When it comes to CHIditarod, there are several teams that come back, time and time again. Action Squad became a dynasty team, being involved with the race from humble beginnings to going above and beyond for the race, and our cause. We asked three long running teams, what make CHIditarod work, how do you fund raise, and what about the build process? Dzyacky, one of the core members of Action Squad, Mark from the CHIdiots, and Amy from 3GS&T lend their expert advice on how to Rod the right way. and a dedicated racer has a few short and sweet tips for you on how to rock out CHIditarod. Dzyacky came up with a few bullet points, and our other pro racers expanded!
How to race like a pro:
Don’t be an asshole.
Seriously, don’t be THAT team.
Be liberal with your friendship.
You’ll have so much more fun if you work to make friends.
Durability wins the day, and keep the practical side in mind
Limit your use of cardboard if at all possible. The weather is so unpredictable, you may really regret the decision of cardboard if it rains.
Amy adds, I like to think that we learn from our mistakes. As a team that’s run the Chiditarod ten times, we’ve made a lot of mistakes. To our credit, they tend to be different mistakes every year. We’ve learned a few things about cart construction in the process. You’re going to have your cart with you all day. We use ours to store whatever outer layers we have to get rid of, bottles of Gatorade and water, snacks, judges’ bribes, and a case of beer. So construct your cart in such a way as to be able to access the things inside. We usually hinge the top of the cart. With cable ties!
It is a marathon, not a sprint
Everyone loves to party it up in “The Yard”, but it is easy to get carried away. Remember you are “running” to bars, there is no shortage of liquor.
Always keep an eye on the cart.
Never leave your cart alone. Ever!
Be creative
Nobody remembers lame carts.
Mark says, If you’re going for an elaborate build start as early as you can! We’ve never ended with a cart that was constructed as we initially planned. The Chidiots have a little motto that we live by, “lock it down Jan 1“. There are only so many weekends in January/February and some of those will be lost to changes in the plan and/or real life. Being able to have an agreed upon theme by January 1st (and sticking to it) is a huge bonus.
Here are the four key steps to be a kick ass fundraiser:
Don’t be afraid to beg!
You will need to ask your friends and family for donations, a lot. It seems obnoxious because it is. But then you have to remind yourself and everyone it is for a good cause.
The 3GS&T way to fund raise, We each send out fundraising emails to our entire contacts list at least twice during February, in addition to posting the link to our individual and team Facebook pages about twice a week until we get within a couple weeks of the race, then it’s daily. I call out individuals and shame them if they haven’t donated, but, Amy adds “I’m pushy like that.”
Commit to the cause!
Explain to everyone what you’re doing and why you’re doing it better than everyone else
Be thankful!
Thank everyone who donates. While people don’t generally donate for notoriety, everyone likes it. Say how fantastic they are for donating and use this as an opportunity to remind everyone to donate.
Pro Tip from the CHIditods, If possible, incorporate your donators into your cart. One year our theme was Lollapalooza and the donator names were plastered on the side of the cart in the style of the Lolla band lineup. Of course top donations were the headliners.
Make a nemesis!
Friendly competition is a great way to get people to donate. Especially when they are made to feel like they are part of the cause.
Amy and 3Gs&T have their own Facebook page. She says “We also have a group of non-racing friends that issues an annual fundraising matching challenge on Facebook. It not only motivates us, but inspires our friends and families.”
Registered to race in CHIditarod XII? Wondering how to get your fundraising started? Come to CHIditaBowl and you will be helping your team reach its goals! It’s a great way to get tips on how to build your cart, bounce ideas off each other, and get to see people you may not have seen since last year.
What is ChiditaBowl? It is a great way to socialize, pick up some merch ahead of race day, have a few beers and bowl with fellow racers with out the chaos and sabotage of race day. You buy a ticket and it’s good for SIX hours of bowling and beer
Where does it go down? Timber Lanes 1851 W. Irving Park, just off the Brown Line and down the street from Damen and Irving Park.
When and how much? January 28th from 9pm until 3am, $45 per person. Tickets are available here.
What else should I know? There will also be a fantastic chance to win some amazing drawing prizes! Burlesque packages, photo shoots, brewery tours, White Sox tickets, Chicago Bulls autographed item, and some boozy related ones too!
Spectators and well-wishers are invited to witness the start of the 12th CHIditarod, Chicago’s annual rambunctious, costumed shopping cart race, raising food and donations to combat hunger.
Part competition, part carnival, the CHIditarod is “probably the world’s largest mobile food drive”. This year, more than 100 teams of five people in costumes will race decorated shopping carts for a good cause.
Whether they’re wearing giant Muppet heads, rolling a mobile diner, or paying tribute to lost legends or movie classics, each team will contribute at least 69 pounds of food to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD), with prizes awarded for largest food and monetary contributions and the most creative carts.
Now in its 12th year, the CHIditarod – a 100% volunteer driven organization – has raised more than 150,000 pounds of food for Chicago’s hungry and more than $145,000 for local nonprofits fighting hunger in the Chicago area. Since the beginning of the CHIditarod Foundation’s grant program, $95,000 has been given out to like minded nonprofits who have new and creative ways of solving food scarcity.
When: Saturday, March 4, 2017. Teams begin arriving at 9:45am. The pre-race festivities include performances by local eclectic marching band Environmental Encroachment. Race start is expected at 12:30pm.
Where: 1900 W. Hubbard, Chicago IL 60622 (northwest corner of Hubbard and Wolcott).
Visuals: 500+ excited participants in costume and decorated shopping carts, 200+ dedicated volunteers, trucks being loaded with thousands of pounds of donations for GCFD, raucous race start with 100+ teams pouring out of the gate and onto Chicago streets, pre-race music from 20+ member marching band.
Each year we put on our thinking caps and engage in perilous deeds–one part math, one part magicky-magic–to assess the state of mayhem in the CHIditarod kingdom.
