Gunnar Kaasen - Celebrity

Celebrity

Like all mushers who participated, Kaasen was given a citation by the Governor of the Alaska Territory. All mushers also received a daily wage from a public fund of between USD $30 and $40. H. K. Mulford Company, which manufactured the antitoxin, awarded medals to all participants in the first relay.

Unlike the other mushers, Kaasen became a celebrity. In addition to the medal, the H.K. Mulford Company awarded him $1,000, and he was even offered a role in a movie. Balto became even more famous. On December 17, 1925, a bronze statue of the large black dog was unveiled in Central Park in New York City. He appeared in Madison Square Garden before a crowd of 20,000 people. Another statue of Balto was raised in downtown Anchorage.

Other mushers, including Rohn, accused Kaasen of being a publicity hog. Kaasen's defenders believed he made the right choice: Rohn had no experience mushing in stormy weather. The most prominent critic was Togo's owner Leonhard Seppala, who drove the longest leg of the relay. Seppala was particularly upset when Balto, primarily a freight dog, a second string dog, and not a speedy racer, became the canine hero of the event. When choosing his team, Seppala had deliberately passed over the black husky in favor of Togo, a champion racer.

The modern Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, which has many traditions commemorating the serum run, celebrates Seppala as the true hero of the event. Kaasen lived in Everett, Washington, from 1952 to 1960. He was 78 when he died of cancer in 1960. He was buried at Everett's Cypress Lawn Memorial Park next to his wife, Anna.