HUMAN

Name: RICHARD BENEVILLE
Age: 74
Residence: NOME, ALASKA
Occupation: MAYOR
Years involved with Iditarod: 40 YEARS
Iditarod Role: AMBASSADOR
Current Location: NOME, ALASKA
Date of Photo: MARCH 14, 2019
Temperature: 25F / OUTDOORS

Tell me about your most rewarding experience on Iditarod?:

MARTIN BUSER -I CAN’T REMEMBER THE YEAR – WAS TALKING ABOUT THE REASON HE BECAME AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. WAS BECAUSE OF HIS REACTION TO 9/11. SO ON THE IDITAROD, WHEN HE WAS LEAVING ANCHORAGE, THEY GAVE HIM THE 1ST PART OF HIS OATH OF CITIZENSHIP THERE. AND THEN THE 2ND PART WAS DONE HERE UNDER THE IDITAROD ARCH. AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A YEAR THAT HE WON. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL BRIGHT, SHINY DAY AND THERE WERE ABOUT 1000 PEOPLE AROUND THE ARCH. AND HE RECITED THE OATHS. MY IMPRESSION WAS HOW MUCH WE, NATURAL-BORN CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES, TAKE OUR CITIZENSHIP – TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. BUSER DID IT FOR A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE. AND HE’S A FINE AMERICAN. AND WHEN WE LEARN – LISTEN TO THE OATH – HOW MUCH WE TAKE FOR GRANTED. AND WE DO. AND WE SHOULDN’T. AND HE TAUGHT ME A LESSON THAT I LEARNED

What do you know for sure?:

I KNOW I’LL SMILE AND THAT’S THE BEST PART. I WAS BLESSED WITH A KIND OF A GOOD OUTLOOK ON LIFE. BRING IT ON! AND I LOVE IT. AND I THINK I ENJOY LIFE FOR NOW. I’LL BE SAD WHEN IT’S GONE, WHEN IT’S OVER, BUT THERE’S KIND OF AN EXCITEMENT IN THAT, TOO. HELLO, CENTRAL!