By Charlotte Underwood

PIONEER, TN (WLAF) – The 11th annual Ride Royal Blue Cancer Benefit Ride is Sat. March 21. Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit the Campbell County Cancer Association. It is $10 for registration, which includes a guided ride and dinner. According to Ride Royal Blue owner Sheila Westray, 100-percent of the proceeds go to the Campbell County Cancer Association and stay in Campbell County. The ride is sponsored by the Royal Blue Rangers riding group, which pays 100-percent of the expenses for the event so that each $10 registration fee goes to the cancer association.

According to Westray, there are a lot of “out of towners” registered for the event and the group is hoping for a large local participation as well. “A lot of us have lost loved ones to cancer, so it’s a great cause to give back to,” Westray said. Last year’s event raised around $7,000 and organizers hope it’s even bigger this year.

The annual benefit began 11 years ago when the club was looking for something to do to give back to the community. It started with a small participation of around 20 riders the first year, which grew to 300 last year. “It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year and a great way to have a great time and give something back to the community,” Westray said.

The weekend before the event, organizers plan to do a test ride on trails to check the safety of the route due to all the rain. If needed, alternate routes will be planned. There will also be plenty of guides for the day of the ride. The event consists of a four to five hour guided trail ride and end with a dinner, as well as a silent and live auction. It will go rain or shine and starts at 9 a.m and ends around 6 p.m.

Organizers said they have a great lineup of vendors and auction items that have been donated for the cause.  Some of the auction items include a Lifetime Trail Maps Tablet and mounting bracket, valued at around $800. There are also tons of ATV winches and gift cards, among other items.

Westray said she wanted to say a big thank you to all of the event sponsors, vendors, and customers that make the event possible.

To register for the ride or with questions, call 423-784-9445. The event will be held at Ride Royal Blue located at 6307 Stinking Creek Road, Pioneer, TN, 37847.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 03/03/2020-6AM)

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