This February marks one hundred years since a tag team of 20 mushers and over 150 sled dogs braved blizzard conditions and dangerously cold temperatures to bring life-saving anti-toxin to Nome. Cook Inlet Historical Society will mark the anniversary of the “Great Race of Mercy” with a mix of vocal and instrumental music, dramatic readings, and historical anecdotes.

Learn how this real-life drama unfolded in newspaper headlines around the world, created real-life canine and human heroes, and helped convince skeptics about the importance of vaccination in treating and preventing dreaded diphtheria. The program will honor Togo and Balto, Fritz, Prince, Jack, Scotty and a host of other sled dogs, Alaska Railroad personnel, physicians, and numerous local government agencies on the federal, territorial, and local levels.

The producer and coordinator for this event is Laura Koenig. Laura is a member of the Cook Inlet Historical Society Board of Directors, artistic director for Anchorage Festival of Music, and an adjunct professor in the Music department at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

This is an event in the Cook Inlet Historical Society’s 2024-2025 Speaker Series. These presentations are virtual, free, and open to the public via Crowdcast; the same link can be used to review the recorded event after the program conclusion. Those attending in person should use the 7th Avenue entrance to access the auditorium.

Cook Inlet Historical Society Presents-The Nome Serum Run Centennial