Memorial trail ride helps charities

A local trail riding club is raising money to help three charities — one local, one out of state and one overseas — through a trail ride June 17.

The club — Cowboyn’ for the Son chapter of Cowboys for Christ — is hosting the second Dalton Scott Memorial Trail Ride beginning at 9 a.m. at Rails to Trails in Elkmont.

Scott was a founding member of the club who died two years ago. His fellow club members use the trail ride as a way to honor the values he held in life, said club member Shawn Adams.

“He was a real Godly, Christian man,” she said. “He had such a humble, gentle attitude but was one of the leaders of the group, so he had an authoritative air. We admired him so much that when he passed away, we wanted to do something that memorialized the values he held strong.”

The ride

Adams said there will be people on both the north and south ends of Rails to Trails to assist with parking and navigation. Riders can begin on either end, as they both lead to downtown Elkmont, where lunch will be served.

After the trail ride, event goers can have hamburgers, hot dogs or satisfy their sweet tooth with something from the bake sale. There will also be a table auction set up with items up for bid.

A minimum suggested donation for the event and lunch is $10. Once someone makes a donation, he or she will be entered for a door prize, Adams said.

“There are two gift cards, one for Walmart and one for Publix, and all of the money raised goes to the ministry,” she said. “We have a lot of fun with it. There will be plenty of opportunities for people to hear about the ministries and donate money.”

Charities

The ride will help For Life Ministries out of Huntsville, a “big brother, big sister” type of program where someone can sponsor a child, Adams said.

“We wanted to give money to the ministry because it’s helping disadvantaged kids have a mentor,” she said.

The ride will also help Gaits to Heaven Ministries of Culleoka, Tennessee, which is dedicated to helping women and children, and Cowboyn’ for the Son, a missionary group in Haiti.

“We were trying to do something that (Dalton) would’ve thought was a good thing to do,” she said. “We’re not trying to exalt him, but we’re trying to remember him in a way he would be happy about.”

Since the club was able to pay for all of the fundraiser expenses ahead of time, all of the money raised at the trail ride will be split and go directly to the three charities, Adams said.

About Cowboys for Christ

Cowboys for Christ is a national trail-riding club and Cowboyn’ for the Son is the local branch. The inaugural trail ride last year brought close to 200 people and raised $3,600 in donations, though Adams said she isn’t expecting as many this year.

“We haven’t had an RSVP or anything, so we really don’t have a clear idea of how many to expect,” she said. “We’re hoping to have 150 this year.”