More than 30% of racers in the 2016 CHIditarod race participated in a post-race survey designed to assess racer satisfaction, patterns in cocktail preferences, and what kinds of sabotage and other dastardly shenanigans went down on the mean streets of Wicker Park/Ukrainian Village that chilly day in March.
In 2016…
Nearly 60% of our racers were CHIditarod veterans.
The average age of our racers remained constant at 32. Our anti-aging regimen is just stellar. Feel how soft our skin is!
For the first time, we had slightly more male-identified than female-identified participants.
Cart bondage kept it’s title as “Most Popular Form of Sabotage.” Creative/Happy sabotage–in the form of errant stickers, free booze, and stencils of David Bowie–came in strong in second place.
A new form of sabotage emerged, which we have called Creative Stalling. In short, be aware that your competitors may try to slow you down by engaging in a musical review in front of your cart or inviting you into a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. STAY SHARP!
The CHIditarod Foundation is proud to announce our 2016 Grant Program awardees.
This year the CHIditarod Foundation raised an incredible $32,798 for its grant program. This year we are able to again give out $25,000 in funds Chicago-area 501(c)(3) organizations that are directly fighting hunger, making an impact on local food sustainability, and/or empowering individuals and communities through food education. There were so many great applications is was hard to choose who to join on their fight against hunger. The CHIditarod Foundation chose eight organizations doing amazing work.
We are thrilled to introduce the 2016 winning organizations! Experimental Station – Efforts to address the challenges and obstacles to eating healthy in a low-income, food insecure neighborhood. Their CrockPot Project will work with the 61st Street Farmers Market, to teach people how to cook healthy, vitamin and mineral rich foods.
Gardeneers– This org runs an educational program in Chicago Public Schools designed to introduce children to new foods, teach food adventurism, and promote nutritional awareness and self-care. CHIditarod funds are helping to continue the Gardeneers program in a Garfield Park, which recently lost their capacity to support the program.
Garfield Park Conservatory – In this food desert, GPCA channels the Conservatory’s resources to grow and distribute fresh produce and seedlings to the community and to educate, train, support and sustain community gardeners who are leading the movement to locally grow food to feed the residents of their neighborhoods.
Heartland Alliance Group– Their Vital Bridges Program to support the addition of a community garden in their West garfield park Grocery Center. They plan to increase the amount of fresh produce, serve low-income participants with HIV or Aids, and build a greater community
Howard Area Community Gardens – To increase the number of plots, rebuild a community meeting space with meeting space and workshops, changing the neighborhood to a joyful source of community and abundance.
Restoration Ministries – Supporting their community garden providing neighbors and food pantry clients access to fresh, produce and nutritionally rich foods. The garden will supply vegetables and herbs for meals for our Harvey House and Tabitha House residents and youth program participants.
Su Casa Catholic Charities– Smack in the middle of Back of the Yards, this group offers tons of social services, including a big food pantry in an otherwise bleak food desert. The grant they received from the CHIditarod Foundation will be used exclusively on durables which will expand the capacity and the lifespan of this program.
The Pie Patch– This is a community garden “start up” in every sense of the word. The org is about 1 year old, and they are located in Back of the Yards. The Pie Patch is a berry farm, one of only two urban “orchards” in the Chicago area who use a pick-your-own model, which both keeps costs down for people who want to eat the fruit, and helps families and residents get up close and personal with the garden.
CHIditarod’s grants to Chicago community-based organizations fighting hunger would not be possible without our generous donors, volunteers, and partners. We are grateful for their continued support.
The CHIditarod Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to solving the root causes of hunger through creative events and direct action. Our flagship event — The CHIditarod — brings together 1,000 people annually and has funded $95,000 in small grants for local anti-hunger initiatives since its inception. The CHIditarod takes place annually on the first Saturday in March. On March 5, 2016, CHIditarod jumped into the next dacade of doing good, with 540 costumed racers chasing their dreams of CHIditarod glory and making a difference in the fight against hunger. Since its humble beginnings in 2006, CHIditarod has raised more than 150,000 pounds of food and $183,000 in the fight to end hunger in the greater Chicago area. For more information about CHIditarod and the CHIditarod Foundation, follow us on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter.
Chicago Lights is one of the five local organizations that received a grant from the CHIditarod Foundation in our 2015 grant cycle. Chicago Lights offers a variety of programs throughout the year from education to dance, urban farming to social services. The grant money they were awarded went to its Consumer Choice Food Pantry and to offer more nutrition assistance by distributing additional emergency food sacks. Hunger and food scarcity is one of the root causes CHIditarod tries to fight, and this organization made sure that people are able to have a place to go.
The Social Service Center (SSC) alleviates food insecurity through three avenues: its Consumer Choice Food Pantry, its emergency feeding program, and by providing help with applications for government food assistance programs. Of the 1,800 clients served by the SSC: 75% are male; 76% are African American; 95% are over 25 years of age;and over half (52%) are homeless.One of their goals for this year was to have The Pantry regularly stocked with protein options including milk, eggs, and a variety of meats, items which have not always been available. They were able to achieve this because of the donations that have been made to CHIditarod, and they grant made available to them. Prior to the grant from the CHIditarod Foundation, approximately 12 of the visits each month would have been without high-quality protein sources, with the CHIditarod Foundation’s support protein packages were available for all visits.
Patrons of The Pantry felt
“Having access to milk, eggs, and meat is so helpful because I can save my food stamps to purchase other fresh items at the grocery store.”
And that
“The canned items are helpful because they last longer, but having meat and milk and eggs allow me the chance to eat better.“
Joi Brooks Foundation Relations Officer for Chicago Lights extends the gratitude of the organization
“Thanks to the CHIditarod Foundation’s support, guests of the Chicago Lights Social Service Center have had a much more consistent and more nutritious supplemental food supply available to them through the Consumer Choice Food Pantry and the emergency food program. We are excited and hopeful about our continued collaboration and thank the CHIditarod Foundation for its efforts to reduce hunger in Chicago. Thank you!”
The CHIditarod grant of $5,000 has supported the following improvements at the Hermitage Street Community Garden, Englewood, in partnership with NeighborSpace.
