CLEVELAND — The COVID-19 pandemic is not the first health crisis we’ve seen in the U.S.

You may remember the famous story of Balto, the dog who led the sled team carrying live-saving vaccines to a remote part of Alaska. 

Balto actually has a storied history with Cleveland where he currently resides. 

What You Need To Know

  • In 1925, Balto lead the team of sled dogs who brought life-saving vaccines to Nome, Alaska

  • A Cleveland businessman crowdsourced to buy Balto and his team

  • Balto is now displayed at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History 

  • Museum events celebrate Balto’s Birthday Bash the rest of March

Friday, March 19 will mark 94 years Balto has called Cleveland home.

To bring his story to life, Spectrum News sought the help of Lee Gambol, the Distance Learning Coordinator and an educator at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

“Once upon a time, which was January of 1925 and it was Nome, Alaska, which is very remote,” Gambol recaps. “A couple of little kids came in to the one little hospital in Nome. The next day, more kids start coming in. It was diphtheria, which even today is a killer.”

Diphtheria is a very contagious airborne infection of the nose and throat.

When this diphtheria breakout happened, there was an intense blizzard, so they required the help of sled dogs to get the vaccines to town to save the kids’ lives.

There were many legs of the 600-plus-mile trek from Anchorage to Nome. After the original lead dog ran away from fatigue, Gambol said Balto was called in to lead the last 50-mile stretch.

“Balto was leading that last team that made it into Nome bringing the medicine, and was hailed as a hero,” she said.

After Balto’s historic run, long story short, he and his team ended up being shown as part of a vaudeville show. 

But a Cleveland business man was appalled when he saw how they were being treated. 

“He put one little ad in the newspaper, just the Cleveland Plain Dealer said, you know, “Save Balto” and the city of Cleveland rallied around this cause,” she described. “It was like the original GoFundMe campaign.”

March 19, 1927, Balto and his team arrive in Cleveland, living out their remaining days as heroes at what is now the Cleveland Zoo. 

“I’ve met people who are (in their) 90s, even a lady who was 100-years-old, who were the little kids then that donated their lunch money to help save Balto,” Gambol recalls.

After his passing, Balto was preserved and is now proudly showcased at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. 

He serves as a reminder of the importance of vaccines and making sure everyone has access.

“The parallels are ridiculous; you have an airborne disease, right, and you had quarantine right going on, blizzard, wintertime, everybody's indoors,” Gambol describes. “Complete parallel with the coronavirus pandemic.”

This month, the museum is hoping you’ll help them celebrate what they're calling Balto's Birthday Bash. 

The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is also celebrating a big birthday as it turns 100.

They have multiple events going on the rest of this month to honor Balto.