This year, ATVers in Manitoba will have a chance to participate in the Ride for Dad fundraiser. The first annual ATV Ride for Dad Winnipeg chapter takes place September 28 in Stonewall, which is about a 40-minute drive north of Winnipeg.
Ride for Dad originally began as a motorcycle ride out of Ottawa, but over the years, it has branched out to other cities and a wider audience. Now more than 100,000 motorcyclists, ATVers, snowmobilers and watercraft enthusiasts across Canada participate in local rides. Their goal is simple: to raise money for prostate cancer awareness and research. To date, the Ride for Dad foundation has raised more than $9,000,000 for the Prostate Cancer Fight Foundation.
Members of the Woodridge ATV Sandhogs, a family-based club in Woodridge, are helping to organize the ATV Ride for Dad in Stonewall. Gary Hora, the club’s president, is excited for the opportunity to help out a worthy cause.
“We’re going to do a parade from town and there are going to be other events based out of the community complex,” said Hora. “There will be a guided ride—we have have one designated trail in Manitoba and it starts in Stonewall and heads northbound. It’s an old railway bed (and) it’s called the Pioneer Trail.”
The Pioneer Trail is a 106-kilometre multi-use trail and the ATV Ride for Dad will cover a portion of it. Hora said the ride will be around four or five hours long and that anyone can participate.
“It is open to the public and you can simply buy a ticket at the door and all the money goes to donations,” said Hora.
According to Hora, volunteers and participants of the ride get to decide where they’d like the money to go within the Prostate Cancer Fight Foundation, and it stays within the province of Manitoba.
“It’s a really good opportunity for positive press,” said Hora.
With extensive cleanup work to be done in the Sandilands Provincial Park and the club's monthly rides, members of the Woodridge ATV Sandhogs are looking ahead to a busy season. They will also be a the Carrick Days Parade and the St. Labre 200 go-cart build-off and race.
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