A Foothills fundraiser can make a world of difference for children with disabilities.
The second Ride to Horizon cycling event takes place July 29 and 30, and up to 50 riders will join organizer Foothills MP John Barlow on a 200km ride from Crowsnest Pass to Camp Horizon at Bragg Creek, with an overnight stop at Bar U Ranch National Historic Site.
Riders can take on the entire distance or ride as much as they like. Registration for the event is $100 and cyclists are encouraged to raise a minimum $500 in sponsorship and pledges, he said.
“I’d never ridden even 20km straight in my life, so I was intimidated going into it last year, but if I can do it anyone can do it,” said Barlow.
Shortly after being elected to parliament in 2014 Foothills MP, Barlow was invited to tour Easter Seals Camp Horizon. Two young campers met him at the camp and gave him a tour that brimmed with enthusiasm, he said.
“Their passion for it was incredible,” he said. “You could see how much it meant to them, to have this place. It allows these kids to just be kids for a week.”
Barlow said he was overwhelmed by the infrastructure projects being undertaken, such as replacing the camp’s 50-year-old dorms.
Inspired by the empowerment the camp provided children with disabilities, Barlow decided he wanted to give back and do something to support Camp Horizon.
It didn’t take long for him to convince friends in Okotoks to get involved, and the Ride to Horizon began to take shape. The ride raised about $10,000 in its first year.
He said the ride, though long and sometimes difficult, is also very rewarding.
“It’s really a good opportunity to have those deep thoughts as you take in the beautiful scenery, but the biggest thing that keeps me going is how excited the campers are when we get to camp,” said Barlow.
Patti Brewin, director of campaigns for Easter Seals of Alberta, said events like the Ride to Horizon are a huge help to Camp Horizon, the only camp in southern Alberta for children and adults with disabilities.
The camp runs on a budget of $1.2 million and relies heavily on donations to supplement the government grants it receives.
“Fundraising has been hard this year, with the economy the way it is and the wildfires,” said Brewin. “We are so grateful for this event to help us raise the dollars we need.”
She said donations go to upgrades to the facility and subsidies for camp families.
“It costs about $1,400 for a kid with disabilities to go to camp for one week,” said Brewin. “We are able to decrease that by about half for families through our donations.”
This year, Easter Seals is raising $600,000 to install a water treatment plant. Brewin said they are working with the provincial government to obtain grants.
The camp’s infrastructure is 50-years-old so upgrades to utilities like waterlines are necessary to keep the camp operational and safe, she said.
Camp Horizon has about 1,200 campers each year including children, youth and adults, said Brewin. Of those campers, 900 are 18 years old or younger.
“You have to think, for these kids, like those that might have a colostomy bag or be in a wheelchair, being in a social setting at school can be difficult,” she said. “People don’t know how to talk to them or include them in activities. Nobody really understands what they’re going through.”
At Camp Horizon, these children are given the opportunity to spend a week with peers who share their condition and understand the difficulties associated with their specific disabilities, said Brewin.
“When they’re at camp, they’re not ‘the kid in the wheelchair,’” said Brewin. “They’re one of 50 kids in a wheelchair. They’re spending all day with people with the same issues, who are dealing with things like spasms or decreased mobility. You’re all together.”
Brewin said the camp provides children with the opportunity to be themselves and gain a sense of belonging as they fit into a group of people who understands them and their situation.
At the end of a week, she said the change in the children who attend Camp Horizon is an incredible thing to witness.
“The confidence they get from that experience and realization that they have an identity beyond the disability is remarkable to see happen,” said Brewin. “The kids just become the kids they’re meant to be.”
For more information about the Ride to Horizon, visit www.easterseals.ab.ca/site/events/15-05-14/Foothills_Ride_to_Horizon_Alberta.aspx
