The annual Innisfail Trail Ride Against Cancer, a time honoured charity event for the past 26 years, has catapulted to a new and unprecedented level of popularity and success by more than doubling the money it raised the year before.
The 16-kilometre ride on Sept. 8, which began at the Daines Ranch Rodeo Grounds and looped west in an old growth forest and down by the Red Deer River, raised $43,500 for the Alberta Cancer Foundation in support of the Central Alberta Cancer Centre.
The Innisfail Trail Ride Against Cancer was founded in 1987 with a few neighbours and friends around the area who got together for a ride and barbecue in honour of loved ones who had passed away from cancer, said Bailey Gilks, the ride's event coordinator.
However, she said participation and fundraising had levelled off over the years and she agreed to take charge as event coordinator in 2010.
That year $8,000 was raised, followed by $11,000 in 2011 and then $19,000 last year. It was followed by the spectacular success of last month.
Not only did fundraising dramatically increase over the past four years since Gilks began organizing the event but so did the number of participants. This year the ride had 270 participants, compared to 100 in 2010.
“We did different advertising. The community is now very Facebook orientated,” said Gilks in explaining this year's successful event. “There are lots of people who connect from different walks of life and different areas. We were really able to bring people together.”
For more information on the Innisfail Trail Ride Against Cancer visit the website: albertacancer.ca/innisfailtrailride2013 or the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/innisfailtrailrideagainstcancer
