JUNE 2009 IN THE SHADOW OF EQUUS - FUNDRAISING FROM HORSEBACK
Pacific & Prairie Horse Journal June 09 issue Online Feature
By Margaret Evans
There comes a time when you’ve done it all. You’ve bought the perfect horse, done the ribbon haul, taken the trendy rides, and hung out with the notable and notorious. So what’s missing?
Maybe it’s the ride that doesn’t do as much for you as it does for others whom you may never know. And in the process, you may have the most rewarding ride of your life.
Welcome to the fun of charity rides.
“In 2006 I was diagnosed with breast cancer,” wrote Jane Hurl who runs the annual Wild Pink Yonder Trail Ride in Alberta. “It was not one of the finer years in my life. And it has certainly been a most life-altering experience.”
Hurl didn’t want to be a cancer “survivor.” She wanted to be a cancer victor. “I felt like that old time cartoon character, Joe Btfsplk, in the Li’l Abner comic series — the little guy with the perpetual black cloud over his head.”
At the slightest pain, she would run to her doctor with that nagging fear that her cancer was back. “Breast cancer can be so sly,” she said. “We’ve lost too many of our sisters to it.”
She hated the little black cloud so much that she set out to do something about it. She launched the annual Wild Pink Yonder wagon train to raise money for breast cancer research. This year, wagons and riders will roll out of Fort McLeod, Alberta on June 23, travelling 900-plus kilometers to Edmonton to arrive near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta on July 24. You can drive a wagon or ride a horse and sign up for the whole event or take part in it for just a few days or a week.
“A couple of years back, there was a young lady battling a high-risk threatening illness who submitted a wish to the Children’s Wish Foundation (CWF) of Canada BC/Yukon Chapter,” said Jenn Burgoyne who coordinates Provincial Wish Trail Rides (PWTR) on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. “She wished for a horse and CWF gave her a beautiful paint horse. Not long after, she passed away. Her parents went to return the horse to CWF but were informed that the horse was their daughter’s wish and so it was theirs to keep in her memory. Now, every year the father rides his daughter’s horse at one of the wish trail rides so that his daughter’s wish can continue to help raise money.”
The CWF was started 13 years ago by Walter White. Rides are held throughout BC and, while there is always a core group of people who ride regularly, each year new riders join. They are inspired by both the purpose and the fun of the event especially as trail rides are leisurely paced and suitable for any rider. Before the ride the participants raise pledges in their neighbourhood or through their family and work.
“There are 23 ride locations for 2009 and we have added four new locations with two (new ones) on Vancouver Island,” said Burgoyne. “During 2008 the wish trail ride surpassed any other year’s fundraising and raised $120,000, bringing the 13 year total to $647,000.”
Anyone can ride and for those who don’t own a horse, some ride locations have donated horses available for use. “There is a minimum amount that these riders need to raise in order to use a donated horse,” she said. “That figure is decided by that individual ride location organizer. For 2009 we have a new provincial website with information about the rides, the fun stuff, and raffle draws that will be available.”
PWTR is the largest supporter of the BC/Yukon Chapter of the CWF. Anyone can recommend a child to their local CWF office but the parents or guardians must be in agreement. The child should be between three and 18 years of age when the wish request is received. They must be Canadian and their illness must have been diagnosed by a doctor as high-risk and life-threatening. The goal of PWTR is to cover all of BC with wish trail rides and get more riders involved.
All kinds of riding events raise funds for worthy causes. In May, the Friends to the Max Team Penning Event in Thorsby, Alberta raised $62,000 for breast cancer treatment and research, bringing their three year total to $200,000. Funds raised by the three team penning competitions and a horse trailer raffle went to the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Alberta where they will fund the PET Scanner program. Coming July 4, 2009 will be the Run for Survival Barrel Race in Victoria, BC to benefit the BC Cancer Society. Hosted by South Island Rough Riders Gymkhana Club and the Metchosin Farmers Institute, the barrel race event will be held at the Luxton Rodeo Grounds. It will kick off at noon with competitions for peewee, youth, and open mens and ladies divisions.
Amberlea Meadows in Edmonton, Alberta will be hosting their Jump with Hope for Kids with Cancer Horse Show from July 8 to 12, 2009. This annual event, which started in 2001, raises funds for the Kids with Cancer Society and to date they have raised well over $100,000. Numerous side events to the jumping competitions are held during the five days including the highly popular horse and hound competition in which 12 riders and 12 dog agility teams face off to conquer obstacles. A barbeque, old time barn dance, silent auction, and children’s events are highlights to raise funds for the society.
Charity rides are not always for research on life threatening diseases. The annual “It Shouldn’t Hurt to be a Child” trail ride raises funds to help Victims of Violence. The Hardy family of Rochester, Alberta hosts the ride on their Rainbow Ranch near Edmonton and all proceeds go to the national charity organization dedicated to the prevention of crimes against children and educating children on personal safety. The ride is a fun-filled event with great food, live music, and singing around the campfire at day’s end.
The desire to help others is at the core of the human condition and riding to raise funds to help those facing daunting challenges is uniquely appealing. These moments have a way of enriching your life. You may set out for a few hours of recreational trail riding but you could return with new friends, a new focus, and a whole new perspective on helping others.
For more information on the above organizations and upcoming rides, visit their websites:
www.wildpinkyonder.com
www.provincialwishtrailride.com
www.pinklink.ca
www.southislandroughriders.webs.com
www.victimsofviolence.on.ca
www.amberleameadows.com
Photo 1: The Friends to the Max Team Penning Event, 2009. Courtesy of Penny Steeves.
Photo 2: Provincial Wish Trail Ride 2009. Courtesy of Mary Neufeld.
We hope you enjoyed the Pacific & Prairie Horse Journal June 09 issue Online Feature