• We were able to construct 11 additional raised beds in the garden. This raises the total number of donation beds from 12 to 23. The additional beds will ensure that even more Englewood residents will be served with fresh produce. The grant has increased the garden’s vegetable growing output and also has increased donations to additional Englewood families and to a local senior resident center, Bethel Terrace. Though it is too early in the season to give exact figures, we estimate that 120 additional families will receive fresh vegetables this year due to CHIditarod.
• The grant paid for all the building materials and labor construction costs associated with the raised beds. To ensure healthful vegetables are grown in the new beds, we purchased landscape barrier cloth (to block out any existing toxins in the Chicago topsoil) and organic soil from lake street supply. The CHIditarod grant helped pay for the above, ensuring a significant increase in capacity for Hermitage’s food donation program. This offseason, we also made additional upgrades to ensure the vibrancy of that increased capacity:
• We purchased 7 rain barrels scattered throughout the project for hand watering needs. This water conservation measure not only decreases hydrant usage within the garden itself, but helps model and encourage smart water usage for the entire Hermitage Street Community Garden.
• We constructed a compost bin system to help Hermitage Street Community Garden better serve its own fertilization needs and once again demonstrate environmental best practices for the
community.
• We purchased ten additional long handled garden tools to use in the garden, increasing our ability to handle large volunteer groups for workdays.
• We constructed a butterfly flower garden bed with paver blocks, stones, and soil in the middle of the garden lot to attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. NeighborSpace, the non-profit that protects Hermitage Street and 108 other Chicago community gardens on behalf of community members, provides fiscal agency to our sites to make funding like the CHIditarod grant possible. Thank you for your support of increased healthy food access in Englewood.
Hermitage Street Community Garden, Englewood
Bringing adults and children to gardening
New planter boxes, from grant funds
crops starting to grow!
New garden beds are flourishing
Enjoying fresh produce, for their neighborhood garden
Planting season is now in full swing in the Chicago area, but CHIditarod Grant Awardees have been hard at work all year long, bringing children outdoors and helping them learn about nature, planting and where food comes from. Gardeneers received $5,000 in our 2015 Grant Cycle and has been able to provide garden programs for more than 1,000 students. Gardeneers is unique, as they are the only organization in Chicago that provides full-service school garden support. This means when a school does not have the time or resources to maintain a gardening program, they will go in and make sure the garden is sustainable and will be successful.
Thanks to all the donations to the CHIditarod Foundation, Gardeneers has been able to continue their work. Adam Zmick, Executive Director and Co-founder of the program, is excited to be able to continue and expand, as the next generation of gardeners discover a love for agriculture.
“We teach students about nutrition, community, and the environment through hands-on lessons in the garden. Our garden educators go to schools across Chicago, focused mainly in food desert neighborhoods, to lead garden programs. The program costs about $200 per student for the year, so 25 students got to participate in growing their own food all year because of your generous support”
Children have learned how to building trellises, learning group work with this team building activity! Soon these teepees will be covered with peas and beans, in communities that lack easy access to fresh produce. Younger students participate in activities like “Insect Bingo” learning about the different creatures that make a garden grow, and play an important role in the soil. They also work with pre-school gardeners teaching about the life cycle of tomatoes from seed to plate! These tiny tots get to taste test with locally grown, hydroponic tomatoes, and love the taste from produce brings.
Gardeneers has been a wonderful partner to support and has made a positive impact on the future of Chicago, and local community gardens.
The CHIditarod XI race brought in $32,798 which will help further the grant program that goes to community projects throughout Chicago. The grants help many different programs that benefit youth and adults in need. Purple Asparagus has been impacting students all over the city. In the 2015/2016 school year, they have worked with more than 1,000 Chicago elementary school students, with their Delicious Nutritious Adventures programming.
Since the beginning of the school the students have learned all about apples, pumpkins and squash, cranberries, citrus fruits, chocolate, legumes, and root vegetables. And they’re not done yet! Their herbs lesson plan is the program for May and they finish off the school year learning all about berries in June.
Purple Asparagus says
“The end of the year is a really rewarding time for our staff and volunteers. We’ve gained the trust of our students over the course of the school year and our little friends are now bona fide food explorers having tired almost 30 new foods and executed over 15 recipes on their own. Seven months ago a single word – often “yuck!” or “yummy!” – was all we would hear in description of a tasting experience. Fast forward seven months and now it’s not uncommon to hear two or even three sentences, taste and texture vocabulary words included, to describe a single taste of a new food – music to our ears!”
Students and parents are both impacted by this program and they have received great feedback Parents are proud to see their children not only learn about how food grown, but that they are experiencing new foods.
“Pumpkin, squash and cranberries were all foods that he thought he didn’t like. Trying them in different ways has made him more open-minded to trying new things.” -Purple Asparagus Parent
Children may be hard to please, or think they don’t like things that they have not tried before, but after trying a Squash and Banana smoothing, one participant in Delicious Nutritious Adventures said “I’m going to make this every day!”
The program has impacts on their classroom experience. They are learning about nature, science and new social interaction skills. Teachers have found that students don’t just enjoy the program, they are getting so much more out of it
“Our students look forward each month to their visit and retain and use the new vocabulary and knowledge taught throughout their engaging lessons.”
Purple Asparagus also wanted to share one of their programs popular recipes as a Thank You, to all of CHIditarod’s donators
Eight hundred women, men, grandmas, lunch ladies, go-go dancers, bunnies, sharks, goats, presidents, volunteers, and enthusiastic mushers gathered on a 38 degree morning to create the annual spectacular costumed charity shopping cart race epic mobile food drive — CHIditarod XI. The snow free streets were filled with nearly 200 volunteers and 108 teams of 5 heavily-costumed humans, raising Food and Funds in the pursuit of feeding the hungry while racing tricked-out shopping carts through 5 themed checkpoint establishments on the thawing streets of Chicago. A spectacle like none other.
