“It's not about the size of the town. It's about the size of the heart in the town.”
Those are the words of inspiration to be found at the top of one of the webpages on Wild Pink Yonder’s website found at www.wildpinkyonder.com. The group runs a 23-day horseback trail ride across 500 kilometres around the province every year as an attempt to raise money for breast cancer research through the Alberta Cancer Foundation.
This year, it has added something a little different. It has invited all 22 of the host communities along the trail to compete for the title of the Pinkest Little Town in the West. Legal’s Carol Tremblay is hoping that her friends and neighbours will get behind the initiative and show how big the town’s heart truly is.
“As they travel through our town we’ll be graded on how pink we are,” she said. “We’ll also get graded on how much money we raise per capita.”
The ride started in Hythe on August 9. It’s set to clip-clop through Legal tomorrow evening.
There are already lots of signs of pink support around town, something that Tremblay calls “pinkified.”
“We do have a few businesses that have actually painted their sidewalks pink. We have houses with pink chairs in the front. We’ve had a few people saying that they’re painting their grass pink. FÄ™te au Village, our town festival … the theme of it was ‘this one’s for the girls’. We gussied up the beer gardens all pink.”
Local supporters have also been hosting events from 50/50 draws, pancake breakfasts and town barbecues to raise money for the cause. When the group rides through Main Street – dubbed Legal’s Pink Trail – on Thursday evening, the town will have a pink ducky race right on the strip. People can get in on that fundraiser by calling 780-701-5234 or visiting the town office at 5021 50 Street. Each duck is $5. The first duck to the finish line wins half the pot.
“We’ve been trying to keep the momentum and keep the interest involved,” she stated, later adding, “It’s been a blast!”
