The 42nd annual Easter Seals Snowarama fundraising snowmobile ride resulted in donations of approximately $141,000 on February 9.
In spite of temperatures of under -30C at the beginning of the ride, 156 riders took part in the popular event, said Kelly Bilan, Snowarama committee member.
Riders had three options in choosing their route for the day, said Bilan.
The full ride covered a distance of about 280 kilometres for those riders who started in Yorkton and made the trip north to Rawhides in Stenen for lunch, looped to the east through Norquay, and then rode home. Riders could shorten their trips by starting at Good Spirit or Canora.
鈥淓ven though it was really cold, a surprising number of riders made the full trip from Yorkton,鈥� said Bilan. 鈥淎 touch of frost bite didn鈥檛 seem to bother them at all.鈥�
Grooming of the trails along the route was completed by the day before the event due to the efforts of the Canora Trakkers, the Norquay Sno-Drifters, the Rhein Sno Cruzers, the Kamsack Sno-Drifters and the Yorkton Sno-Riders.
鈥淭he cold weather combined with the recent snow created near ideal snow conditions for the riders, the best we鈥檝e had in a number of years,鈥� said Bilan.
After the trail groomer used by the Canora Trakkers Club to work on the trails broke down, members of groups from Norquay and Yorkton quickly stepped in to make sure the grooming was done in time.
Among those on the trails with their snowmobiles were three EMT members from Yorkton who had a direct 911 connection, which put them in position to respond quickly in case of emergency, explained Bilan.