The annual event raced through West Town and the Ukrainian Village visiting five checkpoints each. Mahoney’s, Phyliss’s Musical Inn, Five Star, Roots Pizza, and Cobra Lounge hosted costumed superstars with their own themes and contests for teams to participate in. All bars also donate a part of their proceeds to The Chiditarod Foundation to help in the goal of fighting hunger in Chicago.
We are always trying to find new ways to have a positive impact on our community and those in need. This year, over 350 pounds of toiletries were donated to Sarah’s Circle. Sarah’s Circle is a non-profit agency serving women who are homeless or in need of a safe space. They also focus women needed support because of domestic violence. Thank You to everyone who donated race day, at ChiditaBowl, and at the Burners Without Borders Chicago Winter Ball.
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Food Drive
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CHIditarod playfully calls itself “probably the world’s largest mobile food drive“, and we could not be more impressed by this year’s food drive success.
With the help of our friends and at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the CHIditarod XI food drive collected enough food to provide 13,044 meals for Chicago’s hungry. Thank you CHIditarod participants for being amazing all-stars and for making a difference in the lives of many, many people.
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Best in Food Drive :: The ChiDADarods
Don’t let their hot dad bods fool you, they’re serious about fighting hunger. This team brought in 1540.5 pounds of food to give meals to those in need. Wigs Jacked for Jesus was our second closest team to this amount of food bringing in 549.1 pounds of food. A HUGE THANK YOU to these teams who help us make sure food is not a top worry for Chicagoans.
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Art Carts
SHARKS GO GO DANCERS AND PIZZA, OH MY!
This year’s are carts took to the streets strutting their stuff, passing out freshly baked pizzas, popcorn, and had a thirst for blood. These team put in so much effort into their carts and delighted racers, spectators, and shocking people with a 12 foot shark roaming down the streets.
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Photo by Paul Callan
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Epic Fundraising
To date, CHIditarod has give out $75,000 in grants to local nonprofits who share in our mission to stop hunger in Chicago. Our Racers, volunteers, checkpoints, and organizers — with the help of their families, friends, and communities, raised $32,798 for the CHIditarod Foundation. We will once again be able to fight hunger challenges, supporting community-centered initiatives that address hunger, food scarcity, and education via the CHIditarod Grant Program.
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Chidiots
This year, fundraising was a battle to the end. The Chidiots, in their sixth year racing, went head to head with fellow veterans 3GS & T on their Razoo page to bring it hard. It was down to the final moments of online donations that they were able to secure their lead.
While CHIditarod racers do wonderous things, none would be possible without the 200 brave and selfless volunteers that make CHIditarod happen. Volunteers are truly the MVPs of CHIditarod. Not only do many of them fundraise, they also build the starting and finish lines, create immersive and exciting checkpoint environments, keep you safe while mobile, and have a blast right alongside you. To our volunteers, we honor and salute you all. Thanks.
Visit our grant page to learn about the program and how your organization can apply during the next grant cycle.
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2nd Most Epic Fundraising :: FUZZY BUNNIES
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This team raised an amazing $4,370 in just 48 hours of fundraising. They brought in a large day of cash donations. Also in their sixth year of racing, the fund they brought in alone comes near the amount of one of the local community grants the CHIditarod Foundation gives.
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EPIC Awards for 2016
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Best in Show :: OH, the HUMANITY
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2nd Best in Show :: The CHIvengers
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The Hindenburg rose again to take to the streets of Chicago. The German airship was constructed entirely out of duct tape and the team had historically fitting outfits.
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They combed your hair with dinglehoppers, brought us to a whole new world, and rocked karaoke from some of your favorite childhood classics. They were in character and on point the entire day, bring you a little bit of magic from their enchanted castle.
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Best Use of Duct Tape :: Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
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Rookie of the Year :: The Spice Girls
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CHIditarod’s now most coveted award is best use of duct tape. There were a few team who got all duct-ed out, but this one really grabbed us. Their costumes went all out and their use of duct tape on their cart really helped set the scene and brought us back to the 1988 hit film.
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They Zigazig Ah’ed all over Chicago! The Spice Girls did their research, watching Spice World ahead of time to stay as true to the all female British Fab Five. High heeled, singing, and accurate to music video choreography is how you come out hard your first year at CHIditarod.
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People’s Choice :: Grandma’s Birthday
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Most Honorable Dishonorable Mention :: Rub-a-Dub-Dub 5 Girls in a tub
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[one_half] Ethel and Pearl celebrated in style at this year’s race. The shared their sugar free candies, their love for Burt Reynolds, social media blasted, and even created their own website. They were the sweetest old ladies you could ever meet, and we just want to say “We love you grandma, and happy birthday!”
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[one_half last=last] Being a ChiditaVirgin is not easy thing to do, and this team was fully wet behind the ears. Their cart fell apart, they made some classic rookie mistakes, and though they raced hard, but unfortunately didn’t make it to the awards due to a long day of causing chaos for a good cause. [/one_half]
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Fastest Dogs:: GR
CHIditarod is in fact a race! Rushing from the start, hitting each bar for a 25 minute rest, and completing a five mile race Mushing to the finish, this team took just 3:29:15. Who says smokers can’t be runners?
These are just a few of the incredible achievements from our teams. There are countless other amazing things our participants create; we wish we had the space to showcase them all. To all who co-created the epic that was CHIDitarod XI, we love and salute you. Mush!
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Award(s)
Team Name
Best Bribe
3GS&T 10th Ed
3rd Best in Show
3GS&T 10th Ed
The Family Affair award
AlfiBetSoup
Best Use of Duct Tape Award
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!!!
Hot Mess Award
Breakfast of Champions
Most Food Donated
ChiDadarod
Best Food Cart
Chidiots – Buffet
Most Epic Fundraiser
Chidiots
Spirit of Chiditarod
Chidiots
2nd most Epic Fundraiser
Fuzzy Bunnies
4th most epic Fundraiser
ChicaGO GO Girls
2nd Best Art Cart
ChicaGoGo
1st Place Time – Fastest Dog
GR
Bike Marshals Choice
Grandmas Birthday
2nd Place Time
High Life
Best Art Cart
Jawsome & You’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat
Best in Show
Oh, the Humanity!
