Saturday, June 1 marked the fourth annual Eastman ATV Ride for Mom, a fundraising event in support of CancerCare Manitoba. According to the organizers, this year’s event was far larger than previous years, both in terms of numbers of riders as well as donations.
In the three previous events, Ride for Mom raised about $31,000. 2019’s event alone brought in about $20,000 for CancerCare Manitoba. There were 411 riders, 235 passengers, and 55 volunteers and vendors.
“We are truly excited about the big increase in collections, as that’s the point of this entire event—to raise more money for CCM every year,” says Donald Eidse, President of the Eastman ATV Association. “So congratulations to all the riders collecting pledges, volunteers making this happen, and all our sponsors that made this event possible!”
In addition to the ride itself, attendees also enjoyed a barbecue lunch and had the chance to win prizes through door prizes and a 50/50 draw.
But of course the highlight of the event was hitting the trail.
“The Ride for Mom route this year is about 85 kilometres,” says Eidse of the trail which winds its way through the Sandilands. “The eastern path travels along an escarpment for a while with a winding and twisting path. It had one water-fording [area] this year. There is bumpy, rocky trail as you get close to the Dawson Trail. It’s sometimes dusty [and there’s] sometimes big puddles. This time… it was dusty.”
The Dawson Trail then brings riders to the Eastman Staging Area, which according to Eidse is the first official staging area of its type in Manitoba.
“This is where a trail ride could normally start,” he says. “[It’s] where you can park your truck and trailer, unload your ATV, and go ride for the day on a signed trail. The back half of the trail we use is more fire road to allow a different pace for a while. Most [riders] seem to like that, too.”
He says there are several key features of the trail that make it popular. First of all, it follows the provincial standards set by ATM Manitoba, which means that it’s safe and is able to be insured. Secondly, it’s a signed trail. And finally, it follows an escarpment and has areas with a nice treed canopy.
“On a longer ride like this, maybe your 14-year-old wants to drive a bit,” Eidse says. “This is a great trail to learn on with its inherent safety features built in.”
Eidse and the rest of the Eastman ATV Association are already making plans to make next year’s event even better.
