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Musher in Maine delivers supplies, groceries to people at risk for coronavirus

CARIBOU, Maine — A musher in northern Maine is helping deliver groceries and supplies to residents who have been tagged as vulnerable to the coronavirus.

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Hannah Lucas, who runs the Northlane Siberian Huskies and Seppala Siberian Sled Dog Team in Caribou, said she got the idea while working her job at a local convenience store.

“I noticed that people were coming in all the time,” Lucas told the Bangor Daily News. “It was nonstop, and most of the time it was elderly people buying small things like a half-gallon of milk or three bananas. So I wanted to offer my services to deliver groceries so they don’t have to come out all the time.”

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Lucas and some other mushers have been delivering groceries to older residents since mid-March, the newspaper reported. Lucas’ team of mushers has been delivering the goods to people in the Caribou, Presque Isle, Limestone, Washburn and Woodland areas.

The two teams, with six dogs apiece, have averaged between four and six deliveries each day, the Daily Herald reported.

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Lucas said the reaction from residents has been positive.

“They were all really appreciative of it,” Lucas told the Daily Herald. “We pick up prescriptions at Walgreens just to save them the trip. A couple of them have had cancer and (have) really compromised immune systems, and right now it’s a really bad time of year with allergies on top of what’s going on. A lot of these people aren’t working anymore due to businesses closing down.”

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