Food Drive – 3rd Place
Hobo Q
Ate the Yellow Snow: Most Honorable Dishonorable Mention
Rub a Dub Dub 5 Girls in a Tub
Dressed to the Nines: Best Team Costume
Spaceballs
Rookie of the Year Award
Spice Girls
2nd Best in Show
Chivengers
DFL
The Flying Berts
3rd Place Time
The Zoo
Food Drive – 2nd Place
Wigs Jacked for Jesus
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CHIditarod Foundation Fundraising
Team Name
Money Donated
Food Raised
Chidiots
$5,012
142
Fuzzy Bunnies
$4,370
90.5
3GS&T 10th Ed
$3,928
143.9
ChicaGo Go Girls
$3,340
189
Chillin Like a Villain
$2,306
148
The Chivengers
$2,071
99.6
AlfiBetSoup
$1,440
152
Oh, the Humanity!
$986
105
Mary and the Sweeps
$955
130.8
Wigs Jacked For Jesus
$925
549.1
Chicago Flashers
$803
155.5
Chiditacade
$550
116.4
Mystery Inc.
$550
141
Scooby Doo’s All Stars
$520
127.6
Queer Mishap
$416
184.2
Hobo-Q
$335
360
Beet-er Late Than Never
$230
136.2
Safari
$155
139.6
CHICAGO MalaBOOTHS
$150
121.8
Boozin Away Hunger
$100
94
Spaceballs
$100
233
The Velour Comets
$80
76.2
Hellzapoppin’
$70
102.8
The Cooter Lounge & Co.
$65
140
Hot Green Beer Ships
$55
88
Brown Beer Ships
$55
119.2
RESPECT THE ADDAMS
$30
160
Kenosha Kickers
$20
75
1721
$0
101
42405
$0
182.4
2016: A Race Oddity
$0
92.8
American Outlaws: Malort Chapter
$0
74.6
Balls Models
$0
100
Bath
$0
91
Beautiful Disasters
$0
85.5
Beaver Boys
$0
79
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!!!
$0
122.6
Blues Brothers
$0
80.6
Boom box
$0
95.2
Breakfast of Champions
$0
75.6
Buns of Anarchy
$0
114.2
Burger Time
$0
123.5
Cereal Killers
$0
0
ChiDADarod
$0
1540.5
Cinco deDerby
$0
100
Come on Down…!
$0
91.6
Cops
$0
91
Curry in a hurry
$0
75
Derelicte
$0
99
Dr. Onesie
$0
93.6
Dungeons & Flagons
$0
193
Escape Goats
$0
250
Five Guys Boogers and Eyes
$0
92.6
Garbage Golden Girls
$0
94.6
Gotham Impostors
$0
234.2
GR
$0
227.6
Grandma’s Birthday
$0
197
Hail Santa
$0
80.4
Hawthorne’s Lament
$0
97
High Life
$0
151.6
HMS Paula Deen
$0
103.6
IditaGods
$0
100.6
Jawsome!
$0
174.5
You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
$0
153.8
How the West was Onesie
$0
96.3
JFK, DOA
$0
92.5
Lincoln Park Zoo Affiliates
$0
92.5
Los Inflatable Waving Air Men
$0
89
Make America GRATE again!
$0
189.6
Mile High Mushers
$0
76
Party Mountain Defense Force – Formerly Known as the Mobile Beerpong Unit
$0
70
PreK for the Win
$0
92
Putin on the Ritz
$0
87.4
Rescue Rangers
$0
303.8
Pup & Suds
$0
0
Ron’s Crew
$0
83.6
Rub a Dub Dub 5 Girls in a Tub
$0
117
Scientific Progress Goes Boink
$0
172.4
Sha’Dynasty
$0
95
Silver Surfers
$0
96.5
Sister Act
$0
86
Ski Patrol
$0
179.5
Space Mission Mush
$0
88
Spaced Out
$0
88.5
Spice Girls
$0
81.5
Steves Jobs
$0
121.4
Swayze
$0
166
Takin Names and Buyin Vowels
$0
228
Shark Week 1
$0
104.8
Shark Week 2
$0
129.5
The Misdemeanors
$0
90.4
Team Linny
$0
95.8
Team We Ate Our Wheaties This Morning
$0
191.6
Tequila Mockingbird
$0
123
The Ashholes
$0
118.5
The Cookie Monsters
$0
74.6
The Flying Bert
$0
97.5
The Green Army Men
$0
115
The Jean Genies
$0
152
The Okies
$0
0
The Power of Onezie
$0
93.6
The Zoo
$0
175.6
Too Hot To Handel
$0
91.5
Train of Thought
$0
99.2
Ushe 1
$0
203.4
Ushe 2
$0
208.4
We go to 11
$0
258.2
YOLO 2016
$0
80.5
[/tab]
[tab title=”Timing”] CHIditarod is in fact a race! Rushing from the start, hitting each bar for a 25 minute rest, and completing a five mile race Mushing to the finish, this team took just 3:29:15. Congratulations to team GR
Team Name
Time Checked in Checkpoint #1
Time Checked in Checkpoint #2
Time Checked in Checkpoint #3
Time Checked in Checkpoint #4
Time Checked in Checkpoint #5
Time Checked in at Finish Line
Total Time
GR
12:42:50 PM
1:16:32 PM
1:48:59 PM
2:22:06 PM
2:58:44 PM
3:29:48 PM
2:59:39
High Life
12:37:41 PM
1:12:10 PM
1:48:44 PM
2:22:45 PM
2:55:30 PM
3:30:07 PM
2:59:58
The Zoo
12:42:01 PM
1:38:22 PM
—
2:21:38 PM
2:53:52 PM
3:30:23 PM
3:00:14
Ron’s Crew
12:43:09 PM
1:39:54 PM
2:51:49 PM
2:16:33 PM
—
3:30:40 PM
3:00:31
American Outlaws: Malort Chapter
1:00:18 PM
1:32:35 PM
2:07:52 PM
2:41:13 PM
3:12:56 PM
3:42:02 PM
3:11:53
Spice Girls
12:47:22 PM
1:22:43 PM
1:57:56 PM
2:37:37 PM
3:14:00 PM
3:42:57 PM
3:12:48
Swayze
12:54:45 PM
1:29:17 PM
2:04:56 PM
2:42:39 PM
3:16:21 PM
3:52:59 PM
3:22:50
RESPECT THE ADDAMS
12:45:25 PM
1:22:02 PM
2:00:36 PM
2:37:00 PM
3:18:39 PM
4:07:22 PM
3:37:13
Spaceballs
12:48:01 PM
1:26:31 PM
2:10:07 PM
2:53:15 PM
3:32:54 PM
4:18:19 PM
3:48:10
Scientific Progress Goes Boink
12:40:06 PM
1:26:04 PM
2:07:15 PM
2:46:38 PM
3:32:15 PM
4:19:49 PM
3:49:40
JFK, DOA
12:49:05 PM
1:28:19 PM
2:11:25 PM
2:50:41 PM
3:32:01 PM
4:21:57 PM
3:51:48
Make America GRATE again!
