Tracking Fundraising Success
By Bill Black

Anyone who drives beyond the city limits on a sunny day in wintertime is sure to come across the tracks of one of Canada’s most prolific snow creatures. While not an animal in the true sense of the word, its zipper-like tracks can be easily spotted crossing co-operative farmers’ fields and in the snow-drifted road shoulders beside the tarmac. Sometimes, only a solitary line breaks the snow, but, more frequently, one sees evidence of the passing of a herd of six or seven or more. While Hinterland Who’s Who has never, to my knowledge, done a short feature on these beasts, they’re sometimes seen in small groups of three or four, patiently waiting at the roadside for a break in traffic so that they can safely pass over the roadway and back into the security of their natural habitat—the farmer’s field or, more frequently nowadays, a specially groomed trail designed for and used by them exclusively.

Their names are exotic and highly evocative: “Arctic Cat,” “Ski-Doo,” and “Polaris.” And there are sub-species, such as “Summit” and “GSX,” “Legend” and “Skandic,” and, more technically, “2-stroke” and “4-stroke.” All are brightly painted in every colour of the rainbow with stripes and slashes, lightning bolts and glistening fangs. Their handlers and passengers—for these sleek creatures of winter are the most noble of modern mounts—are garbed in equally colourful, if fleece-lined, outfits, complete with boots, padded gloves, and safety helmets. They look more like astronauts than what they actually are—snowmobile riders or, as they call themselves, “sled heads.”

There was a gathering of these so-called sled heads just recently, when, on February 16th, the Prostate Extreme Team (PET) held its third annual Sled Ride of Hope in Port Severn, Ontario, to continue to raise prostate cancer awareness and to hold a fundraiser to benefit the Canadian Prostate Cancer Research Foundation of Canada and CPCN. According to PET organizer and founder Steve Hutton, a group of 85 enthusiastic participants of every age got together for a few hours of sledding courtesy of the Baxter Snow Riders Club.

Under beautiful winter skies and on the perfectly groomed series of trails that the Club maintains, everyone enjoyed an exhilarating day of fun. Following the fantastic ride, the festivities continued at the Baxter Ward Community Centre, where the fundraising committee put together a silent auction and numerous raffles, and, in the process, raised fully $19,500.00! Well done, folks! After a delightful dinner supplied by Moose Winooski’s of Barrie and, for those who still had the energy, a dance, all declared the day a resounding success. Steve also reports that feedback from this year’s participants has been extremely positive, and most have already committed to the same again next year.

This is the third year the Prostate Extreme team has held a Sled Ride of Hope event, and each one has proven to be a great day’s outing and a terrific method of raising funds for the support of prostate cancer research and to promote prostate cancer awareness. To date, the team’s efforts have raised a staggering $40,680.00!

The group’s website, www.prostateextremeteam.com, is well worth a visit. All three Sled Ride of Hope events are posted, and you’ll find tons of information concerning PET’s upcoming events:

  • The ATV Ride of Hope (Saturday, September 20, 2008) will again form up at the Baxter Ward Community Centre with participants enjoying a guided ATV tour by the Baxter ATV Trail Riders Club followed by a BBQ lunch and fundraising events
  • The third annual Golf Tournament of Hope is in the works for later this summer


Pledge and registration forms are available for download, as well as many photos and videos of past events and proceedings. The Prostate Extreme Team and its friends and participants are a superb example of what can be done to aid in a most necessary cause: prostate cancer awareness and eventual eradication. Steve and his PET volunteers deserve every word of praise we can offer. So a heartfelt thank you from all of us here at CPCN goes out to you. For further information and pledges, people can reach the Prostate Extreme Team here:


Email: info@prostateextremeteam.com
Website: www.prostateextremeteam.com