Balto Statue

Balto, a husky, was one of the heroic lead dogs. Back in 1925 Nome, Alaska was stricken with a horrific diphtheria outbreak. Not enough antitoxin was available to treat all the sick until teams of mushers and sled dogs battled a blinding blizzard and traveled 674 miles to deliver the medicine. In recognition of such bravery, the famed Brooklyn born sculptor Frederick George Richard Roth was commissioned to create a lasting tribute. Over the past nine decades, Balto’s statue has been a favorite as evidenced by the deep burnishing of his ears and back. Children and others frequently climb up on him for a photo op, or to contemplate life and the stirring words on the statue’s plaque: Endurance · Fidelity · Intelligence. Good words for today’s heroes and heroines too!