2013 CopperDog 150 Event Schedule

by Todd Brassard; Friday, February 22, 2013

CLICK TO VIEW/DOWNLOAD 2013 EVENT SCHEDULE

While The Dogs Are Away, Let The Families Come Play!

by Zoe Lincoln; Wednesday, February 20, 2013

The dogs may be in Copper Harbor, but the fun is happening in Calumet! Join us for a variety of fun family centered activities on the snow road in downtown Calumet from 11:30-3p on Saturday, March 2, 2013. In addition there will be all day Snow Road Shopping Specials in the downtown shops.

The festivities will begin at the 5th street CopperDog start gate with a kids’ snowshoe race at 11:30! Come with or without your snowshoes because there will be free snowshoe rentals provided by Cross Country Sports (on a first come, first serve basis). The race will include three heats for different groups (K-2nd grade, 3rd-5th, and 6th-8th) and the winner of each heat will receive this year’s CopperDog t-shirt. However, no participant will leave empty handed because there will be a prize for each child!

Once the races are finished at 12:30 stick around the start gate for a Musher Meet and Greet with sled dogs. You will have an opportunity to ask the mushers any Dog Sledding questions you can think of. Don’t forget, this is the perfect opportunity to spend some snuggle time with these amazing animals!

If snow shoe races don’t get the kids jumping up and down, then from 12p-3p you can bring them to the Copper Country Artists Associations for FREE face painting or you can stop by Agassiz Park for some Family Snow Statue Building.

Parents, we want you to enjoy the “CopperDog Specials” offered by the stores so feel free to leave the kids on the snow road from 1:30p-3p for Playtime on the Snow Road. Your kids will be under the watchful eye of CopperDog Volunteers who will be waiting to let the kids play on sleds, compliments of Ace Hardware, or they can try out the free snowshoe rentals provided by Cross Country Sports.

All Day Snow Road Specials Include:

• Calumet Floral and Gifts- 25% off in store merchandise
• Copper World- Specials on CopperDog Apparell and Plush Dog Toys for sale
• The Office Shop- 10% off all copper
• Copper Country Artists Association will be featuring all local artists
• Ziyad Gallery will be highlighting artwork by a Michigan Musher

Once the kids’ events are over there will be Evening activities for the Adults!

Before the Wolverines game, catch one of the local happy hour specials:

• L&L Bar: Buy one drink, get one for the temp. of Friday’s Start (ie. 10 degrees=10 cents)
• Luigis: $1 off a drink

Happy Healthy Dogs- No pets allowed!

by Kim Pici, Asst. Race Director; Wednesday, February 06, 2013

The CopperDog race has some great superstars. Yes, we all know the dedication and hard work the “humans” put into this sport, but I am talking about the “4 –legged” Superstars- the dogs.

Coined by Executive Director of the CopperDog Todd Brassard, one of the phrases you may hear during race weekend is “Happy Healthy Dogs”. With a team of skilled veterinarians, as well as a group of mushers that know how to care for these athletes, CopperDog is continuously trying to live up to just that…happy, healthy dogs.

These animals’ health and welfare is one of the highest priorities. Throughout race weekend, the veterinarians on staff work to make certain that these animals are in healthy condition and that no one places them in jeopardy.

We here at CopperDog would be remiss, if we did not do our part, to assist in striving to keep these animals safe and healthy during the race. We want everyone to come out and enjoy race weekend. It’s an exciting event that, thanks to the communities in and surrounding the Keweenaw, we should all be proud of.

We want to keep the dogs out of harm's way so here are a couple of tips for doing just that:

• Please keep “Fido” at home. We here at CopperDog love dogs.  But during race weekend, keep your pets at home. It is distracting for the sled dogs and can be a health risk for them as well. Sled dogs live, function, and run with a pack mentality. Seeing a dog on a leash close by can disrupt this balance.
• We also want to keep the community pets safe; we do not want anyones’ beloved bow- wow to get into a situation that could potentially cause harm to them.
• Please do not come to the race, planning to feed the dogs. These animals are on very specialized diets that their mushers and handlers work hard to devise and maintain. (No hot dogs for these canines during race weekend!)
  

So hopefully we will see you all race weekend and remember safety first… please leave your pups at home.

Calling All Food Vendors!

by Lesley DuTemble; Monday, January 21, 2013

If you are a food vendor, CopperDog wants you ... and your food! (We want you even if you're not a food vendor, but that's another issue.)

