To the editor:

I have many people to thank for their part in making the first ever Verna Mize Triathlon a big success! First, we all are eternally grateful to Verna Mize for her work and determination to save Lake Superior for all of us to enjoy. I want to thank her cousin, Melissa Lewis, who granted me permission to name this event after Verna.

I want to thank Eric Waara for keeping Verna in the conversation and moving her memorial to the waterfront to watch over our precious resource. Thanks to the City Council for allowing me the liberty to create this event and to Angela Luskin and Portage Health for sharing their signage and vests.

Thanks to the twelve businesses that stepped up right away with their support: Biggby Coffee, Camp Coffee, Victoria’s Kitchen, Chickadees, Black Ice Comics and Ice Cream, Rhythm Bike Shop, Studio 13, Downwind Sports, Otter River, Surplus Outlet, Baby E’s BBQ and Raccoon Books.

A big thanks to our volunteers who made this race function remarkably well: Bill and Barry Fink (on their anniversary), Sandy Cooney, Christy Hilgers, Mike Axford, Jan Cole, Eric Waara, Sarah Eles, Bob Jackson, James Mertens, Vicky Nelson, Anil Jambekar, and Joan Suits.

Thanks to Paul Hietala and Markham’s Marina for donating buoys to the future of the VMT.

Thanks to Alicia O’Grady, Ann Bengry, Lilly Bollinger and Emily Bergstrom for their promotion and involvement as lifeguards.

Thanks to K-Bear, LIFT, WMPL, TV6 and this wonderful newspaper for their coverage. Thanks to Charlie Eshbach and his bio on Verna from The Keweenaw Traveler paper.

Thanks to the Coast Guard, Sheriff’s Department and Houghton City Police Department for their presence and patrolling of the routes.

Thanks to Northland Vets Clinic for donating masks and their concern for racers safety.

We are the luckiest people in the world to live here and many of our participants and visitors last weekend realize this, too.