Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) is inviting community members to participate in the summer Sled Dogs on Parade. The artistic event celebrates the centennial of the historic 1925 Serum Run.
NSHC is providing 100 wooden sled dog cutouts for residents to decorate, with a limit of one per person and three per family. The cutouts will be distributed outside the main hospital in Nome on Friday, June 28, from 12 to 5 p.m., and Monday, July 1, during the same hours, while supplies last.
Participants are encouraged to paint or decorate their sled dog cutouts and submit their completed artworks by July 12 to be eligible for prizes. The decorated sled dogs will be displayed around Nome and NSHC will release a walking map for the public to view all the artworks, incorporating this activity into a community wellness challenge.
NSHC’s Public Relations Manager Reba Lean shared her enthusiasm for the event, highlighting the diverse categories in the contest.
“One of my favorite parts about the contest is the different categories – best overall, most creative, best message, and most culturally inspired – because the variety leads to such different designs, and then once they’re hung all over town, you can see everyone’s different ideas on display."
For residents in regional village communities, NSHC has also allocated 100 wooden sled dog cutouts that can be shipped to local clinics for pickup. Interested participants should contact NSHC Public Relations by emailing pr@nshcorp.org or calling 907-443-9674 by June 27 to reserve a cutout. Reservations must include the participant’s name, community, and phone number.
Artists from the villages can submit photos of their decorated sled dogs to pr@nshcorp.org by July 12 to compete for prizes. These sled dogs will also be used to beautify their respective communities.
The event not only commemorates the 100th anniversary of the 1925 Serum Run but also celebrates the artistic talents within the region. This historical run, also known as the “Great Race of Mercy,” was a lifesaving mission where sled dogs delivered diphtheria antitoxin to Nome during an outbreak.
For more details on the art contest, participants can contact NSHC Public Relations.
