ANG pilot mushes dogs for noble cause

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nora Anton
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  A pilot with the Alaska Air National Guard and a team of 27 Siberian Huskies are currently breaking new strides while mushing through the icy Interior of Alaska to help children in need.

The Sled Dog Fund, Inc. is a non-profit organization which uses the adventures of racing sled dogs to promote awareness and raise funds for children with disabilities.

"We use the visibility and notoriety of racing sled dogs in Alaska to promote awareness for these children," said Maj. Blake Matray, 168th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 pilot and weapons and tactics chief.

With a simple desire to help, Major Matray said his mission started when Special Olympics called asking for donations.

"When I first got to Alaska in 2000, Special Olympics Alaska contacted me and asked for a donation, I've sent them money over the years but always wanted to do more," he said. "The Sled Dog Fund, Inc. allows me to use my dog team and the teams of other mushers as a way to give more to those children."

Major Matray said all donations The Sled Dog Fund receives directly support children with disabilities and their families and help finance clinical research on developmental disabilities, hospital programs, parental education programs and sponsors individual disabled children who wish to compete in adventure races of any kind.

There are more than 18,000 children in Alaska alone who can benefit from this organization; being affected by a variety of life-long disabilities--those being mental and/or physical impairments.

In addition to a program dedicated to providing access ramps to families of disabled children and a sponsorship program giving disabled children the opportunity to compete athletically, the SDF donates funds to The Stone Soup Group and Providence Alaska Children's Hospital in Anchorage, The Alaska Center For Children and Adults in Fairbanks, and the pediatric medical research branch of The University of Minnesota Children's Hospital in Minneapolis, Minn.

Donna Nichols, The Stone Soup Group office manager, said the group uses donations as a means to provide emergency funds to families of children with special needs.

"We've provided airfare, cab fare, hotel costs, meal tickets, phone cards, money for fuel and many other things," said Ms. Nichols. "We really appreciate donations whenever they come in."

The SDF organization's board consists of Major Matray as executive director, Deborah Lanigan as vice president and Erin Matray as secretary and treasurer.

Major Matray has been competitively mushing dogs since 1995, a way of life he picked up while stationed at Minot AFB, N.D., as a B-52 pilot. He served 10 years as an active duty Air Force officer before crossing over into the guard eight years ago. He and his team of 27 Siberian huskies have competed in the Iditarod, the Denali 300, the Tustumena 200 and finished the 2007 Don Bowers 200 Sled Dog Race. The SDF has been a recognized charity starting October 2007.

He operates his own kennel in Two Rivers, the mushing capital of the Interior. His kennel is called Brown Dog Outfitters, and is maintained by himself and his wife Erin, a former captain and aerospace physiologist with the 354th Medical Group.

The Sled Dog Fund operates entirely on donations from corporations and private individuals. For those who wish to donate to The Sled Dog Fund, Inc., the organization accepts donations online at their Website, www.sleddogfund.org or by mail: P.O. Box 16095, Two Rivers, Alaska 99176. The organization has tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service; anyone making a charitable donation to the fund can deduct it on their federal income taxes.