On Saturday, June 11th, the Lions Foundation of Canada Ride for Dog Guides rolled through Churchbridge on its way to Esterhazy.
The campaign was first started in 2009 by the Saltwater Retreads and the Enfield/Elmsdale Lions Club in Nova Scotia. The event has since grown with new locations. All proceeds support the seven Dog Guide programs at Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides.
Organizer Tom Armstrong explained the group’s itinerary. “This recent weekend our riders rode close to 1000 kms and the funds collected are still being received. We visited the Lions Clubs in Wadena who had prepared Smokies for us (a big thank you to the Co-op). Next was to our Maple Leaf Club in Springside who decided to become a Model Club, congratulations guys.”
Armstrong mentioned one of the Dog Guides in Springside named Radar. “His handler told us how Radar has changed her life.”
Tom and the riders then went to “Churchbridge where some Lions offered us some refreshments. We didn’t see anyone from our Yorkton Lions Clubs but we did refuel and sped on. At Churchbridge, Lions Joe and Glady stopped in for a visit from Bredenbury to say hello and we had a great visit. Then we arrived at Chicken Chef in Esterhazy for a visit with the Lions of Esterhazy. We were very impressed with the Chicken Chef which was classy, clean and friendly; you couldn’t ask for anything more. After our visit with them we headed to the Canalta Esterhazy for a little rest and relaxation. We watched the Roughriders win and crashed for the night.”
The group headed toward Regina on Sunday morning before continuing on to Bethune after. Tom Armstrong ended by saying, “We thank all those who support this ride. We may come very close to surpassing a $70,000 total since the ride [started] in our province in 2012. We thank all those who are interested in this project. No one club owns it or controls it. Co-leader Darrell Deck and myself are pleased to serve and we will be announcing a new approach to future rides in Saskatchewan.”