Those cyclists who proudly wave the banners as participants of the annual Old Dog Run, having raised nearly $100,000 for Kamsack charities, will be turning their attention this year to the Horizon Project at the Kamsack Nursing Home.
This year marks the 10th annual Old Dog Run, a 168-kilometre bicycle tour from Kamsack to Yorkton and back in one day, which began with a bet among friends. Tom Campbell and Joe Kozakewich started on their own, peddling the distance by themselves for the first two years, and then, joined by Baillie Shewkenek for the third tour, it had become a fundraiser for various charities.
The 10th annual Old Dog Run will be held on August 6, as tradition has it, on the first Saturday following the August long weekend. As before, the cyclists, all of whom must be at least 50 years of age, will leave Kamsack shortly after 6 a.m., and will cycle to Yorkton, most likely via Canora, but it will depend on wind direction.
After a stop in Yorkton, the group will cycle down Highway No. 10 to Wroxton and then north on Highway No. 8 to Kamsack, expecting to arrive as special guests at a reception to be held at the Trackside Garden.
“This being the 10th anniversary, we’re looking into how we might do something extra special to mark the occasion,” Kozakewich said.
In Yorkton, staff of Quality Tire will be providing a meal for the riders and the company will be providing a truck to accompany the cyclists, he said. The group will also be accompanied by an EMT vehicle provided by Duck Mountain Ambulance Care and Debbie Kozakewich will be driving the pilot vehicle and providing treats and beverages on the road.
Between now and August, pledge sheets will be distributed to the riders who will seek sponsorship from members of the community.
The tour will go ahead rain or shine, he said.
“This year we decided we’d be raising money for the Horizon Project, which is the plan to have a new patio constructed at the nursing home,” Kozakewich said last week. “We’re eager to get going, we’re recruiting past riders and we’re hoping to attract new interest.”
Working with the organizers of the Old Dog Run this year are members of the nursing home auxiliary and some staff members including Karen Rubletz, Marianne Francis and Patty Witzko. It is the auxiliary that will be hosting the reception at the Trackside Garden, where upon their return, the riders will be receiving their well-earned applause.
“We’ve received approval from Sunrise Health Region,” Karen Rubletz said, adding that the nursing home auxiliary and the staff are excited about the Horizon Project.
It is estimated that it would cost $75,000 to construct a 50-foot by 43-foot patio adjacent to the southwest corner of the nursing home, she said. It will have a shaded area and furniture, it will be landscaped, will be sheltered by a see-through plexi-glass fence and will have paving stones underneath.
Rubletz explained that the home’s existing outdoor patio near the interior of the building is surrounded by walls and because of water or sewer pipes, the ground cannot be adequately surfaced to allow for heavy wheelchairs. Besides, it offers no view.
“That’s the reason for the name, Horizon Project,” she said, adding that at the selected location, residents will have wonderful views of the horizon.
Because of donations, more than a third of the expected cost of the patio has already been raised, she said, explaining that the auxiliary is still making plans for the program that will be held during the reception at the Trackside Garden.
“This year marks a wonderful milestone that was never a thought 10 years ago,” Tom Campbell said, expressing his regrets that for the first time he would not be able to participate in the Old Dog Run.
Instead, Campbell will be attending a family reunion of eight siblings gathering for their parents’ 65th wedding anniversary, as well as attending a relative’s wedding in Saskatoon.
“The reason we are able to celebrate 10 years is because we have the community behind us,” he said. “And it’s a dog-gone good time.”
All it takes is a good bike and a little bit of training, he said. “It’s amazing how little training one needs in order to get in shape for the Run.
“We’ve had a lot of people join us for the Run over the past eight years,” he said, listing some of the names of the many cyclists who have participated.
Persons wishing to participate in the Old Dog Run may contact Campbell or Kozakewich and those wishing additional information on the nursing home patio project may contact the activity workers at the nursing home or any member of its auxiliary.