12:47:40 PM
1:28:04 PM
2:04:49 PM
2:48:14 PM
3:38:29 PM
4:23:04 PM
3:52:55
Lincoln Park Zoo Affiliates
12:52:11 PM
1:27:56 PM
2:09:50 PM
2:47:23 PM
3:28:28 PM
4:23:18 PM
3:53:09
Buns of Anarchy
12:52:39 PM
1:30:21 PM
2:14:26 PM
2:53:10 PM
3:35:00 PM
4:28:48 PM
3:58:39
CHICAGO MalaBOOTHS
12:45:14 PM
1:43:01 PM
2:09:01 PM
2:54:10 PM
3:34:41 PM
4:30:46 PM
4:00:37
Queer Mishap
12:44:27 PM
1:24:24 PM
2:13:55 PM
2:51:02 PM
3:50:55 PM
4:33:02 PM
4:02:53
Beet-er Late Than Never
12:49:01 PM
1:29:50 PM
2:14:54 PM
3:00:26 PM
3:55:20 PM
4:33:22 PM
4:03:13
Curry in a hurry
12:47:03 PM
1:27:14 PM
2:08:21 PM
2:51:35 PM
3:42:10 PM
4:33:53 PM
4:03:44
Chicago Flashers
12:51:31 PM
1:37:46 PM
2:22:20 PM
3:06:42 PM
3:59:02 PM
4:35:58 PM
4:05:49
Rescue Rangers
12:55:25 PM
1:49:45 PM
2:29:50 PM
3:14:03 PM
4:03:40 PM
4:38:00 PM
4:07:51
Oh, the Humanity!
12:45:48 PM
1:36:47 PM
2:21:59 PM
3:07:28 PM
3:55:33 PM
4:44:52 PM
4:14:43
Chidiots
12:48:30 PM
1:30:45 PM
2:15:49 PM
3:11:44 PM
3:58:21 PM
4:45:48 PM
4:15:39
Hawthorne’s Lament
12:54:15 PM
1:40:54 PM
2:50:27 PM
3:39:58 PM
—
4:46:11 PM
4:16:02
We go to 11
12:53:07 PM
1:36:02 PM
2:16:11 PM
3:09:36 PM
3:55:13 PM
4:46:39 PM
4:16:30
Grandma’s Birthday
12:46:56 PM
1:42:10 PM
2:23:24 PM
3:10:19 PM
4:21:48 PM
4:47:54 PM
4:17:45
42405
12:44:39 PM
1:32:23 PM
2:14:57 PM
3:12:54 PM
4:01:59 PM
4:48:40 PM
4:18:31
The Velour Comets
12:48:31 PM
1:28:49 PM
2:06:21 PM
2:48:36 PM
4:02:47 PM
4:48:57 PM
4:18:48
Burger Time
12:59:15 PM
1:47:17 PM
2:36:24 PM
3:28:59 PM
—
4:50:04 PM
4:19:55
IditaGods
12:39:03 PM
1:37:20 PM
2:35:05 PM
3:18:01 PM
4:03:06 PM
4:50:10 PM
4:20:01
HMS Paula Deen
12:54:00 PM
1:46:25 PM
2:35:54 PM
3:29:14 PM
—
4:50:18 PM
4:20:09
Garbage Golden Girls
1:01:08 PM
2:01:36 PM
2:48:45 PM
3:45:49 PM
—
4:50:32 PM
4:20:23
Safari
12:46:45 PM
1:22:29 PM
1:58:25 PM
2:49:11 PM
3:26:21 PM
4:50:51 PM
4:20:42
Rub a Dub Dub 5 Girls in a Tub
12:46:49 PM
1:32:07 PM
2:21:52 PM
3:10:53 PM
4:23:10 PM
4:50:55 PM
4:20:46
Balls Models
12:58:33 PM
1:45:13 PM
2:34:58 PM
3:33:43 PM
—
4:51:14 PM
4:21:05
Beaver Boys
12:55:03 PM
1:42:41 PM
2:36:27 PM
3:43:29 PM
—
4:51:47 PM
4:21:38
Train of Thought
12:45:47 PM
1:20:20 PM
2:02:39 PM
2:47:45 PM
3:27:13 PM
4:52:19 PM
4:22:10
AlfiBetSoup
12:54:51 PM
1:36:37 PM
2:28:20 PM
3:17:17 PM
4:07:22 PM
4:52:25 PM
4:22:16
Breakfast of Champions
12:41:42 PM
1:23:40 PM
2:16:40 PM
3:07:55 PM
—
4:52:48 PM
4:22:39
The Ashholes
12:48:44 PM
1:38:36 PM
2:26:25 PM
3:16:20 PM
—
4:52:56 PM
4:22:47
Scooby Doo’s All Stars
—
1:18:20 PM
2:16:02 PM
3:04:58 PM
4:03:04 PM
4:55:26 PM
4:25:17
Hot Green Beer Ships
12:55:37 PM
1:43:45 PM
2:32:17 PM
3:33:58 PM
—
4:58:09 PM
4:28:00
Mary and the Sweeps
12:49:18 PM
1:38:16 PM
2:29:04 PM
3:16:50 PM
4:06:20 PM
4:58:28 PM
4:28:19
The Chivengers
12:53:42 PM
1:36:52 PM
2:28:33 PM
3:26:33 PM
4:17:09 PM
4:58:42 PM
4:28:33
Gotham Impostors
12:47:49 PM
1:28:25 PM
2:26:25 PM
3:20:52 PM
4:22:00 PM
4:59:27 PM
4:29:18
The Flying Bert
12:42:50 PM
1:33:25 PM
2:52:00 PM
—
4:10:08 PM
4:59:49 PM
4:29:40
Brown Beer Ships
12:55:09 PM
1:43:36 PM
2:35:13 PM
3:33:15 PM
—
5:00:42 PM
4:30:33
Hail Santa
12:54:37 PM
1:43:04 PM
2:38:07 PM
3:42:17 PM
—
5:02:47 PM
4:32:38
Sha’Dynasty
12:55:19 PM
1:38:34 PM
2:32:26 PM
3:26:43 PM
4:16:46 PM
5:03:11 PM
4:33:02
Mystery Inc.
