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This year will mark the 32nd Running of the Percy De Wolfe Memorial Race.  This race is funded primarily through volunteer work and sponsorship.  We currently have six members on our board who work very hard in the summer at fundraisers, and throughout the year, by contacting potential sponsors. We also spend many hours organizing the event itself.

As some of you may know, the Percy ran into financial trouble after it got involved in the IFSS race in 2005.  Going into details about the cause of this trouble will help no one at this point.  We are pleased to say however, that as of the spring of 2007, the Percy has cleared all of its debts, thanks to our hard working board and the help of many local volunteers. 

Because of our financial troubles, in the past two years, we have not been able to guarantee a purse until shortly before the race.  The direct effect of this is that mushers planned on doing other races (due to their own financial constraints) and only a half dozen mushers showed up in the last two races.  As you may well imagine, sponsors do not consider 5 or 6 mushers a major event, and this makes it difficult for us, as a board to keep these sponsors. The Percy is the only Yukon Quest and Iditarod qualifier in Yukon.  It also celebrates a part of Yukon’s history and heritage.  We, as a board can, at this time, guarantee a minimum $10, 000 purse.

By signing up now and showing your commitment to this race, you will help us keep our current sponsors and hopefully lure some of our previous and possibly new sponsors, to help us put on this race and increase the purse for 2008. If we have another race with a poor turn-out, we may not only lose our sponsors, but to be frank, also our board and volunteers. In the process, we may lose a race that is widely felt to be important to both Dawson City and Yukon. Our basic way of thinking is that mushers vote with their attendance.  If only a handful of mushers are interested in running this historic race, then a board member to musher ratio of 1 to one is not feasible.

We are not sending this as an ultimatum, but rather as a call for help. We urge you to sign up now and show support for Yukon’s longest running race.  Simply visit our website thepercy.com and complete the entry form, payment can be made online, or fill out the attached entry form and return by mail.  If you have any questions please contact Ann Ledwidge at 867-993-5406.

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