A new bronze sculpture of Iditarod co-founder Joe Redington Sr. was unveiled at Redington High School in Knik on Friday. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held the day before signups for the 2018 Iditarod race.
Patrick Garley, a bronze sculptor from Palmer, spent roughly 18 months making this life-size sculpture of Joe Redington Sr. and his seven-dog team. Redington, a dog musher who ran a kennel in Knik, co-founded the Iditarod with Dorothy Page.
The sculpture was made possible through Alaska’s Percent for Art program, which sets aside one percent of the construction costs for new or renovated public buildings for site-specific artwork.
This isn’t the first time that Garley has sculpted “the father of the Iditarod.” Last year, Garley created a new Joe Redington Sr. Trophy for the winner of the Iditarod. He said the most difficult part about these sculptures, is capturing the dogs.
“People here really know their dogs, so they will spot any inconsistencies,” Garley said.
Saturday marked 18 years since Redington passed away. Iditarod CEO Stan Hooley said he hopes this statue will help cement Redington’s legacy for the next generation.
“But more importantly I am hopeful they will develop enough of an understanding of his life that they make a connection with his undying spirit and his ability to pursue a dream even when others had a lot of doubt,” Hooley said.
During the ceremony, Mat-Su Borough Mayor Vern Halter presented a 25,000 dollar check from the borough to the Idatarod Trail Committee. Hooley said the funding will provide crucial resources for trail maintenance.
“We create a trail every year,” Hooley said. “And some of the underbrush has grown to a point where it’s impossible, when you don’t get six feet of snow, to lay it down adequately enough to go over the top of it.”
Two out of the last three years, the Iditarod has moved the restart to Fairbanks from its traditional location in Willow due to a lack of snow. Mayor Halter hopes this funding could help keep the Iditarod in the Mat-Su.
“The thinking was if they could get some of this brush and tough stuff out, even in smaller, lower snow years we could restart the race in the valley,” Mayor Halter said. “And that’s a big deal for us not only because of the history of Joe Sr. and the race, but for businesses. We have a lot of lodges and a lot of things revolve around the Iditarod.
Several members of the Redington family were at the ceremony. The founder’s great granddaughter Ellen Redington will be attending Redington High School in the fall. She will be the first family-member to enroll in the school.
Three of Joe Redington Sr’s grandchildren, Robert, Ryan and Ray were among the fifty-two mushers that signed up for the 2018 Iditarod over the weekend.
Registration for the race closes December 1st.