12:49:58 PM
1:40:01 PM
2:25:54 PM
3:31:11 PM
4:12:36 PM
5:03:31 PM
4:33:22
The Cooter Lounge & Co.
12:49:47 PM
1:34:17 PM
2:20:42 PM
3:19:23 PM
4:09:18 PM
5:04:06 PM
4:33:57
Chillin Like a Villain
12:40:22 PM
1:22:34 PM
2:13:42 PM
2:58:25 PM
4:17:21 PM
5:04:41 PM
4:34:32
Bath
1:20:58 PM
2:13:03 PM
3:13:20 PM
4:03:04 PM
—
5:07:25 PM
4:37:16
2016: A Race Oddity
12:42:38 PM
1:28:08 PM
2:28:58 PM
3:20:57 PM
4:13:49 PM
5:07:55 PM
4:37:46
Beautiful Disasters
12:50:30 PM
1:40:47 PM
2:23:00 PM
3:06:14 PM
3:56:06 PM
5:11:58 PM
4:41:49
Shark Week 1
12:56:48 PM
1:33:29 PM
2:24:50 PM
3:08:58 PM
4:12:15 PM
5:12:22 PM
4:42:13
Shark Week 2
12:56:45 PM
1:33:35 PM
2:24:52 PM
3:08:55 PM
4:12:22 PM
5:12:24 PM
4:42:15
Takin Names and Buyin Vowels
12:44:48 PM
1:39:43 PM
2:42:27 PM
3:32:08 PM
—
5:13:07 PM
4:42:58
3GS&T 10th Ed
12:45:37 PM
1:39:34 PM
2:25:00 PM
3:22:51 PM
4:13:28 PM
5:13:25 PM
4:43:16
Come on Down…!
1:09:27 PM
1:56:13 PM
2:53:34 PM
4:03:23 PM
—
5:17:37 PM
4:47:28
Boozin Away Hunger
12:41:13 PM
1:28:27 PM
2:23:50 PM
3:21:27 PM
4:26:39 PM
5:17:48 PM
4:47:39
Cops
1:12:41 PM
1:56:04 PM
2:55:27 PM
3:35:03 PM
—
5:19:00 PM
4:48:51
Boom box
12:38:11 PM
1:37:09 PM
2:44:01 PM
3:37:05 PM
—
5:20:36 PM
4:50:27
Fuzzy Bunnies
12:54:09 PM
1:34:20 PM
2:37:49 PM
3:25:22 PM
4:14:54 PM
5:21:33 PM
4:51:24
Los Inflatable Waving Air Men
12:53:43 PM
1:34:13 PM
2:26:47 PM
3:14:49 PM
4:28:49 PM
5:22:10 PM
4:52:01
Five Guys Boogers and Eyes
12:40:42 PM
1:24:56 PM
2:24:26 PM
3:14:57 PM
4:28:49 PM
5:22:32 PM
4:52:23
Escape Goats
12:43:44 PM
1:43:28 PM
2:37:29 PM
3:31:19 PM
—
5:25:23 PM
4:55:14
Mile High Mushers
12:48:10 PM
1:43:23 PM
2:45:36 PM
3:40:48 PM
4:27:38 PM
5:26:15 PM
4:56:06
Team Linny
1:03:12 PM
1:45:42 PM
2:42:34 PM
3:54:08 PM
—
5:28:48 PM
4:58:39
The Cookie Monsters
12:43:21 PM
1:25:00 PM
2:08:59 PM
3:21:26 PM
5:04:07 PM
5:33:18 PM
5:03:09
Dungeons & Flagons
12:56:15 PM
2:00:01 PM
2:59:43 PM
—
—
5:38:57 PM
5:08:48
Kenosha Kickers
12:36:37 PM
1:44:53 PM
2:33:28 PM
3:15:59 PM
—
5:39:47 PM
5:09:38
Chiditacade
12:38:38 PM
1:52:20 PM
2:43:17 PM
3:44:10 PM
—
5:39:53 PM
5:09:44
Sister Act
1:04:12 PM
1:51:56 PM
2:46:21 PM
3:55:02 PM
—
5:59:45 PM
5:29:36
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!!!
