NEILBURG – The Neilburg Legion was packed following the first ever motorcycle rally, held June 22. With a total of 41 people on bikes and 95 ghost riders, the fundraising event was quite successful.
Cindy Gingell, president of the Legion Branch #135, credited two other members with the idea of having the rally.
“Kevin Wilson and Glen Hegel had the idea to put on the rally. It was really hard to pick something that we could get a lot of involvement in, bringing more outside people to help with Legion fundraising,” said Gingell.
Bikers and riders toured the countryside, travelling to and from Neilburg with checkpoints in Unity, Macklin, Provost, Alta. and Wainwright, Alta. At each checkpoint, Legion members welcomed each participant, ensuring everyone arrived at the destination safely.
When the bikes started to return, everyone was invited to stay for barbequed burgers and a cold drink after a hot day of riding. Each rider was entered into a draw for each checkpoint as well as cash prizes. Winners of the checkpoints included Albert Atcheynum, Ron Sinclair, Diane Elchyson, Dennis Blais, Steph Harris and Pat Warman. Mason Eybsn was awarded the furthest rider, travelling from Vermillion, Alta. for the event.
Three cash prizes were also handed out, with the winners being Don Delainey ($510), Dana Fisher ($306) and Nathan Eybsn of $204, who handed the cash prize back to Gingell as a donation to the Neilburg Legion.
“We were not sure if the weather was going to be good to us, but we lucked out with such a beautiful day,” said Gingell.
To accompany supper, Monique Reinhart of Lloydminster, Alta. performed alongside her brothers. With originals and covers of some catchy tunes, the hot day turned into a relaxing evening of visiting and laughter.
The Neilburg Legion Branch #135, which only has 39 members, was all hands-on deck. Each member took on a task, whether it was organizing door prizes, getting licenses or even just cooking burgers, the afternoon was well put together. There were many community sponsors to help with the cost of the event, allowing the branch to raise more for their causes.
Gingell said the money raised by the Legion is put back out into the community or organizations that help veterans. Each year, a scholarship and bursary are available to Grade 12 students in the area.
“We are getting fewer submissions each year. Nicholas Hein was our scholarship winner and the bursary saw no entries.”
The Neilburg Legion would like to see more funding available to veteran housing. Gingell explained Alberta has a remarkable housing program and would like to see Saskatchewan adopt something similar.
“We try and support as many veterans as we can. People think all the veterans are gone, but they’re not. There are still people that are fighting and the public don’t realize that and a lot of the veterans are on the streets. There is not as much funding and care for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” added Gingell.
Another cause the Legion is looking at supporting is Camp Maple Leaf, with locations at Jacob Lake, Ont., Greenhill Lake, N.B., and just outside Red Deer, Alta. The camps are dedicated to children of military families, whether currently serving or retired, fostering a sense of community and pride in their roles as members of the broader military community.
“The branch would love to help sponsor a child or two to attend camp,” said Gingell.
While the rally was a huge fundraiser for the branch, members also do other fundraisers and events throughout the year, including their Remembrance Day service. Much like other branches, the Neilburg Legion Branch #135 continues to accept new members.
