October 16, 2025 Seward Folly by Marc Swanson

DATE: Saturday, October 25

TIME: Doors open at 6 pm for viewing. Silent Auction begins at 6:30.  Live Auction at 6:45

WHERE: Gateway Hotel

NOTE:  Attendance is limited to the first 100 people (occupancy restriction for venue)

DOUBLE NOTE:  Complementary light snacks and no-host bar (beer and wine)

A painting of Dan running the Iditarod by Tom Missle to be auctioned off, along with a host of other vintage items from the Seavey estate

Dan Seavey passed away earlier this spring.  He left a legacy of being a founding member of the modern Iditarod race, a retired Seward educator and coach, and a visionary of the Alaska Long Trail.  He also left a legacy of supporting local non-profit endeavors.  So it was not a huge surprise that he willed proceeds from his estate to be given to the Seward Community Foundation to be endowed to assist local organizations for generations forward.

To fulfill Dan’s wish the Seavey family and the Seward Community Foundation will be hosting a live and silent auction of a wonderfully eclectic assortment of Dan’s estate.  There will be something for everyone.  You need tools?  There’ll be some there. Beautiful hardwood vintage furniture?  Yup. Valuable Iditarod memorabilia? Yes, and along with that cold weather gear that Dan used while traveling with his dog team.  Oh yeah….and a well used, but still useful for the casual musher, dog sled.  There’s a steamer chest, a box of 60 valuable vintage (-20’s-30’s) 78 speed ‘vinyl’ records, very fine artwork including  fossilized ivory scrimshaw created by renown artist Gerry Dupont. 

There’s a bunch of signed and personalized Jon Van Zyle prints along with an original Tom Missel painting of Dan running the Iditarod. Alaska Native art including a sculpture on a whale vertebrae, beaded moose hide mittens, and beaver fur hat. Did we mention vintage guns?  There will be three for the auction but many more listed on GunRunners.com.  Simply search Dan Seavey on the website to see the rest of his collection. Perhaps the most valuable items (as evidenced by others that were auctioned) are two small Alaska flags personally signed by Benny Benson.  One will go to the winner bidder while the other will be donated in the bidder’s name to the Seward Historical Society in their name (this is part of the goal of trying to keep as many Dan’s items in Seward while still maintaining a strong financial endowment to the SCF.)

As mentioned earlier, the doors to the Gateway open at 6.  Due to facility capacity attendance is limited to the first 100 people. There is no admission fee and no pre-sell tickets.

Seward Community Foundation is grateful for Dan’s generosity and support toward the non-profits in Seward and Moose Pass.  SCF has had many individuals who have provided or pledged ‘legacy’ gifts to be endowed.  This year, resident ‘Luddy’ Everett passed away willing assets from his home to the Seward Community Foundation.  These gifts provide for an endowment that will support a variety of local organizations far into the future.  Please contact SCF at sewardcf.org if you would like to learn more about legacy giving.