12:52:30 PM
1:48:22 PM
2:39:57 PM
3:45:43 PM
4:35:57 PM
—
NO FINISH
ChiDADarod
12:44:08 PM
1:49:21 PM
2:32:43 PM
3:25:16 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
Dr. Onesie
—
—
—
—
—
—
NO FINISH
Spaced Out
12:46:45 PM
1:39:54 PM
2:30:35 PM
3:28:12 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
Steves Jobs
12:49:44 PM
1:45:24 PM
—
—
—
—
NO FINISH
Wigs Jacked For Jesus
12:55:58 PM
1:50:20 PM
2:37:23 PM
3:33:32 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
1721
12:49:23 PM
1:28:55 PM
2:06:26 PM
3:03:06 PM
3:47:54 PM
—
NO FINISH
Blues Brothers
12:51:45 PM
1:36:25 PM
2:25:38 PM
3:34:39 PM
4:24:36 PM
—
NO FINISH
How the West was Onesie
—
—
—
—
—
—
NO FINISH
The Jean Genies
1:00:04 PM
1:45:36 PM
2:40:54 PM
—
—
—
NO FINISH
Pup & Suds
—
—
—
—
—
—
NO FINISH
Too Hot To Handel
12:45:06 PM
1:48:37 PM
2:42:06 PM
3:29:37 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
Party Mountain Defense Force – Formerly Known as the Mobile Beerpong Unit
12:47:11 PM
1:42:53 PM
—
—
—
—
NO FINISH
The Misdemeanors
12:44:15 PM
1:36:36 PM
2:26:48 PM
3:33:52 PM
4:48:24 PM
—
NO FINISH
The Green Army Men
12:44:00 PM
1:25:14 PM
—
—
—
—
NO FINISH
Cinco deDerby
12:57:51 PM
2:09:39 PM
3:02:22 PM
—
—
—
NO FINISH
PreK for the Win
12:43:33 PM
1:26:46 PM
2:35:36 PM
3:22:03 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
Silver Surfers
12:46:16 PM
1:35:53 PM
2:30:57 PM
3:26:17 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
Putin on the Ritz
12:45:41 PM
1:23:36 PM
2:13:28 PM
3:05:20 PM
4:07:05 PM
—
NO FINISH
Team We Ate Our Wheaties This Morning
12:54:49 PM
1:36:21 PM
2:25:16 PM
3:33:01 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
The Okies
—
—
—
—
—
—
NO FINISH
Cereal Killers
—
—
—
—
—
—
NO FINISH
Ski Patrol
12:57:21 PM
1:34:26 PM
2:20:24 PM
3:44:58 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
Tequila Mockingbird
12:53:11 PM
1:39:58 PM
2:49:07 PM
3:40:19 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
The Power of Onezie
12:55:35 PM
1:51:54 PM
—
—
—
—
NO FINISH
Space Mission Mush
12:51:11 PM
1:39:37 PM
2:25:07 PM
3:07:40 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
Ushe 1
12:49:56 PM
1:43:13 PM
2:36:39 PM
3:22:29 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
Ushe 2
12:49:59 PM
1:43:02 PM
2:35:35 PM
3:22:31 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
Derelicte
12:53:12 PM
1:44:09 PM
2:44:47 PM
3:36:25 PM
4:29:41 PM
—
NO FINISH
YOLO 2016
12:49:56 PM
1:43:16 PM
2:50:07 PM
4:11:52 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
Go
—
1:08:11 PM
—
4:53:11 PM
NO FINISH
Hellzapoppin’
—
—
—
—
NO FINISH
Jawsome!
1:21:23 PM
2:59:32 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
1:21:36 PM
2:59:27 PM
—
—
NO FINISH
[/tab]
[tab title=”Checkpoint Contributions”]
Incredible Checkpoint Contributions
And while it’s hard to say enough about all the crazy-amazing-beautiful-inspiring-people that make CHIditarod possible, we continue to cherish our checkpoints through the years (new and old alike) who treat us and YOU right, we are thankful to have such great businesses in our community that love a good time. We are THRILLED to recognize our 2016 checkpoints, please go support them as they support fighting hunger!
Attention! Attention! Calling all Racers!
The Social Service Center (SSC) alleviates food insecurity through three avenues: its Consumer Choice Food Pantry, its emergency feeding program, and by providing help with applications for government food assistance programs. Of the 1,800 clients served by the SSC: 75% are male; 76% are African American; 95% are over 25 years of age;and over half (52%) are homeless.One of their goals for this year was to have The Pantry regularly stocked with protein options including milk, eggs, and a variety of meats, items which have not always been available. They were able to achieve this because of the donations that have been made to CHIditarod, and they grant made available to them. Prior to the grant from the CHIditarod Foundation, approximately 12 of the visits each month would have been without high-quality protein sources, with the CHIditarod Foundation’s support protein packages were available for all visits.
“The canned items are helpful because they last longer, but having meat and milk and eggs allow me the chance to eat better.“
Planting season is now in full swing in the Chicago area, but CHIditarod Grant Awardees have been hard at work all year long, bringing children outdoors and helping them learn about nature, planting and where food comes from. Gardeneers received $5,000 in our 2015 Grant Cycle and has been able to provide garden programs for more than 1,000 students. Gardeneers is unique, as they are the only organization in Chicago that provides full-service school garden support. This means when a school does not have the time or resources to maintain a gardening program, they will go in and make sure the garden is sustainable and will be successful.
“We teach students about nutrition, community, and the environment through hands-on lessons in the garden. Our garden educators go to schools across Chicago, focused mainly in food desert neighborhoods, to lead garden programs. The program costs about $200 per student for the year, so 25 students got to participate in growing their own food all year because of your generous support”
Gardeneers has been a wonderful partner to support and has made a positive impact on the future of Chicago, and local community gardens.
Since the beginning of the school the students have learned all about apples, pumpkins and squash, cranberries, citrus fruits, chocolate, legumes, and root vegetables. And they’re not done yet! Their herbs lesson plan is the program for May and they finish off the school year learning all about berries in June. 
Students and parents are both impacted by this program and they have received great feedback Parents are proud to see their children not only learn about how food grown, but that they are experiencing new foods.
Fastest Dogs:: GR