BAYFIELD - It’s a true Northland winter adventure.  A sled dog race through the Bayfield County Forest but they need your help to make it happen.

"It’s just a fun community event and I think that's one of the things that keeps musher’s coming back year after year," said Kristen Sandstrom with the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Bureau. 

4 races, 2 days and hundreds of sled dogs ready to run.  The Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race is on its way to the Northland for the 15th year and this year they need volunteers to make it happen.  "I think the volunteers truly are what makes this event so special, it amazes me every single year the time and energy that people are willing to put into this event," said Sandstrom. 

Sandstrom says they need at least 100 volunteers to help with the event.  "The biggest job that we have is dog handling and that's really what most people want to do because it gets them in the action of the event and the energy is just outstanding."

"Really the fun thing about this race maybe compared to others or compared to other events is you can really get involved in it," said local musher John Thiel.  Thiel has been involved with the Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race since the beginning.  Wednesday he was out training his dogs and says it's a race that wouldn't happen without the volunteers.  "There is no way you can run a sled dog race without lots of volunteers and so I think the more volunteers there are, the more fun it is for everybody," said Thiel.

Thiel has both volunteered and competed in the event.  This year he'll run the race with his 6-year-old daughter.  "There is that festive atmosphere and I think that's probably the best part of it and of course it's the dogs, if you love dogs, the dogs have so much enthusiasm when they start," said Thiel.

And with more than 2 feet of snow already in the Bayfield area; the trails are ready to go for this sled dog race through Wisconsin’s northwoods.  "These trails are just beautiful, back in the woods, nice and quiet; just the atmosphere between the excitement of the dogs, that wears off on the people that are there, the volunteers, the musher's and it just creates a really fun atmosphere," said Thiel.

The Apostle Islands Sled Dog Race is February 6-7, 2010.  For more information on volunteering at the event call the Bayfield Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Bureau at 1–800–447–4094 or log onto their website at www.bayfield.org