| Jul 24, 2008


Feature Article - July 24, 2008

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Feature Article - July 24, 2008 RURAL VISIONS and Frontenac ATV Club rally togetherBy Julie Druker

For the first time in their history, Rural VISIONS teamed up with the Frontenac ATV Club on Saturday for their latest fundraising event, an ATV Rally.

All of the registration fees collected from the rally go directly to Rural Visions of Sydenham to help support their programs offered for children, seniors, and disabled persons in the community. Some of these programs include meals on wheels, transportation, play groups, home care, financial assistance programs and food relief.

Harold Dalmas, a volunteer with Rural VISIONS explained how the event came about. “The fundraising committee were brainstorming for ideas and came up with the idea of an ATV Rally.”

The committee contacted Wayne Fink, the Frontenac ATV Club president and he was on board immediately.

Wayne remembers why he embraced the offer. “Because we now have the privilege of living and riding in the area, it makes perfect sense to give back to the community. We want the public to see our club as a group of respectful, law-abiding citizens doing what we love. If we can do it and help a local organization then it’s a double bonus.”

At 125 kms, the course took almost 3.5 hours to ride and was a combination course, which included road and trail riding.

President Wayne led one group of riders through the course. An earlier group of riders, who chose to go it alone and armed with maps of the route, headed out before Wayne’s group departed.

Beginning at the Piccadilly Arena near Godfrey, the riders headed north through Tichborne and Crow Lake, then up to Maberly, and across through Sharbot Lake where they stopped for lunch.

They then continued on to Mountain Grove and down Long Lake Road ending up back in at the Piccadilly Arena.

The weather held out and rain was not a factor.

Close to their 9:30 am set time of departure, the guided group were greatly looking forward to heading out. There were riders from Napanee, Kingston and Battersea, and from local towns.

One rider admitted that her primary reason for being there was “just to get a chance to get out and go for a ride.’

Kelli McRobert from Battersea was looking forward to testing out and “muddying up” her brand new, bright red machine, a gift from her husband James.

Almost 30 riders in total rode in the rally. A few adventurous riders went off the course and ran into a bit of trouble around a swamp but apparently their adventures made for some good story telling after the fact, back at the arena where the riders enjoyed a hearty bowl of chili, courtesy of Rural VISIONS.

Maggie Dalmas, a volunteer with the agency, was pleased with the turn out so perhaps the event could become an annual occurrence.

She wishes to thank everyone who helped with the event.

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