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Video: Straw for 2020 Beargrease Sled Dog Race Stolen

Oct 31, 2019 06:47AM ● By Editor

Straw is one of the Beargrease's biggest expenses every year.  Photo: WDIO-TV file


By Baihly Warfield of WDIO-TV - October 30, 2019


Someone stole the straw that dogs in the 2020 John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon were supposed to get their rest on. 

It was being stored with a farmer in Cook, Minn. Race organizers got a phone call Wednesday morning letting them know it was gone. 

"We go through an enormous amount of straw for our races -- our 4-legged-athletes need their rest," a Facebook post on the marathon's page said. 

They usually order around 200 bales, and they estimate it will cost them around $2,000 to replace. 

"It's just more expensive for us because it's at a premium this year," Beargrease spokesperson Monica Hendrickson said. "We always reserve our straw in September, and so our farmer was holding it for us. And it's all gone." 

Because the dogs are endurance athletes, Hendrickson said they are very particular about what kind of straw they get and where it is stored. They will have to source it from a more expensive place for the 2020 race. 

"The dogs need it to keep dry and to keep warm. They're running 300 miles," she said. "It's one of the most important things that we have for the race." 

To help cover the costs, visit the Donation page on beargrease.com.


To read the original article and see related report, follow this link to the WDIO-TV website. https://www.wdio.com/news/straw-for-beargrease-sled-dog-race-stolen/5539229/?cat=10335


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