Tuesday, February 12, 2007

UPPER PENINSULA SLED DOG ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES RACE ITINERARY FOR GUEST NY GIANTS KICKER JAY FEELY

MARQUETTE MI – Professional football player Jay Feely, kicker for the NY Giants will be a special guest at the eighteenth running of the annual U.P. 200 and Midnight Run Sled Dog Races in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. 

    “Sled Dog racing is a sporting event, usually involving the entire family, unlike most other sports,” explained Pat Torreano, chairman of the Upper Peninsula Sled Dog Association (UPSDA).  “We are thrilled that Jay Feely will be with us at this year’s races.”   

    Feely’s five years in the NFL have been impressive.  He has scored 584 points so far as a kicker in his 80 game career.  As a kicker, the most points he can score at a time is three; this equates to an average of more than 7 points per game.  He is married to wife Rebecca and the couple have two daughters and one son.  Feely also participates in an ESPN talk show called “Cold Pizza”. 

    Feely’s itinerary for the race is as follows:

• 4:30 pm, Thursday, Feb 15^th, 2007:  Arrival at Race HQ in the Holiday Inn, Marquette
• 4:45 pm, Thursday, Feb 15^th, 2007:  Meet with Northern Michigan University Football team at the Holiday Inn
• 5:00 pm, Thursday, Feb 15^th, 2007:   Bib draw for mushers’ starting positions.
• 5:45 pm, Thursday, Feb 15^th, 2007:  Available to the Media for interview
• 6:00 pm, Thursday, Feb 15^th, 2007:  Meet the Mushers of the races
• 7:00 pm, Thursday, Feb 15^th, 2007:  Mushers’ Banquet begins
• 6:00 pm, Friday, Feb 17^th, 2007:  Meet NMU football players at Race HQ who will escort Feely to the starting chute for the opening ceremonies of the U.P. 200
• 6:30 pm, Friday, Feb 17^th, 2007:  Feely makes informal remarks with emcee Frieda Waara at starting chute.  He will be escorted to his sled for his VIP ride at the start in veteran musher Ward Wallin’s sled just prior to 7:00 pm.
  

The U.P. 200 and Midnight Run have enjoyed an impressive increase in registrations for this year’s races with a total of 35 mushers entered in the 260 mile U.P. 200 and 41 mushers competing in the 90 mile Midnight Run. The races involve a tremendous volunteer force of over 600 individuals scattered over a 200 mile area encompassing four separate communities in Michigan's upper peninsula. Mushers entering the races arrive from across the United States and Canada.

The U.P. 200 allows a maximum of 40 entrants and the Midnight Run caps at 50.   Despite the lack of early training season snowpack, mushers are looking forward to this year’s competition.  For further information on the races, visit the website at www.up200.org.

- 30 -

Prepared by Beverly Stroh