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Mush for Kids ~ February 27, 2010
Duluth~Superior Eco Rotary assisted in Positive Energy for Outdoor (ed)Ventures annual “Mush for Kids” event at Marshall School on Sat. Feb. 27th.  Positive Energy for Outdoor (ed)Ventures is a local non-profit whose mission is to help kids and their families develop a life-long love of doing outdoor activities, through participating in some of those activities.  The hope is that when kids and their families have outdoor fun, they will respect and take care of the environment.  The events at “Mush for Kids” consisted of 2 teams of sled dogs that took children under 12 for rides.  There was a team of 2 draft horses that gave sleigh rides.  Kids also tried XC skiing, snowshoeing and skijoring, (skiing behind a dog that pulled you!).  There was also a winter camping tent and display set up so you could see how to cook and stay warm while camping in the snow and cold.

ECO Rotarians, Eric, Jim, Tad, Wendy, Brenda, Kathy and Sara all had a lot of fun helping out at “Mush for Kids.”  It was a beautiful, blue-skied, warm February day for people~and actually too warm for the horses and dogs!  Kathy and her husband, Frank, photographed many of the goings-ons, such as unloading the horses, dogs and other gear.

On the dogsled course, Tad spent a large part of his day “grooming” a sharp turn on the course.  Like all of us, Tad looked pretty “wiped” at the end of the day!  Jim started early at Positive Energy’s base, helping unload dogs, horses and gear.  He spent a good part of the day grooming the other sharp turn in the course!  Wendy and Eric helped a lot with “dog control!” It seemed the dogs wanted to go straight much of the time, so we had to help guide them back on the course.  Of course, we spent a lot of time helping children get into and out of the dog sleds, too.

Brenda and Sara were on the “horse course!”  They harnessed the horses to the sleigh, and that equipment is heavy! They also kept kids away from those 1,300 pound horse-hooves! Sara even used the horse training from Positive Energy and drove the sleigh a few times!

A special thanks to Eric for organizing some of his water polo team from UMD to come and help out, too.  They did a great job!