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THE RACE WILL GO ON - After a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race will begin March 6. Pictured is Dany Jette and his dog team. Photo by ALISTAIR MAITLAND PHOTOGRAPHY

The mail must go through – a lesson in pandemic perseverance

As the board meeting via Zoom ends, Gaby Sgaga, the president of the Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race Committee, looks to me with a smile on her face.

By Whitehorse Star on March 2, 2021

As the board meeting via Zoom ends, Gaby Sgaga, the president of the Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race Committee, looks to me with a smile on her face.

“The route might be different, the start might be different, but the spirit is the same,” she says to me.

The Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race commonly referred to as "The Percy", is celebrating 45 years commemorating a special man that the North holds close to their heart.

While Percy DeWolfe is a household name in Dawson, YT, and Eagle, AK, there might be a few folks who haven’t heard of the legendary mail carrier.

Percy DeWolfe, born in Nova Scotia, arrived in Dawson in 1898. In 1910, Percy received the contract to carry mail between Dawson and Eagle. Providing a lifeline to the “Outside” for folks who lived along his mail route, Percy delivered mail for 40 consecutive years by dogsled, horse team, and boat.

Through grit, determination, perseverance, and a little bit of luck, this man became known as "The Iron Man of The North". While there are many stories recorded of Percy’s brushes with death, one thing always remained the same: he got the mail through.

The Klondike Visitor Association (KVA) started a Memorial Mail Run in the '70s following his traditional route; it soon evolved into a race format in the '80s, put on by the non-profit Percy DeWolfe Memorial Mail Race Committee. The Percy has proven to be a favourite among mushers who enjoy a good wilderness race.

While the 2020 race was cancelled due to the beginnings of COVID-19, the committee still felt it important to honour Percy’s spirit by getting the mail on the trail; they recruited local musher and three-time winner of the race, Jason Biasetti to carry the mail along the historic route. Fast forward to 2021. The day of the race, March 6th, is coming up fast.

Due to continuing COVID-19 restrictions, the committee meets virtually to organize The Percy. Organizing a race during a pandemic has proven to be a challenging obstacle course. The committee has put great thought and consideration into how best to honour Percy, while also respecting the safety of the community.

Known for top-notch dog care, they have extended that thinking to include not just musher care, but community care. The race was analyzed and tailored to fit current COVID-19 protocols. This meant making some hard decisions, including closing the race to all but Yukon mushers, creating a new race route - the “Percy Loop” that stays completely within the Yukon – moving the start of the race from historic downtown Dawson to discourage crowds, and informing mushers to come prepared to bed down with their dogs outside at the remote checkpoint of Forty Mile, rather than gather inside as is usual. There will be no banquet, and awards will be by appointment only.

These are just some of the many important details that ensured the committee is able to provide a race that is still a fun and challenging adventure that honours Percy, but also an event that respects the guidelines society has to follow to keep COVID-19 numbers low in the territory.

The Percy not only celebrates its namesake, but also the fact that dog sledding is still a common way to travel in the North. The hope is that the Percy is a morale boost for those whose race season has been so altered due to the pandemic, and a reminder to all Yukoners that with grit, determination, perseverance, and a little bit of luck, we will make it through.

“With careful thought and preparation, we are pleased to continue to provide a traditional event for mushers,” says Sgaga.

The race is set to start on March 6, at 10 a.m. sharp in Dawson, with teams having a nine-dog maximum limit. For more info about the race, visit http://www.thepercy.com.

-By Sally DeMerchant

Comments (1)

Up 0 Down 0

Darlene Forsdick on Mar 3, 2021 at 5:03 pm

Congratulations Sally. I really enjoyed reading the history of the Dewolfe Race.

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