Join us for "An evening with Matthew Failor"
Iditarod racer Matthew Failor, a Mansfield native, will be the special guest of Richland Source on Thursday, April 11, at Idea Works, 40 W. 4th St., in downtown Mansfield. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Richland County Humane Society. Tickets are now on sale.
Editor’s note: This event officially SOLD OUT as of March 28. All tickets were sold within 10 hours of going on sale.
MANSFIELD — Thousands of north central Ohio residents followed Mansfield native Matthew Failor during the 2024 Iditarod sled dog race via daily Richland Source coverage.
We are now going to give you the chance to meet and talk with the 2000 St. Peter’s High School graduate during an event to benefit the Richland County Humane Society.
“An Evening with Matthew Failor” is planned on Thursday, April 11, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at our Idea Works offices at 40 W. 4th St. in downtown Mansfield.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and seating is limited. Tickets are limited to two per person. Click here to see the tickets in Eventbrite or use the link above.
Tickets to the event are $10 for Richland Source members (using a code emailed to members) and $20 for the general public. Again, ALL proceeds benefit the Richland County Humane Society.
“This is a great opportunity to go behind the headlines of the race and learn more about Matt, his family and his life and work in Alaska,” said Richland Source city editor Carl Hunnell, who provided daily updates during the 52nd Iditarod, dubbed “The Last Great Race.”
More than 25,000 local residents read Richland Source coverage of the 42-year-old Failor and his 17th-Dog team as it raced from Anchorage to Nome, a 10-day journey that covered nearly 1,000 miles.
“The number of local residents reading these stories increased as the race went along, culminating with the piece about his finish and later his selection as the race’s top Sportsman on the trail.
“The amount of time readers spent with us on these stories was gratifying,” Hunnell said. “I am excited about the chance to talk with Matt in an informal setting that will give everyone the chance to hear from him in his own words.
“Seats are limited and I encourage anyone who wants to attend to get their tickets as soon as possible,” he said. “Every dollar collected will go to the Richland County Humane Society.”
The event will begin with a conversation between Hunnell and Failor, who lives in Willow, Alaska, with his wife, Liz, and son, Theo.
Part of that chat will give Failor, who earned a degree in fine arts photography from The Ohio State University, the opportunity to show videos and photos of his efforts in the Iditarod and also from his Alaskan Husky Adventures business.
The remainder of the evening will be a question-and-answer session that will allow those in attendance to pose their own queries to the 13-time Iditarod participant.
Linda Chambers, managing director of the Richland County Humane Society said she was excited about the event and the organization would have representatives — and a dog or two ready for adoption — in attendance.
