On March 6th, the Alaska Job Corps Center did not stand passively by as the 85 dog teams raced to Nome, during the 2016 Iditarod’s running of the Last Great Race. Instead, they were at the starting line in Willow Alaska. Students and recreation staff cheered, applauded and high-fived the mushers as their teams with hundreds of dogs left the chute. The Job Corps crew offered to help officials and organizers tear down miles of temporary safety fencing after the last musher sledded away.

Prior to the event the students watched the short film, “Why Do they Run?” a documentary on the differences between ordinary dogs and incredible sled dogs, who are bred and raised with a joyful motivation to run. On the long drive to and from the race site, students learned about the history of the Iditarod and about dog teams from an experienced dog handler, Iditarod insider and Alaska Job Corps Evening Studies Coordinator, Jane Baldwin.

So the race began on Sunday, but the attention did not stop. For the next eight days and eleven hours, Alaska Job Corps staff and students tracked the teams, mushers and causes. For the 1000 mile race, through blizzards and tundra, mushers and dog teams work together to have a successful journey. Safety and compassion are an integral part of this race.

Back at the Alaska Job Corps center, acts of kindness were being logged for each mile of the trail. Long hallways were lined with “Act of Kindness” mile markers and staff and students journaled and plotted their efforts on the long winding trail. Some acts of kindness were simple ones but the weight was strong with determination. Kindness is a culture that is both taught, mentored and appreciated at the Alaska Job Corps Center. It is considered a requirement for successful career training. Being receptive to needs—and helping in response—is more than a soft skill. At the end of the race, over 1000 acts of kindness had been documented and dog teams crossed the finish line. Although the majority of the racers are checked in, there are still a few teams that are expected to finish by Monday, March 21rst.

Mary Ellen Merrick, Alaska Job Corps Counselor headed up the “kindness” effort along with the HOPE student group. She said, “What an accomplishment we have made; pushing to make a goal is a positive pattern. We brought the good will into this experience. The original mushers and dogs were an awesome example of courage and their journey was an act of kindness—for all Alaskans.”