The "Ride for a Vet" event was held in the Battlefords area on Saturday. (Original 9 Riding Association/Facebook)

By Angela Brown

Support for veterans

‘Ride for a Vet’ a success in Battlefords area

Jul 10, 2023 | 12:39 PM

This year’s “Ride for a Vet” saw a good turnout in the Battlefords area.

Hosted by the Original Nine Riding Association, the annual motorcycle rally fundraiser was held Saturday.

“It was a great day,” president Richard Bonnett said. “We had beautiful weather, and we raised some money. It was one of our best years in the last eight years. So, it was great all way around.”

The rally kicked off with breakfast at Hailey’s Restaurant and Lounge in North Battleford.

About 64 participants registered for the motorcycle rally, coming from the Battlefords as well as from Meadow Lake, Wilkie, Prince Albert, Macklin, Lloydminster, and Saskatoon.

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For their route, the group travelled to Biggar, Unity, and Maidstone, before wrapping up back in North Battleford again.

The charity event also included a fun poker run.

“We rolled dice at each stop, and the highest [poker] hand out of the five rolls wins,” Bonnett said. “And the lowest hand wins an amount. We had a lady in North Battleford who won the high hand, and a young gentleman won the low hand.”

Based in the Battlefords, the Original 9 Riding Association Inc., organizes the Ride For A Vet fundraiser each year. The group that started in 2006 is now called the Original 9 Riders. The club was formed by nine motorcycle riding enthusiasts to raise money for veterans’ causes.

“All funds raised will be going back to a very important cause, supporting our Veterans,” the organization said on its Facebook Page.

This year, the rally raised $1,400 for the cause. About $140,000 in total was collected over the years since the event started. Funds benefit veterans programs, kids programs, air cadets and army cadets programs, and related causes.

“There are so many people who benefit from what we’ve done over the years; it’s too many to mention,” Bonnett said. “We’re a bunch of motorcycle enthusiasts that love to ride, and this is what we raise our money for.”

People can make a donation to the cause through the website at: RideForAVet.ca.

Coming up next this summer, the organization plans to host a Corn Roast fundraiser in August.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow