HUMAN

Name: John Dennis

Age: 53

Residence: Nikolai, Alaska

Occupation: Laborer

Years involved with Iditarod: 45

Iditarod Roles: Volunteer

Current Location: Nikolai, Alaska

Date of Photo: March 8, 2022

Temperature: 20 F Outdoors 

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

I first became involved with the Iditarod … I mean, it first started off coming through our village, so we got raised up into it and got to know all the Iditarod mushers. And from there, it was an exciting time for us, so we all have gotten involved, try to, I don’t know, participate and volunteer for everything, pretty much. And it was like an annual thing when the Iditarod came through, so it was pretty exciting.

What is your Why? Why are you here TODAY and involved with the Iditarod?

I’m here today and involved with the Iditarod because it’s a very exciting thing. Everybody looks forward to it. I mean, we grew up as children into it. And I like meeting all the people that come through. I like watching the mushers that’s been coming through for years, like Martin Buser. I notice there’s a lot of older folks that are not racing anymore, but I know they’re still following it.

Tell me about just one of your most memorable Iditarod experiences.

One of the most memorable Iditarod experience was when Iditarod first came in the early years in Nikolai, all us kids used to stay up all night watching Iditarod because it was like camping. And all the household members of the village would get involved. They’d bring the mushers to their house, I mean their home, feed them. And everybody treated each other as family. All the mushers had a place to go stay warm, but now it changed where you can’t go to each individual’s house and stuff.

What in life do you know for sure?

What I know for sure in life is we’re not leaving this world alive.