Pink Ribbon Riders

Polly Nelson sat at the Circle Pines Bar and Grill in Gordon last October when she heard the sound of approaching ATVs.

A large group of women, all dressed in pink, came rolling down the trail near the bar. They called themselves the Pink Ribbon Riders, and they were riding that day to help raise money for breast cancer research.

Nelson, a breast cancer survivor herself, was impressed.

“I even took pictures of them because it was so neat seeing all these women dressed in pink,” Nelson said. “They looked like they were having so much fun.”

This Saturday, the Pink Ribbon Riders plan to be on the trail again for another all-female ATV ride fundraiser, and Nelson will be joining them.

Angela Woodhull, Kari and Melissa MacLellen, owners of the Moose River Bar in Gordon, started the event last October as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Last year’s ride raised about $1,900 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and Woodhull said she hopes to see that number surpassed this year.

After last year’s ride, Nelson approached the sisters with two other women who work with her at St. Mary’s Hospital of Superior. All three had been riding the ATV trails on their own during the event and had taken notice of the Pink Ribbon Riders. For this year’s ride, they asked if the money raised could go toward a new digital mammogram instrument for the hospital in Superior.

“We said sure that would be wonderful,” Woodhull said. She and her sisters felt it was a worthy cause and also liked the idea of using the event proceeds locally.

Nelson also asked if she could take part in the ride this year, to the sisters readily agreed. Nelson will be among 10 women from St. Mary’s Hospital of Superior joining the ATV ride Saturday.

The event raises money through raffles, donations and T-shirt sales. Despite the struggling economy, Woodhull said she has already received more donations from local businesses than last year.

Women interested in the event should meet at the Moose River Bar on County Road M at noon Saturday. The group will take the Wascott ATV trails, beginning and ending at the Moose River Bar. Along the way, the riders will stop in at other local bars that donated items to the raffle. Raffle tickets will be sold at the Moose River Bar all day.

About 60 women showed up to ride in 2008, and Woodhull said about 40 women are signed up for the ATV ride so far this year. Expertise in ATV riding is not needed to participate. Riders who still want to take part only need to show up with a four-wheeler and wear pink.

Tags: sports, northland, outdoors, rec, sports, superior