Iditarod Wish Granted To Texan Boy

Make-A-Wish Foundation® partners with Donlin Gold to grantAlaska Iditarod experience to Texan boy WHO & WHAT: Nathan is a nine-year-old boy who is living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Despite his medical condition, Nathan has a true love for sports, animals, and spending time with his friends and family. However, most of his life has consisted of physical therapy, doctors’ visits, and medication. So, Nathan made a wish to leave the hospital behind and live-out his ultimate dream: to join the ranks of the Alaskan mushers in the Iditarod! With the help of his friends at the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alaska and Washington and Donlin Gold, Nathan is headed far away from his hot Texan hometown to Anchorage, where he will live and breathe Alaskan culture, wildlife, and—of course—Iditarod.Media interested in sharing Hunter’s story should contact Nicole Sheldon, regional director of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Anchorage office at 907.258.9476 or nicole@nwwishes.org. WHEN & WHERE: Day 1March 1st · 12am: Nathan attends a pizza lunch with dog sled musher, William Pinkham, to give Nathan a few tips and tricks on the journey ahead of him.· 5:30pm: Off to the Musher’s Banquet! Nathan will have a chance to interact with the mushers as a special guest and watch first-hand as they choose their positions for the big race.Day 2March 3rd · Time TBD (dependent on William Pinkham’s starting position): Today is Nathan’s dog sledding debut! Nathan heads down to 4th Ave, downtown Anchorage to meet up with William Pinkham, but this time as a fellow musher for the Ceremonial Start of the Iditarod! Nathan will lead his family through the crowds to join the mushers on the street. At the sound of the horn, Nathan is waved off on his ride by cheers and barks from the crowd. · One Hour Later: Family and fans meet Nathan at the finish line as he ends his ride at the Campbell Airstrip.Day 3March 4th· Time TBD: The official start of the Iditarod! Nathan’s Idita-Rider VIP pass will get him to the front lines of all the action. Nathan waves off his new favorite musher, William Pinkham, as he and his dogs set off on their 10-day race.Day 4March 5th· 12pm: It’s over to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson for Nathan to find out if he has what it takes to a soldier for a day! He spends an entire day with his new army pals, learning all the tricks of the trade and sharing in a few adventures.Day 5March 6th· 9am: Next stop: The Alaska Zoo! Nathan heads over to the zoo in Anchorage to continue his wildlife journey. Because part of his special wish included a request to see a polar bear, Nathan will have a unique, behind-the-scenes polar bear experience at the zoo.Day 6March 7th· 11:30am: Nathan arrives at Kenai Fjords Tour Office in Seward for a glacier cruise through the heart of the Kenai Fjords. With his camera at the ready, Nathan will have a chance to see and experience Alaskan wildlife in its natural habitat—a perfect ending to his Alaskan fairytale. ABOUT MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF ALASKA & WASHINGTON:Celebrating 25 years of granting wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alaska & Washington has brought hope, strength and joy to more than 4,725 local children through its wish granting process. This year, the local chapter will grant nearly 300 wishes. For more information about the local chapter and how you can share the power of a wish® please call 877.510.WISH or visit www.northwestwishes.org.