FWO Fundraising Information
Ride Along with Lila and the SnomadS!!
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For Women Only - 2007
By: Mary Newman
3/12/2007
Saturday, February 10th was the 20th Annual FWO ride for Easter Seals . A wonderful time was had by all! And along the way, so many lives will be changed for the better. There were 177 women that participated, raising a total of $202,000 for Easter Seals’ programs and services. Both the Easter Seals’ clients and FWO participants as well, benefited from the event. Most importantly, the money will provide families with important programs and services through the Easter Seals offices. But also, the woman made lasting friendships with fellow riders.
The 177 participants were divided into 11 groups. Then each group was lead through the scenic Grayling Area Trail System to a designated lunch spot. After the lunch, the riders returned to their sleds and continued the ride back to the hotel. Most roundtrips totaled over 100miles!
My group headed out to the Rustic inn for a great tasty lunch stop. We took the trails north of Grayling, gassed up in Luzerne, and found our way through the snow covered trails to the Rustic Inn around 11:30 AM. Lots of snow and freshly groomed trails made the ride very enjoyable!
After posing for some pictures a mad rush was made to the restaurant, maybe it was the thought of good food or maybe it was the heated bathroom. Who knows? The lunch is always a wonderful part of the ride. We get to catch up with the other riders in different groups. Of course we compared the trail conditions of the other groups, over the meal!
Once our appetites were appeased and our toes were warmed we headed back out on the trail. It was a lovely ride back to the hotel. The afternoon ride involves a lot of private trail riding. This means fantastic trail conditions, unbelievable scenery, and little or no sled traffic at all! Unless you count the other groups we were able to pass!!! Were they supposed to go left or right?
We all arrived safely back at the hotel around 3pm. That left lots of time for socializing and real refreshments…hot tub, pool, etc.! Most riders utilized the many different spa options provided by Rhea’s Doll House Salon situated inside the Holidome. The riders had a chance to unwind and retell the funny stories from the day’s ride. But of course, what happens on the trails stays on the trails.
The rest of the evening was filled with delicious food and drinks served during the banquet. Renee Wyatt had wonderful things to say about our fund raising efforts and all the people dedicated to making this event successful! The banquet was a lovely way to cap off the hard work all the riders put in through the year to make a difference in the lives of other people.
On a personal note, the evening will always be extremely memorable for me…my sister, Liz, won a brand new sled from the Sandy Boyer Memorial Fund Raffle! I only had to jump up and down for 2 minutes, screaming “You won the sled” before she actually realized she won the sled!!!!
Amazing things happen when amazing people work together. It is always an honor to be associated with this group of riders and organizers. I look forward to this event every year. I hope all of you will join me in another adventure to raise money for the 21st Annual FWO Easter Seals Ride!
