Fourth annual Fun Run with Ragnar and friends this Saturday

The fourth annual Fun Run with Ragnar and Friends hits the trails and the roads this Saturday, Jan. 29, in Ely, Babbitt and Tower. Local celebrity and NFL mascot Joe “Ragnar” Juranitch will bring some of his friends from the Minnesota Vikings to the area to raise money for snowmobile trails. Vikings players Jermaine Wiggins and Michael Bennett could be joining Ragnar on the trails and at the check-in stations of Tank’s Bar, Benchwarmers in Tower and Grand Ely Lodge. Bennett is a native of Milwaukee, WI and an avid snowmobiler. He is the starting running back for the Vikings and this year moved into 10th place in Vikings career rushing with 2,425 yards.A tight end, Wiggins joined the Vikings this year and has been a favorite target of quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Wiggins played on two Super Bowl teams. “Jermaine Wiggins and Michael Bennett are the ones that are coming, that’s what we’re hoping for,” said Juranitch. The event is open to all and benefits snowmobile trails in and around the three communities. Last year over 700 people participated, raising $15,000 for the trail system. Registration for the event is $20 which includes the wrap-up party Saturday night at Grand Ely Lodge where over 200 prizes will be given away. On the day of the event, participants go to check in points in Ely , Tower and Babbitt to pick up bonus tickets and increase their chances of winning prizes. For Juranitch, the event is a way to give back to his home town and reminds him of growing up in Ely.“It takes me back to when Ely had the dog sled races. I hated the dog part of it but I loved when they brought snow in and dumped snow on main street and everyone came to town and they’d stand on main street and watch the first musher come through,” said Juranitch.“This event is the same way - maybe some day the kids that leave Ely will look back the same way, remembering the Fun Run,” said Juranitch. “It’s a family friendly event that anybody can go to and anybody can do it. Even if you don’t have a snowmobile you can go by car and check into those places,” said Juranitch.The event has been known for the many prizes given away and the unique items donated by different companies.“I got a call from a lady today who bought a premium cigar place in St. Paul and she wanted to donate some premium cigars,” said Juranitch. “She knows about the Fun Run and what it stands for and she wanted to be involved.”Participants at the wrap-up party shouldn’t get any ideas about lighting up those cigars, however.“The cool thing about the wrap-up party this year it people will not be able to smoke so it’s all safe to come now,” said Juranitch.Other prizes include $1,000 in cash, overnight stays at area lodging facilities, a year’s supply of toilet paper and even a toy chainsaw, “There will be lots of prizes again,” said event organizer Jim Zupancich. “We gave away over 200 prizes last year and I expect we’ll have that many again this year.” “There are people in the Twin Cities who have been going to this event every year and they bug me all the time,” said Juranitch. “They love the atmosphere of places like the Alder Inn in Babbitt where you can bring up crock pots of food and plug them in so supper will be ready when they come in from a cold day of snowmobiling. “There are others that are coming for the first time that want more action and I said how about going to the casino at Fortune Bay so there’s about 10 to 15 people from the Mankato area doing that and some more from Winnebago which is 30 miles southwest of Mankato. “I did a parade in Winnebago and they loved the energy I brought and the excitement so they invited me to come down there for snowmobiling and I told them why settle for second best when I’ve got Ely, Babbitt and Tower and they said they’re all coming,” said Juranitch. “People are looking for family friendly events and this definitely fits that bill. The prizes that are given away that Saturday night, they're fun prizes. People get more excited about winning a year’s worth of toilet paper than a trip to Minneapolis,” said Juranitch.Snowmobilers in the Babbitt, Ely and Tower area benefit from the trail improvements made from the event proceeds. This past year the Vermilion Penguins were able to buy a new piece of grooming equipment with Tower’s share of the event proceeds from 2004.“The money is split equally between the three clubs responsible for trails in each town,” said event organizer Nick Wognum. “For the Ely Igloo Club the funding goes a long way to making trail improvements we wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise.” “It’s a great deal because it’s a $15 donation to the snowmobile trails in Ely, Babbitt and Tower and you get a chance to win some great prizes,” said Zupancich. Juranitch was the master of ceremonies at the wrap-up party last year and this time he’ll take the stage at the Grand Ely Lodge.“We’ll miss the Babbitt Junction but we are very excited to be able to have the wrap-up party at the Grand Ely Lodge. We know Denise and her crew we’ll do a great job and the Grand Ely Lodge is such a beautiful facility,” said Zupancich.The event starts at 8 a.m. with participants able to begin their day at any of the three check-in points. With the numerous snowfalls the area has had, the trails should be in top shape.“We’re running full out grooming the trails and this is really the first time in seven years we’ve been able to groom this much in January,” said Wognum. Getting people to come to the area for an event like the Fun Run can have benefits down the road as well. “Ely and the whole area up there has more to offer than just great snowmobile trails,” said Juranitch. “After people come to this event they want to go back up in the summer as well. That’s what it’s all about.”