When diphtheria broke out in Nome, Alaska, USA, in 1925, lifesaving serum had to be brought in by sled dogs over the Iditarod Trail, an event now commemorated annually in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. In 1996, that heroic dash inspired residents of Jackson, Wyo., USA, to start a sled dog race of their own – the Race to Immunize – to promote childhood immunizations.

In the race’s second year, members of the Rotary Club of Jackson Hole Breakfast got involved because the race treasurer was a Rotarian. They saw an opportunity to link the event to Rotary’s polio eradication efforts. Each year since, the club has raised several thousand dollars for PolioPlus through the race, in addition to supporting local health initiatives.

The event, now called the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race, is run in eight segments ending each night in a different town, where the teams’ times are recorded. The 350-mile race, which starts in Jackson and ends in Park City, Utah, was held this year 30 January-7 February.

The Jackson Hole Breakfast club helps to raise money through the sale, to local business sponsors, of banners that teams put on their sleds, and of race merchandise. Some of the proceeds go toward race expenses, and the rest are used to fund club projects. In 2008, the Rotarians gave $10,000 toward a project to provide early treatment of mental health problems in children. Rotary clubs in Landers, Wyo., and Park City have also become involved in the race, says Matt Faupel, who chairs the sled dog race committee for Jackson Hole Breakfast.

“The dog race gives our little club a lot of exposure,” Faupel says. “We took the project on a long time ago and really enjoy being involved in it.”