Founder Jane Hurl, Events Manager Rusty Hurl and Pam Glover, Trail Blazer for Wild Pink Yonder Manitoba.
Horse lovers and riding enthusiasts will hit the trail for three weeks this fall when the inaugural Manitoba Wild Pink Yonder makes its way throughout the region, raising funds for breast cancer research.
Pam Glover and a volunteer committee have been making their rounds to various communities along the route to gather community support and volunteers. The ride which started three years ago in Alberta will kick off in Manitoba on September 10th in Morden, and moves to Winkler where they spend the night. The following day takes them to Plum Coulee. On September 12th, they will arrive in Rosenfeld, and September 13th will see them travel to Altona. On the 14th, they ride to St. Joseph where they’ll have lunch before heading on to Letellier. September 15th will see riders head to St. Jean, and will move on to Morris on the 16th. The ride continues on through Ste. Agathe, Niverville, Ste. Adolphe, Ile des Chenes, Landmark, Otterburne, St. Pierre, St. Malo, Grunthal, Steinbach, Blumenort, Giroux, La Broquerie, Richer, Ste. Anne, Lorette, Dugald, Oakbank and Bird’s Hill Provincial Park where it is scheduled to end Oct. 1. The trail covers 265 miles and brings the group through 28 communities.
“Our goal is to raise money for research with the final goal to find a cure for breast cancer,” explained Glover. “We are hoping that communities along the trail will support us in whatever way possible.”
The Wild Pink Yonder trail ride can accommodate up to 30 riders per day and anyone over the age of 12 can participate. Riders can join at any point and travel either a few miles or as long as they want – as long as they raise at least $200 per day in pledges for each day of the ride. Riders are encouraged to give Glover a call at 422-8076 for rider info.
Glover, who has volunteered in the Alberta rides, has a personal reason for taking on this momentous journey.
“After I lost my stepdaughter Shannon to breast cancer I went looking for a way to help,” Glover shared. “Shannon was very big on doing the walks and the runs – she knew it wouldn’t help her but was determined to try to help others. Instead of whining about needing a cure, I decided to take a cue from her and do something.”
Communities can get involved by raising funds which are designated for Cancer Care Manitoba. Some communities will be asked to host the riders by giving them a safe place to camp for the night, feed the group and provide entertainment.
“The ride is extremely exciting, especially when the entire community is involved in making our stay as PINK as possible,” she added.
“In Alberta, many people have said that they have never seen their towns pull together for any event as they did for Wild Pink Yonder,” says Glover. “I can see that happening in towns here in Manitoba already. In many towns, fundraising has already started and many of the towns are also planting pink flowers in their town planters this summer.”
Volunteers are needed in a variety of areas either in communities or on the ride itself. Anyone interested in participating can visit the www.wildpinkyondermanitoba.com for more information.
