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Sask. Lions ride for guide dogs

The Estevan Lions Club had some special guests on Saturday, as the Lions Ride for Dog Guides stopped in Estevan as part of its sixth annual province-wide motorcycle tour.
Ride for Dog Guides pic
From the left, Ride for Dog Guides participants Tom Armstrong, Larry Brady and Garry Jopko, Estevan Lions Club president Jim Vermeersch, and Ride for Dog Guides participants Cindy Sterling, Darrell Deck, Ron Elkin and Kelly Clay were part of a cheque presentation when the Ride for Dog Guides visited Estevan on Saturday.

The Estevan Lions Club had some special guests on Saturday, as the Lions Ride for Dog Guides stopped in Estevan as part of its sixth annual province-wide motorcycle tour.

Darrell Deck of Bethune, who is among the tour’s participants, said they have been criss-crossing the province over three weekends this month. The first ride on June 3 saw them start in Lloydminster and go to Borden, North Battleford, Unity and other communities.

Their next trip on June 10 and 11 took them to Saskatoon, Naicam, Prince Albert and other areas. 

The journey through southern Saskatchewan on Saturday started in Regina. They were in Fillmore for the village’s celebrations of Canada’s 150th birthday and the Lions International’s 100th anniversary.

From there, they travelled to Stoughton, Estevan, Redvers and Carlyle on Saturday, and Maryfield, Grenfell, Neudorf, Fort Qu’Appelle, Indian Head, Regina and Lumsden.

“We get together as a group and we ride to various clubs, and take collections and donations,” Deck said in an interview with Lifestyles.

The money is donated to the Lions Foundation of Canada for the dog guide program.

“The dog guide program provides six different types of dogs to people in need,” said Deck. “You do not need to be Lion to get a dog; any kind of person can put an application in.”

Guide dogs help people with autism, diabetes, eyesight loss, hearing issues and other needs, he said.

Deck noted that since the lifespan of a dog is shorter than the lifespan of a human, a person will need a new guide dog every six or seven years.

The ride is also an effort to raise awareness of the need for guide dogs.

This year marked the first time the Ride for Dog Guides has been to southern Saskatchewan. Traditionally they have visited the north, but Deck said they needed to do a south run this year.

“We networked with all of the Lions at a convention,” said Deck. “I talked to Jim (Estevan Lions Club president Jim Vermeersch), and from there, I just related what we’re trying to do, and how we’re trying to link the towns together, and it all fit together in the last couple of months.”

The people in Estevan are warm and supportive, he said, and Deck was pleased the ride was able to stop in the Energy City.

The weather has been a challenge every year, though. They have usually had just a couple of calm and sunny days each year, but they will ride in most conditions.

“In the first two runs this year, on June 3 and June 10 and 11, it rained all day every day,” said Deck. “The wind has been bad, and it hasn’t been very warm, either. We do this rain or shine, and we have lots of good rain gear and dedicated riders.”

Six people were part of the entire ride through southern Saskatchewan: Deck and Cindy Sterling of Bethune, Ron Elkin and Kelly Clay of Lumsden, Tom Armstrong of Saskatoon and Garry Jopko of Rhein. Larry Brady of Carlyle met them in Stoughton and was there for most of Saturday.

“A lot of us are dedicated riders who can do an eight to a 10-hour-day,” said Deck. “But there are also some people who like just a four-hour ride or just a one-hour ride.”

The local Lions Club served lunch to the riders, and presented them a cheque for $500. Vermeersch said they were excited to have the motorcycle group visit.

“The guide dogs are always a worthy cause, and we just felt that anything we could do to support them would be a good thing,” said Vermeersch.

The money came from the annual lottery they host every year.

The Lions have been strong supporters of the guide dog program in the past, too, he said.

Deck noted there are similar groups in Ontario and Nova Scotia who will go out and ride for 40 or 50 kilometres during an afternoon, but in Saskatchewan, they travel for 2,500 or 3,500 kilometres over the span of three weekends.