For more information about the Marey and Anna Memorial Youth Fund, click here.
Originally published to the EDRA Facebook Group by Sue McClain.
The American Endurance Ride Conference’s National Championship held in LaPine Oregon this past August was not just a celebration of the sport, but a remarkable success in fundraising for EDRA’s Mary & Anna Memorial Youth Fund.
Attendees and supporters of the fund rallied together, raising over $20,000 in support of the next generation of endurance participants. The raffle and silent auction conducted at the championship brought in an impressive $5,000 and showcased the generosity of equine businesses and endurance enthusiasts who donated almost 200 prizes totaling $10,000 in value! (Prize winners went away with some amazing treasures!)
In addition, the ride management team made a HUGE charitable gift of $15,000 – highlighting their commitment to supporting youth in our sport and promoting the legacy of Mary Nunn and Anna Sampson.
The purpose of the fund is to make endurance riding affordable for families as well as introduce youth equestrians to the sport. Since the fund’s inception, we have increased the number of youth participants from 100 to 150 ride entries per season and now regularly have over 50 different children involved each year.
This fundraising success will go a long way in providing endurance ride entry fees to those under 18 years of age riding in a distance event recognized by Pacific Northwest Endurance Rides (which covers rides in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia).
Our immense gratitude to everyone who contributed to and participated in this vital initiative!
With heartfelt thanks,
The Mary & Anna Memorial Youth Fund Raffle Team
Sue McLain, Lois Fox, and Cindi Sayer