Thursday, November 17, 2005

U.P. 200 SLED DOG RACE FEBRUARY 2006 START SCHEDULED IN DOWNTOWN MARQUETTE

      MARQUETTE – Despite a lack of municipal funding, the Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association has announced that the February 2006 start of Michigan's longest sled dog race, the U.P. 200 Sled Dog Championship, will continue to be in the heart of downtown Marquette.

    For the past 16 years, the 240-plus mile U.P. 200 has attracted thousands of spectators to the early evening race start in downtown Marquette, Mich. This city of 20,000 promotes the downtown start as a feature that makes the city unique and has used the event as a highlight in its successful designations of All-America County, Most Liveable Cities and Cool Cities in Michigan.

    Earlier this year, the city was beleaguered by a host of financial and personnel issues resulting in the resignation of the city manager and recall of the mayor and three city commissioners. The financial problems led to the city cutting support for all city events, including the start of the U.P. 200.

    According to UPSDA President Pat Torreano, the U.P. 200 and its companion race, the 80-mile Midnight Run, operate on a budget of approximately $100,000. “More than 75% of the funding is from non-city sources. Estimates from the local tourist industry indicate that the races bring in $2 million tourism dollars annually to Marquette at a time when no other major events are held. The after dark start has created what many mushers and fans refer to as the most spectacular start of any sled dog race outside of Alaska.”

    Discussions between city officials and the UPSDA included trying to save money by moving the start elsewhere in the city, but no alternative could be found that had enough room for the dog teams and spectators.

    "One way or another the race will continue with the downtown start," said Torreano. "Pat Black, Marquette Country Convention and Visitor’s Bureau director and UPSDA board member, is chairing the Save Our Start Committee and will serve as the liaison with the Downtown Merchants Association and the City of Marquette. She is currently seeking donations and in kind support for the start of the 2006 race. We expect her to issue a report soon on the committee's efforts. The 'big picture' is simply that the U.P. 200 is important not only for Marquette, but it also positively impacts many of the small communities in Michigan's Upper Peninsula where mushers stop."

    Additional information on the Save Our Start Committee can be found online at www.up200.org. Black can be contacted via email at director@marquettecountry.org or by telephone at 1-800-544-4321 or 906-228-7749.

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Prepared by Beverly Stroh