Snow Bound Kennels - Sponsorship

What it takes to run the Iditarod
Long before race day, hardy men and women spend exhausting hours training their dogs, perfecting equipment, improving technique and gathering supplies and sponsors. Each musher is required to carry a number of items in their sled during the race. Such as: snow shoes, ax, dog booties (to prevent the pads of the dogs paws from sharp ice or jagged rocks along the trail) cooking stove, sleeping bag, ice hook, high quality meats and a commercial dog food (for a team of 16 dogs). additional dog food and supplies must be flown in to as many as 23 check points along the thousand mile trail. As you might imagine, this is an expensive sport. The entry fee alone is $1,850.00. Though some mushers lease dog teams from various professional kennels, many mushers raise and train their own dogs, choosing among them for Iditarod-caliber canines as the race draws near. The average expenditures for a musher to run this race ranges between $20,000 to $30,000.

Below is a breakdown of some of the items needed to run the race:
Printable version Click here

Iditarod Items		Total
3 tons of dog food	@$1800/ton	$ 4800
3 tons of meat	@ $900/ton	$ 2700
Approximate vet. bills	-	$ 200
Misc. Kennel Equip.	-	$ 200
Harnesses	-	$ 200
Lines, hooks, misc. items	-	$ 200
Sled Repair and costs	-	$ 550
Dog Booties	@ .83 cents apiece	$ 1,250
Protective Dog Coats	for the coast	$ 250
Headlamps	-	$ 200
Entry Fee for Iditarod	-	$ 1, 850
After, flight from Nome to Anchorage	-	$ 500
Ship food to checkpoints	2000lbs/.25 lb	$ 500
Extra Sled Equipment	-	$ 500
Freeze dried dog food	-	$ 500
Lithium batteries	50/$10 each)	$ 500
Misc. Costs	unexpected events/needs	$ 300
TOTAL	.	$16, 200

Not all these items are "musts." Freeze dried dog food, while nice,isn't an absolute necessity. However, it's light and won't spoil, which can be a problem on the trail as the food has to be shipped early and stored. Nor are lithium batteries a must, tho' they are more dependable in the frigid temperatures. This list isn't making any claims to tell you that the drivers HAVE to have such and such equipment. It's simply making an effort to list what the average driver might put on a "wish list."

Contact: Tim Forbus for sponsor details
Or send sponsor donations payable to Tim Forbus
Snow Bound Kennels
17926 Almdale Avenue
Eagle River, AK 99577