By Kerstin Renner

Organizers of the Bootleg Sled Dog Races in Kimberley are working to put the finishing touches on planning for this year’s race weekend on February 4 and 5. Although there is still a chance the races could be canceled due to the weather, with snow falling and in the forecast, race manager Brenda Birrell is optimistic.

“We want to stay positive and we already have about 40 racers entered,” she says. This matches the turn-out of previous years and Birrell has an idea why the race is so popular with mushers. “They’re coming to Kimberley to compete, but they also know they’re making a difference.” The Bootleg Sled Dog Races are a fundraising event for East Kootenay Friends of Children. This year marks the fourth annual and over the past three years, the race has raised over $50,000 for the charity.

“This is our largest fundraiser and every cent raised stays here in the region,” explains Gail Brown, director with Friends of Children. The organization is a free and confidential service for East Kootenay families with children in medical need. Support from the charity can come in many forms, from financial contributions for travel, meals and accommodations to coordinating assistance with other organizations and providing information as well as emotional support.

“When your child is diagnosed with an illness, it’s a very emotional and stressful situation. We want to take as much pressure off families as we can, so they can focus their energy on helping their child get healthy again,” Brown says. So far, Friends of Children has been able to assist over 100 local families.

The family of Baby Q from Cranbrook was one that received support from Friends of Children last year. Delivered at only 24 weeks by emergency C-section, the baby was premature and had to spend the first three months of her life in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary. After coming home to Cranbrook, it was bi-weekly and then monthly trips to the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary for check-ups.

Friends of Children assisted Q’s family by arranging their stay at Ronald MacDonald House in Calgary, right across the street from Alberta Children’s Hospital. They also linked the family to needed services, helped with accommodation and travel costs and supported them during this time of emotional stress.

“We cannot imagine having to deal with all of the logistical challenges of baby Q’s birth, while dealing with the emotional ones,” states the grandmother who also lives in Cranbrook. “We cannot stress enough how this service provided by EK Friends of Children saved our sanity, and supported Q’s mom and dad when they did not know where else to turn.”

Baby Q is progressing well and at nine months, she weighed 17 pounds. “We love to hear these success stories and are looking for many more in the years to come,” Brown says. “It’s the support from the community and organizations such as the Bootleg Sled Dog Society that make this all possible.”

In addition to donating all proceeds from the event, the Bootleg Sled Dog Race also has a silent auction with great prizes and a donation box set up right at the entrance to the clubhouse.

There is no charge to attend the Bootleg Sled Dog Races as a spectator. “This is a community event,” states Birrell. “We want everybody to come out and have a really fun time.” Interestingly, she adds, donations have increased steadily over the past three years, despite the downturn in the economy. “People come out, because it’s a fun-filled weekend for the family, and they want to support a great cause that helps other families.”

The Bootleg Sled Dog Races are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, February 4 and 5, at the Bootleg Gap Golf Course in Kimberley. There will be a mushers’ registration and orientation event on Friday, February 3 and the Bootleg dinner and silent auction on Saturday evening. This is a mushers’ banquet and there are some tickets available for the public, please call 250-427-1970 to reserve your spot.

For a full schedule of events, registration details and other information, please go to www.bootlegsleddograces.ca. To learn more about East Kootenay Friends of Children, please check www.friendsofchildren.ca.

Above photo courtesy Carrie Schafer/Through My Eyes Photography

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