It's Arctic Blast Time!

Some current Vikings, former players and team executives along with Viktor the Viking arrive at the Mille Lacs Friday for a weekend of fun that will draw thousands to the area. It’s Arctic Blast! And Make It Mille Lacs will be there to cover the event.

The Vikings are staying at McQuoid’s Inn and Resort, shuttling northwest in a pair of 50-passenger buses -- weather permitting – around 5:30 pm Friday night all the way to White Hawk’s Bar and Restaurant on Bay Lake.  There, the Vikings group will take part in a private party. The group may stop in Garrison enroute back to McQuoid’s, we were told by Vikings Children’s Fund Director Pat Leopold, who attended a Garrison Commercial Club meeting on February 2^nd.

Active players scheduled to attend are: Ben Leber, E.J. Henderson, Heath Farwell, Jeff Dugan, Fred Evans and Erin Henderson.  Coaches Bud Grant and Karl Dunbar and former Vikings Jim Marshall, Paul Krause, Chris Doleman, Henry Thomas, Matt Blair, Bob Lurtsema, Stu Voigt, Pete Bercich, Doug Sutherland and Gerald Robinson will attend. Also on hand will be the Vikings radio voice Paul Allen and team cheerleaders

Leopold praised  the Garrison Commercial Club at a Feb. 2 member meeting: “We never, ever thought we’d have the kind of numbers of people that we now have here,” Leopold said.  The event moved from the Ely, Tower and Embarrass area 13 years ago and is a Mille Lacs February mainstay.

“We’ve raised more than $100,000 (for the Vikings Children's Fund) these last three years," Leopold said. “Although we are struggling to get people to register early.”  Sledders must register and check in at least two of the Four Blast Points to qualify for Sunday’s $30,000 worth of prizes drawing at the Mille Lacs Grand Casino Recreation and Events Center. Event goers can also register at each Blast Point on “Game Day”.

Saturday starts off with a breakfast with the annual Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe community breakfast at the Mille Lacs Events and Convention Center. The breakfast runs from 9 a.m. – noon Tickets available at the door: Breakfast: $8.50 for adults, $5.50 for children 12 ...or under
No Breakfast: $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 and under. And then it's off to the Blast Points!

This year’s route avoids the lake proper all together, instead traversing the 80-some miles around Mighty Mille Lacs.  Let’s hope for some good weather and decent trail conditions and there are some lengthy travel times to get from places like Blue Goose to Castaways or from Buzzie’s on The Bay back up to the Blue Goose.  There is a combination of some nice trail riding and some ditch beating on this mission.