Michelle Phillips will have a special item in her sled bag on this year's Iditarod.

Nestled safely away in a pouch amongst her cooker and dog food, Phillips will be carrying a ziploc bag filled with hand-made, lopsided stuffed hearts.

The hearts are part of the Feelie Hearts campaign put on by Hospice Yukon, to support those that are dealing with the death of loved ones.

Phillips has been touched by loss in recent years, which lead her to join the campaign to raise awareness for Hospice Yukon.

The small hearts were created years ago when a four-year-old girl was given a stuffed fabric heart to carry around after her mother died.

The girl carried the heart in her pocket with her to remember that her mother loved her.

The girl felt she had permission to grieve her incredible loss.

Phillips got involved with the Feelie Hearts to remember two friends, Agata Franczak, who lost her battle with uteran cancer, and Thalina Tchulokovsky who passed away from ALS. Both women were prominent in the mushing world.

Phillips also carries the hearts in memory of some of her lead dogs that she has lost.

"I was just really amazed with the organization,” she said.

Last year Phillips brought along the hearts on her Yukon Quest run, that coincided with Valentines Day to raise awareness for the campaign.

During this year's Iditarod, Phillips will keep the hearts safely stowed in a special pocket in her sled bag. She had her bag specially made for her by Snowdrift to keep the hearts safe.

"I don't want to lose them,” she said.

Phillips said carrying the hearts is all about letting people know the campaign exists.

"I just like to raise awareness,” she said.

Her other reason for carrying the hearts is to make people more comfortable with talking about the tough subject of death.

"Our society doesn't speak about death,” Phillips said. "I think it's important to talk about it and give people permission to talk about it.”

Carrying the hearts during her mushing adventures gives her a little bit of extra strength to make it to the next checkpoint, Phillips said.

"(It) makes me feel good inside, gives me good energy,” she said. "It keeps you focused on your goal. You want to get them to the finish line.”

In her first year carrying the hearts, Phillips said she received positive feedback.

"We got quite a good response,” Phillips said.

When people know she has the hearts in her sled bag, Phillips says she has many people approach her to tell their story.

"I've had different people come up to me and tell me about their experience with Feelie Hearts,” she said.

This will be Phillip's first Iditarod run.

The veteran Yukon Quest musaher has run the Quest five times, starting in 2004, with a year off in 2005.

"I'm looking forward to a new adventure,” Phillips said.

The Iditarod will run starting on March 6th from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.

Phillips will be at this weekend's Road Runner 100 race to see off and help out a few mushers.

To get involved with Hospice Yukon or purchase a Feelie Heart, contact them at 667-7429, or by email at administrator@hospiceyukon.net.

Purchasing a Feelie Heart for $100 or more will also include a tax-deductible receipt, a team photo, a copy of the Feelie Hearts story and a copy of Phillip's race journal from the Iditarod.