ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Coast Guard sponsored Iditarod musher Ken Anderson and Coast Guard personnel will be talking about the Iditarod and the missions of the Coast Guard during a visit with the students of Fire Lake Elementary School in Eagle River at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
Ken Anderson, a Fairbanks resident, is a nine-year Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race veteran who is running in the 2010 Iditarod race which will extend through 1049 miles of some of Alaska’s toughest terrain. Twice Anderson has finished the race in the top five, with his best finish in 2008 when he placed fourth out of 97 participants.
Along with Anderson’s visit, Coast Guard personnel will be displaying a 25-foot response boat from the Anchorage Maritime Safety and Security Team.
“The Coast Guard has a proud history here in Alaska,” said Cmdr. Darryl Verfaillie, commanding officer at Marine Safety Unit Valdez and sponsorship organizer. “In our early history here in Alaska, dog sleds were used to help perform pivotal rescues of trapped whaling ship crews. We are proud to pay respect to a rich Alaska Coast Guard history by participating in this great race.”
