More than 80 participants braved the drizzle for Verona Lions 2nd annual ATV Run

Craig Bakay | Oct 09, 2019

There was a slight but steady drizzle for the 2nd annual Verona Lions ATV Sunday but participants didn’t didn’t seem to mind as many didn’t wait for the official 1 p.m. start time. They just checked in and hit the trails.

“You can’t stop them,” said Dale Morey, one of the organizers. “They come and they’re ready to go, so they do.”

Morey said there were a couple of differences from last year’s event.

“First, last year it was in July,” he said. “But we decided to move it to now because it’s not as dusty and you get the fall colours.

“We actually changed the date twice because we couldn’t get the caterer.”

As well, the format was a bit different.

“Last year was a poker run,” he said. “But when you do that, the gaming commission gets involved and you have to have permits and things.”

Besides the ATV Run, the hall was also in use for the Land O’Lakes Traditional Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sunday.

“It’s good,” Morey said. “We got maximum use of the facility with events inside the hall and out.”

In all there were 85 registered participants who travelled the 110 kilometre route up the K & P Trail to Sharbot Lake and then back down the TransCanada Trail to Frontenac Road, Elgin Young Road, across Long Lake Road, to McLean Road, through the Depot Lakes Roads to Oak Flats Road and back down to Verona.

This is one of the Lions regular fundraisers with the money going to a variety of causes the club supports including: Camp Kirk, the Guide Dogs program, Lake Joseph Centre for the visually disabled, Cam Dorset for children with Kidney Disease, Almost Home, Camp Trillium, Sydenham High School Bursaries, the Verona Community Association, Verona Family Support, the Verona Heritage Society, Verona Lions Sports Field & Community Centre and Vision Screening.

“It was good,” Morey said. “We got to bring up the rear.”