Bill Hall, Trapper Creek, Alaska Bill Hall was born in Michigan on August 16, 1944. A job brought him to Alaska from Chicago in 1975. Bill and his wife, Pat Danly, became interested in mushing and the Iditarod when they volunteered as HAM radio operators at a trail checkpoint in 1976. He has run five Iditarod races. He and Pat take turns competing in this race. He runs in even numbered years and she runs in the odd numbered years. Bill is a freelance computer programmer and Internet sales representative. He lists HAM radio, gymnastics and computers as his hobbies.

Vern Halter, Trapper Creek, Alaska South Dakota born Vern Halter is 46 years old and self employed as a kennel owner. An attorney, his profession brought him to Alaska in 1977. He began mushing in 1983 and has been a top competitor in many of the most famous races in the sport. He won the Yukon Quest in 1990 and has placed second and third in the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. In his seven Iditarod races, he finished in the top 10 in 1992 (seventh) and 1995 (eighth). For the past three years, following each year’s Iditarod, Vern with Norwest Banks of South Dakota, has visited over 30,000 school students in South Dakota and Minnesota. He introduced the students to mushing and the Iditarod as he demonstrated mushing equipment and dog care.

Dewey Halverson, Trapper Creek, Alaska When Dewey Halverson, 43, finished high school, he set out for Alaska where he wanted to homestead and mush dogs. He established Nuna Kennels 25 years ago and maintained a recreational dog team for five years. He fielded his first competitive Iditarod team in 1977. He has entered and successfully completed the race eight times, with his best finish being second in 1985. He has also received the Halfway Award and the Gold Coast Award. He served on Iditarod’s Board of Directors three years. When he isn’t training dogs, he lectures on the Iditarod. During the summer he gives talks twice daily at Denali National Park. During the off season he travels throughout the United States giving assembly programs and lectures to schools, corporations, service organizations and residential communities. During his school tours, Dewey has reached some 40,000 school children. Nuna Kennels also contributes to the Children’s Health Foundation of California by donating a dog sled trip to their annual fund raiser. Dewey is looking forward to the Iditarod this year. He’ll be running a team of three to five year olds, the core of which finished 22nd in Mark Wildermuth’s team last year. When he isn’t mushing or lecturing, Dewey says he enjoys scuba diving, reading, wilderness adventure, bill paying and messing with the computer. He is single and has one daughter, Serine, 8.