CopperDog is currently accepting food vendor applications for the Friday night (March 1, 2013) race start event. That Friday night, thousands of people will converge on historic downtown Calumet, all of them wanting food and drinks. Last year nearly 6000 people attended the race start. This year we are expecting 5000-7000 people. We want those people to come hungry and to be able to get some food while they watch the race.

CopperDog is not just about sled dogs. It's about community involvement and vitality. It's about creating a great event that brings people together. Having food and drinks available is part of this vision. And the better the entire vendor program, the better the individual success of each vendor.

To ensure that spectators and vendors have a good experience CopperDog is introducing a Vendor Facilitation Program. Our goal is to identify great locations for vendors to set up shop, with easy access to for spectators. Power will be provided, and CopperDog will coordinate with vendors to avoid duplication of menus. CopperDog will advertise and promote vendor menus and provide location maps to the public. We will also be campaigning for people to come early, come hungry, and have dinner downtown during the race start. And we will work to retain a balance between downtown Calumet restaurants and vendor services.

For more information, and to fill out an application, please contact Cynthia Cote at cynthiacote@copperdog150.com.  To see a copy of the application, please click here.

Thanks for all you do ... here's to the best race ever!

Fireworks - A Little Fundraising

by Jessie Brassard; Saturday, January 12, 2013

FIREWORKS!

$2,000

$1,500

$1,000

$500

"Oh What Fun It Is To Ride..."

by Kim Pici, Assistant Race Director; Thursday, November 29, 2012

Part of the mission of the CopperDog organization is to find ways to enrich our community and an important part of our community is our kids. And what is a fun, exciting way for us to do accomplish this? Well, giving them a chance to experience one of the most exciting winter sports that you will ever see in the Keweenaw…sled dog racing!

December 15th, 1 - 3PM!

CopperDog is sponsoring their annual Free Kids Sled Dog Rides on Saturday, December 15 Agassiz Park, Calumet. This event is a sure sign that sled dog season is here and the CopperDog races are just around the corner!

Children of all ages will have the chance to sit in an actual dog sled and take a ride with a team of some amazing athletes — furry, four-legged ones. Professional Musher Tom Bauer of Otter River Sled Dog Training Center and Wilderness Adventures will be bringing his dogs to Calumet, giving kids the chance to experience a small glimpse into this great sport.

Not only are the rides free, but there will be free hot dogs and hot chocolate for all from 1:00pm until 3:00pm. Several other teams along with their musher will be there for the public to meet and ask questions about these unique animals, and the sport of sled dog racing.

Families will also have a chance to get a free photo keepsake of their kids with the “celebrities” of the day- the dogs of course! Everyone is welcome but we ask one favor for the safety and health of the sled dogs — if you think you have a “track running Terrier” or a “sprinting Springer Spaniel”, please, let them stay at home.

Bring your family out and enjoy the afternoon with CopperDog, on Saturday, December 15, 1pm to 3pm in Calumet's Agassiz Park.

Update (12/16/2012): The annual December kids rides came off without a hitch despite Mother Nature not being most cooperative.  Check the CopperDog blog page for a full update by Kim Pici.

CopperDog 150 Race Weekend

by Todd Brassard; Sunday, September 23, 2012

Where Downtown Calumet, Eagle Harbor, Copper Harbor

Some call it the Superbowl of the Keweenaw!  The CopperDog 150 is a three-day, 150-mile adventure that brings 30 professional and 15 recreational sled-dog teams from all over the USA and Canada to pit their skills against the sport's best.

Everything get started Friday, March 1 at 5pm in downtown Calumet.  Enjoy streets filled with music, lots of delicious food, tons of merchandise, and beautiful art exhibits at Calumet's First Friday celebration.  Witness almost 400 dogs strung into teams as they shoot off into the night to cheers of 5,000 fans.  Trans travel into the night and wrap up the first stage in Eagle Harbor around midnight.

Ray Bosley Galleries: 2011 CopperDog 150

Saturday morning, after the hospitality of the Eagle Harbor Inn and a nights rest in Eagle Harbor, the teams depart to Copper Harbor. Saturday afternoon fans, families, and volunteers welcome the teams in from the trail, and can meet the dogs and visit with mushers before the mid-race banquet that evening. 

Sunday morning, after a full night's rest, the teams leave Copper Harbor and make the climb up Brockway mountain.  Teams race along the crest of the mountain until they reach the top, then turn downward and return to Calumet, where they once again travel through the town (lined with cheering fans) and cross the finish line.

It’s a fun filled weekend involving the entire community – a family party taking place on the entire peninsula. Come join us for this unique experience March 1-3, 2013!

Fans are welcomed with open arms and volunteers (and more volunteers) are always needed.