The Wild Pink Yonder is on its home stretch as it blazes a trail through this region tomorrow.
The seventh annual trail ride sees dozens of horse riders gallop across the Wild West in a bid to promote breast cancer research. Trail boss Jane Hurl explained that the number of riders varies but there are five stalwarts – “crazies,” in her words – who have stuck it out for the entire journey of 300 km across what is known as the Iron Horse Trail.
“It goes up and down all the time because the vast majority of the riders do not come the whole distance. It’s just the crazy ones the whole way,” she joked.
The entire adventure traverses more than 500 km in total, because many of the stops include recreational tours around the scenic spots of each location. For instance, the riders will be enjoying the sights of the Bilby Natural Area near Onoway tomorrow morning.
The entire adventure started with a fandango in Lloydminster on Aug. 8 and arrives in Gibbons today and St. Albert approximately 11 a.m. tomorrow. It’s intended to complete its trek through 23 towns in Fort Saskatchewan on Friday. The group then spends Saturday and Sunday celebrating the Trail’s End at the Whitemud Equine Learning Centre in Edmonton. There, the participants and other attendees will be treated to the performance of the legendary RCMP Musical Ride. Tickets are still available for that event.
Locally, there is a fundraising dinner that has been organized through the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce. That takes place at the Kinsmen Korral tomorrow, starting at 6. Tickets are $20 each and can be obtained from the Chamber office at 71 St. Albert Trail.
In its first six years, the Wild Pink Yonder has raised more than $600,000 for cancer foundations in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. In this province, funding goes to support breast cancer research (through the Alberta Cancer Foundation) at the Cross Cancer Institute.
Apart from fundraising, it also functions to raise awareness by making some bold fashion statements. All of the towns that mark the riders’ stops along the way participate by trying to become The Pinkest Little Town in the West. The winner is the one that raises the most money per capita plus the town that literally makes itself the pinkest.
The St. Albert Chamber took the challenge by making Saturday’s Farmers’ Market a very rosy affair indeed. Apart from all of the pink paraphernalia that popped up, local MP Brent Rathgeber also had his hair dyed for the cause.
“The ones who want to win this contest get really competitive about it,” Hurl explained.
If there are any riders in the St. Albert area that want to join up, they can contact Hurl at 780-975-4429. More details can be found at www.wildpinkyonder.com.
