Classic

Since 1917, the small city of Nenana has been home to one of Alaska's largest traditions. Every year, residents come together to pull off the Nenana Ice Classic, a charitable guessing game that challenges any player to predict, at $2.50 a guess, the exact minute the ice on the Tanana River will break up. Beyond the city limits, luck-pushers and competitive gamblers see the Ice Classic as a means to make small dreams come true. As the tradition has endured, the jackpots have grown and now commonly exceed $300,000. But for the town, where diversity comes mostly in the form of character, the proceeds from the contest go back into the community and surrounding areas. To Nenanans, the Ice Classic is a part of their root system and they've made every effort to keep it going in the same way it started. For them, the resistance to change means gainful employment, community pride, and a way of staying on the map.