I am writing in gratitude to all those involved in orchestrating the Verna Mize Triathlon 2024. A mere thank you seems inadequate as there are many moving parts working together that make this event a huge success! The excitement and joy of the participants make it all worthwhile. Their accomplishment in completing this race was palpable. What is also rewarding is the younger racers who completely understand how precious and fragile our environment is. We can count on them to protect and preserve our beautiful surroundings, keeping them pristine for future generations.

The list is long yet very deserving of acknowledgement: Houghton City Manager Eric Waara and his wife, Julie; former city manager Scott MacInnes and his wife, Betty; three city council members – Jan Cole, Joan Suits and Craig Waddell; our tech info experts Mike Axford and Braden Cundiff; our course monitors Pat and Bruce Rukkila, Ginny and Ben Hemmer, Paul and Taylor Burke, Dave Bach, Bob Jackson and James Mertens; DPW Director Ryan Avendt and his crew; Angela Luskin and Portage Health for signage; ATV reps Ryan LaPorte and Kitty Beleck; campground reps Duffy Lepisto and Ruth Isola; and Melissa Lewis, Verna’s cousin, for being in attendance.

Additionally, a big thanks to K-BEAR, WMPL and the Daily Mining Gazette for all the promotion they provided. Lastly, the law enforcement involved kept our racers safe and this is by far the most important aspect; City of Houghton Police, Sheriff’s Department, State Police and the Coast Guard were all on hand and we greatly appreciate their service!

Thanks to all of these people, the participants and, of course, to Verna Mize.

Mary Kaminski

VMT director