FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 3, 2004
FURTHER INFORMATION:   Jeff Zack (202) 824-1506 (O),
                                              (202) 360-9778 (Cell);
                                              Jim McBride (202) 824-1566 (office)

Youngest Ever Iditarod Racer Gets Help From Anchorage Fire Fighters

Ellie Claus turns 18 this week, becomes youngest contender in legendary dog sled race beginning March 5th thanks to support of Anchorage’s Fire Fighters

ANCHORAGE, AK – Wearing a fire helmet and jacket bearing the logo of her friends in the Anchorage Fire Department, 18-year-old dog sledding phenom Ellie Claus will begin her journey to win the legendary Iditarod this Friday, March 5, at 11:00 a.m. at the ceremonial start of the competition in Anchorage, Alaska.

Claus is expected to be named the sport’s Rookie of the Year, as she won the 2003 Junior Iditarod and is considered a contender to win the big race. She is sponsored by her uncle, Bruce Markwood, a fire fighter with Anchorage Local 1264, and his fire fighting brothers and sisters in the Anchorage Fire Department.

Iditarod racers must be 18 years old to compete. Claus, who turns 18 two days before the race -- making her the youngest contender ever -- has her own kennel and raises her own dogs, which is rare for sled racers. The Anchorage fire fighters have helped raise the more than $30,000 needed to participate in the race. The Anchorage Local conducted a raffle that raised $15,000 for Claus and each fire station in the city participated in an "Adopt-a-Dog" program, under which the dogs on Claus’s team will wear the emblem of their adopted fire station.

VISUALS: Ellie wears a fire helmet while she races and a jacket with the IAFF union logo, while her dogs wear the emblems of the fire stations of Anchorage as part of her “Adopt-A-Dog” program. Anchorage fire fighters will send her off during the ceremonial start of the Iditarod with banners and fire trucks lacing the beginning of the race. During the race, Claus’ father will help re-supply her from his own plane, which features a large IAFF banner.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: Ellie is available to discuss her story before and after the ceremonial start of the race. Local fire fighters will also be on hand to talk about their support for Ellie.

About the International Association of Fire Fighters

The International Association of Fire Fighters, headquartered in Washington, DC, is the 16th largest union among the 64 national unions that makeup the AFL-CIO. The IAFF represents more than 263,000 full-time professional fire fighters and emergency medical personnel who protect 80 percent of the nation’s population. More than 2,900 affiliates and their members protect nearly 6,000 communities in every state in the Unites States and every province in Canada.