McKinzie Korpela — the new postmaster in Cloquet, MN — recently carried on in the tradition of her predecessors by swearing in the mushers of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon.
The race’s postal roots run deep.
Beargrease was a member of the Anishinaabe peoples on Minnesota’s North Shore. He and his brothers were hunters, fishers and trappers — and knew the terrain well.
As settlements grew, mail needed to be delivered but there were no roads. Starting in 1879, the brothers made weekly trips using canoes, horses and boats to deliver the mail. Beargrease, in particular, was known for using sled dogs in winter.
When a road was built in 1899, the brothers’ services were no longer needed.
But Beargrease’s connection with the U.S. Mail didn’t end there. During a fateful storm in 1910, he rescued a mail carrier whose boat was caught in the turbulent waters of Lake Superior. He caught pneumonia and died soon after.
Korpela embraced the opportunity to do the honors for the race. “It keeps postal history at the forefront,” she said.
No rest for her
Stacy Douglas wants to make sure every child in her community gets a good night’s sleep.
Douglas, a Sioux Falls, SD, letter carrier, volunteers for a local charity group that builds and delivers beds to children who lack them.
“It has become a big part of my life,” Douglas said. “It’s run on volunteers, so it takes a lot of us to keep all the working pieces moving.”
Since the organization got off the ground in July 2024, Douglas and her fellow volunteers have delivered 365 beds.
“For some, it’s their first bed and they say it’s life changing to get something that most of us would take for granted every night,” she said.
Valuable lessons
Speaking of the next generation: Norwalk, CA, Postmaster Matthew Monroy is doing his part to look after them, too.
Monroy recently visited a local elementary school to participate in its Postal Career Day.
He told students how USPS accepts, processes and delivers mail; brought along a delivery vehicle so they could see one up close; and distributed bags filled with postal-themed goodies.
“It’s inspiring to participate in initiatives like this that bridge the gap between young learners and real-life experiences,” Monroy said.
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