A beauty ride with friends, amazing prizes and a tasty wind-up meal—what’s not to like? Add in the fact that Manitoba’s Sled for Eternity helps support individuals as they get their lives back on track, and the event provides a day not to be missed.
Teen Challenge will be holding its eighth annual Sled for Eternity on Saturday, January 31, 2015. This ride will be held out of Woodridge, almost two hours southeast of Winnipeg. It’s a new route for Sled for Eternity. As an avid snowmobiler himself, Daniel Emond, Teen Challenge development director is excited to bring riders to the area.
“I had a chance to go ride these trails after our event last year, and these new trails are phenomenal—really, really beautiful,” said Emond. “The route will be out to Buffalo Point, but there are so many different choices. There will be more options, more routes, and the trails won't be as busy.”
The prizes and details
The route is expected to be about 300 kilometres with a sledhead add-on option for those who don’t think that’s long enough. Once they reach the Buffalo Point checkstop, riders will be rewarded with a hot lunch before continuing the ride back to Woodridge for a hearty wind-up dinner and a program.
Registration and check-in starts at 8:30 a.m., but participants will probably want to register in advance. This allows Sled for Eternity to plan for numbers and sizes on the long-sleeved shirts handed to each participant, this year provided by FXR. Preregistration also gives participants the opportunity to begin fundraising for Teen Challenge and puts them in the running for an incredible prize lineup. Available for 2015 so far is a Polaris Scrambler ATV, a brand-new Switchback 800 snowmobile, a snowmobile trailer and loads of other prizes. The club challenge also means that clubs can receive labour hours depending on totals raised. The club with the highest amount raised will also win a wind-up dinner.
A great day for everyone
All proceeds go to helping Teen Challenge as it runs a year-long addiction treatment and Christian discipleship program at a time of year when fundraising is typically challenging. In Manitoba, the organization runs a 40-bed mens’ home and a 12-bed womans’ home with an average cost of four to five thousand dollars for each student.
Emond is excited for the support the event has garnered. Snoman Inc., the snowmobile clubs of Manitoba and the province’s sledders have really come alongside the event, helping grow it to yearly success.
“I have participated every year, riding with the crowd,” said Emond. “My personal impressions are this: it is amazing to see our snowmobile community here in Manitoba and Canada. I love snowmobiling, so I understand what we do and why we do it. It is an awesome, awesome thing when you get 200 people who love to do something coming together . . . to raise a whole bunch of money for a life-saving cause.”
