By Bryan Eneas

MichCanSka rides into Big River

Feb 26, 2018 | 4:00 PM

The MichCanSka snowmobile crew departed from Michigan 11 days ago on their way to Alaska but made a stop in Big River on Feb. 26 to collect a donation from the local snowmobile club.

The MichCanSka ride started in 2010 and features riders from both Canada and the United States who raise money for diabetes research. As an experienced snowmobiler himself, Maurice Denis, the president of the Timber Trails Sno Riders snowmobile club in Big River, knows the challenges the long distance ride could present.

“I’ve [gone] to Meadow Lake and back, which is just a day ride… the average age of these guys is 69 or something like that,” Denis said. “Holy smokes, these guys have got to be true, dedicated to this cause, because this is something that I wouldn’t even dream of doing.”

The president was made aware of the MichCanSka ride by a fellow member who brought their mission to light. Once Denis did a bit of research and discussed the possibility of donating with his fellow executive, he knew he had to contribute.

Denis and his fellow snowmobile club members opened their wallets to contribute a $300 donation to the ride. He said he felt compelled to donate because he knew 100 per cent of the money would be going to the Canadian Diabetes Association.  

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“It feels good, because a lot of times… you donate to charity, whether it’s a little amount of money or a large amount of money, you never know how much is actually going to the charity, or how much is covering costs,” Denis said. “It feels good to know that you’re contributing money and the money is going where it’s supposed to be going.”

The MichCanSka snowmobilers raise funds for three organizations; the Canadian Diabetes Association, the American Diabetes Association and the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation. Depending on where the donations are collected, the riders pass along the funds to the country’s respective charity.

Many of the participants in the cross country journey have family members impacted by diabetes. The MichCanSka ride’s founder, and some of the Americans participating in the 7,000 kilometer ride suffer from diabetes.

Hugh Cummins joined MichChanSka in 2014 after he found an advertisement for the club. He said he was attracted by their campaign to raise funds for diabetes as it was something he was already doing. He said he found a way to combine his two passions; snowmobiling and raising funds or awareness for diabetes.

“[Diabetes] hasn’t personally affected me; it more affects my business life,” Cummins said. As a potato chip distributor who’s responsible for sales in the Canadian arctic, where high rates of diabetes exist, he knew he was part of the problem in a way.

“The best thing I can do is take some of the dollars I make and put back, and raise awareness so that someone can find a cure for this,” he said.

The stop in Big River puts the MichCanSka riders roughly one third of the way through their journey. Cummins said so far, the ride has been “super” with little to no issues so far.

The snowmobile crew departed from Big River after a bite to eat at a local restaurant.  They were accompanied by a few riders from the Timber Trails snowmobile club and members of a club in Meadow Lake.

The ride’s next stop in Meadow Lake is their final stay in Saskatchewan. They will then make stops in Alberta,  B.C., and Yukon before heading towards Fairbanks, Alaska, where their journey ends.

Bryan.Eneas@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @BryanEneas