2018 marks the 31st year that The Lakefront Anchorage was the official home for the Iditarod - The Last Great Race on Earth. The Iditarod is an annual long-distance sled dog race, that brings many tourists from around the world to Anchorage, Alaska, in anticipation of the event.
Each year, in addition to hosting mushers (those who lead the sled dogs), volunteers and guests, The Lakefront Anchorage also hosts wish children from Make-A-Wish Foundation who want to be a part of the festivities.
To strengthen this collaboration, the hotel launched ‘Book a Smile’, a promotion that gave guests the opportunity to donate a stuffed husky dog toy to a wish kid at the Providence Hospital in Anchorage. In total, 55 husky toys were purchased and donated.
The Iditarod is named after the Iditarod Trail, which runs from Anchorage to Nome in Alaska, a route that covers close to 1,000 miles. It is one of the first four US National Historic Trails, named in 1978. Teams (comprising a musher and 16 dogs) usually cover the distance in eight to 15 days, racing through blizzards, sub-zero temperatures and whiteout conditions, in early March. The race is a very popular sporting event in Alaska. Make-A-Wish Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in the United States, that arranges “wishes” for children, aged three to 17, with life-threatening medical conditions.
