Paul Desjardins and Phil Dagenais organized a guided ATV tour of the Pontiac on Saturday as a fundraiser for the Soldier On program of the Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group, and they hope to see it become a tradition in the region.
Soldier On is an initiative of the Canadian Armed Forces striving to improve the quality of life and aid in the recovery of members of the forces who have fallen ill or become injured.
Since 2007, Soldier On has supported over 12,000 ill and injured members using sport and physical recreation activities to enable social support, build confidence, help members realize their full potential and enhance overall well-being.
Both Desjardins and Dagenais have previously participated in fundraising rides for Soldier On in Ontario and decided to bring things closer to home.
Almost 100 people registered for the guided tour, which took off from Gavan’s Hotel in Quyon at 10 a.m. on Saturday, leading riders down various paths on the official FQCQ (The Fédération Québécoise des Clubs Quads) network of trails to Otter Lake and back, never taking the same trail twice. The route took them through Thorne Lake, Ladysmith, Campbell’s Bay and more.
At day’s end, a phalanx of dusty yet content riders trundled up Quyon’s Clarendon Street back to Gavan’s Hotel joining in fellowship over spaghetti dinner, refreshments and door prizes.
“It was a dusty day, but a great one,” said Dagenais, who acted as lead guide.
A broad list of sponsors helped make the day possible with many providing an appealing array of items to be used as door prizes.
Participants Joanne and Luc Chartrand ventured from Grenville, over 150 kilometers east of Quyon along the Ottawa River, and voiced their surprise and joy at the day.
“Hats off to the organizers – this was wonderful,” they jointly echoed. “We’ve never been to the Pontiac before and loved it. We will be back.”
Sponsors of the event included Pontiac Road Runners, David Gillespie Plumbing, L & J Towing, O’Malley’s Small Engine Repair and Sales, Mountainview Turf, Pontiac Home Bakery, Ladysmith Hotel, Pontiac Recycling and the SAQ (Société des alcools du Québec).
For their part, Desjardins and Dagenais were delighted to present Soldier On with a cheque for $4,315 on behalf of a great bunch of ambassadors both for the sport and the region. They are already looking to 2025 for the next ride.
