarod, so I was his number one assistant.

Current Location: Settler’s Bay Lodge in Wasilla, Alaska
Date of Photo: March 1, 2022

Temperature: 68 F Indoors

What, who or how and when did you first get involved with the Iditarod?

I first got involved with the Iditarod when we moved to Nome in 1974. When I saw my husband come home with one dog, I knew we were in for it. It started from there, and we’ve been involved ever since.

What was one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences?

One of my most memorable Iditarod experiences was putting on the Finishing Banquet in Nome 1976 when it was my responsibility to figure out how to get 750 baking potatoes all cooked at once and delivered to the National Guard Armory.

What does the 50th running of the Iditarod mean to you?

Knowing this is the 50th Iditarod makes me feel like we’re coming to the end of our tenure of being very involved.

What do you know for sure?:

What I know for sure in life is that it goes by very fast, so you should take advantage of every adventure it offers.