DIDSBURY - The annual Mountain View Colts charity fundraising game has brought in more than $23,000 for the Ride for Dad prostate cancer research and awareness organization.
“It’s just incredible what the Colts have done,” Didsbury’s Gil Enns, the chairman of the rural Ride for Dad chapter in Alberta, told the Albertan.
The game was held at the Didsbury Memorial Complex on Saturday night as the Colts took on Heritage Junior B Hockey League rivals Rocky Rams in front of a full house.
The Colts have held a Ride for Dad fundraising game for the past 13 years, bringing in a total of more than $220,000 to date.
This year’s fundraising effort actually included three elements: a silent auction supported by local companies, organizations and individuals; an online auction; and pledges brought in by players.
“What they did for the online auction is they designed a special team jersey for this game,” he said. “It has a light tan-coloured sleeve, so it almost looked like they were wearing a motorcycle vest. It was made specifically for this game and only this game, and then they put those jerseys up for the online auction.
“I believe they brought in abut $6,800 with the jerseys, all donated to Ride for Dad,” he said.
Ride for Dad donated a remote controlled model car to the Colts player who raised the most pledges – with captain Patron Rothenbusch bringing in more than $2,000 and getting the car, worth more than $1,000.
The Rocky Rams also made a donation towards this year’s fundraiser, he said.
Much of the effort of Ride for Dad is raising awareness of prostate cancer and the need for men to be tested.
“Our feeling is that if you get the word out soon enough, it is curable, before it gets too bad,” he said. “That’s where we spend most of our funds, towards awareness.”
Over the past 16 years the Ride for Dad chapter based in Didsbury has raised more than $2.1 million.
“The Colts are once again in the playoffs and the Ride For Dad want to wish them all the success in their quest for the championship,” he said.
