We’re not saying anything you don’t already know when we note that winters in Wallowa County can be challenging.

That’s part of the reason why the Eagle Cap Extreme Sled Dog Race is such a seasonal delight: Smack in the middle of winter — in the bleak midwinter, as the old song would say — county residents rally around an event that is anything but bleak. It’s a wintertime blast, with a hefty serving of hardworking canines and their mushers.

Not to mention a small army of volunteers, without whose help there would be no mushing in the first place. Sometimes we overlook the fact that the Eagle Cap Extreme (like so many other things in the county) is fueled entirely by volunteers, from the veterinarians who make sure each dog is fit to run to the souls who staff the race checkpoints to the folks who stay put at Cloverleaf Hall to track the results.

We celebrate the race winners (this year, all women: Josi Thyr, who won the 200-mile race; Nicole Lombardi, triumphant again in the 100-mile event, and Charlotte Sause, winner of the 31-mile mid-distance race) and all the mushers. But we also celebrate the volunteers who make it all happen — and the community supporters who make the trek up to Ferguson Ridge Ski Area to cheer on the teams at the starting line and then keep tabs on the race.

Rural communities like the ones in Wallowa County depend on volunteers. A big reason why residents say they love living here is that people will go out of their way to help someone in need — no questions asked. That’s just part of the fabric of life here.

But the spirit of volunteerism goes beyond these person-to-person encounters: Civic organizations and clubs countywide are a vitally important part of the community’s quality of life. Any glance at the Chieftain’s weekly “What’s Happening” calendar of events shows that Wallowa County is buzzing with activity practically every day — and volunteers are at the heart of much of that activity. Without the labor of the volunteer who make those groups hum, Wallowa County would be a poorer place indeed. And it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.

If you were to spend time chatting with a community volunteer or with one of the numerous groups that rely on volunteers, though, you’d likely hear a common refrain: We really need to find more volunteers for our group. Or, we can’t continue putting on this community festival without an infusion of fresh blood. Wallowa County certainly isn’t alone in this: It’s a problem throughout the United States. But because so much of the county runs on volunteer power, it’s particularly vulnerable to this erosion.

We understand that people are busy; life today (arguably) is more complicated than ever before. Time seems more precious. But as we’ve talked over the years with the very busiest of community volunteers, we’ve found a common denominator: They always find the time required to give back to a community they love.

Winter has (at least) two more months to run. You could spend that time cooped up in your home, hoping that you laid in enough firewood. Or you could find a volunteer group or cause that speaks to your heart. Your community will be a better place — and, more than likely, so will your heart.