The Haliburton County Snowmobile Association (HCSA) is bringing a dash of pink to its trails with a new grooming-based fundraiser for the Kelly Shires Breast Cancer Foundation.
The HCSA is launching a new initiative to donate $1 for every hour one of its groomers is used. The machine will frequent the club’s biggest trail, the Rail Trail, with the foundation logo in tow throughout the winter.
The charity provides financial support to breast cancer patients. HCSA vice president John Enright said the donation should amount to about $500, based on historical use.
“We felt it was our time to give something back,” Enright said. “Snowmobile clubs are always sort of looking, scrounging, scraping. So, here was an opportunity that we thought up ourselves to donate to this exceptional organization.”
Charity director Suzy Stenoff said they appreciate the donation, especially given the pandemic curtailing fundraising efforts over the past year. The organization has a snowmobile focus and many clubs have done charity rides for it, but she said none have done a fundraiser like this.
“We are so thrilled to be a part of this,” Stenoff said, adding the club does a lot of work with trail maintenance over a year. “Myself, running a charity, I know how much work it is and how hard it is. So, to have this extra layer on for them, it’s spectacular they’ve been able to do this for us.”
HCSA volunteer Liz Jesseman is a breast cancer survivor who has raised money for the foundation for years. She said she knows how expenses can wrack up when receiving treatments.
“It’s just an amazing organization,” Jesseman said, adding praise for the donation. “It’s a great thing to do. For all women and snowmobilers.”
Stenoff said there is also added value in the promotional aspect of the HCSA initiative.
“Having an extra fundraiser like this benefiting our charity is very amazing and will go a long way,” she said. “Beyond that, the extra exposure, even letting people know we are here, that we are a charity.”
Enright said the HCSA plans to make this initiative a regular feature, supporting and spotlighting different small charities in the years to come. You can donate to the foundation at kellyshiresfoundation.org.
