Crystal Falls mud drags fundraiser to boost volunteer fire department

Every beer sold at Crystal Falls’ mud drags fundraiser will go straight to the Crystal Falls Volunteer Fire Department, turning a Saturday of off-road racing into direct support for local emergency response. The event is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at 128 Wiggins Road in Crystal Falls, with racer registration starting at 7 a.m. and racing set for noon.

Uren Dirtworks is organizing the fundraiser around a mud drags format that includes stock trucks, modified trucks, side-by-sides and an anything-on-wheels class. ATV and UTV drivers will pay $25 to enter, while all other classes will pay $35. The event is also advertising a 100% racer payout, a detail meant to draw a strong field while keeping the competition attractive for participants who want a shot at going home with winnings.

The practical side of the fundraiser is built into the schedule. Admission will be $10, children 10 and younger will get in free, and camping will be available Friday and Saturday for $10 or $15 with electric. Concessions and a beer tent will be on site, along with a kids’ play area, making the event a full-day gathering as much as a race. For the fire department, the most direct revenue stream comes from the beer sales, which are earmarked to support the department’s work serving Crystal Falls and the surrounding area.

Organizers have also lined up a sponsor list that shows how deeply the event is tied into Iron County’s small-business network. Northern Roots Hair Salon, Kim Nylund Inc., Santi Septic & Excavating, Ragio Quality Concrete, O’Reilly Auto Parts in Iron River, Loud Acres Farm, Black Dog Printing and Jake’s R & R Tires Inc. are all backing the event. Questions can be directed to Ethan Uren at 906-236-3345 or Cemone Uren at 906-284-1221, by email at erendirtworksmuddrags@gmail.com, or through the Facebook page Facebook.com/Urendirtworksmuddrags/.

The fundraiser lands in a county whose early growth came from iron mining and lumbering, industries that shaped the local habit of relying on community networks when public needs arise. That same volunteer culture is visible in the Uren family’s ties to the fire department, with Cemone and Ethan Uren already appearing in Crystal Falls fire service competition. In a place where local response capacity depends on neighbors stepping up, the mud drags are being used for something more enduring than a Sunday tally sheet: keeping the volunteer fire department supported and ready.