LEEPER, Pa. (EYT) – A memorial ride, dinner, and benefit for the family of a local woman who passed away in September is being held on Saturday.
(Photo by Dave Cyphert of ProPoint Media Photography)
The Arianna’s Ride event is scheduled for Saturday, February 23. It will span most of the day and includes a memorial ride, dinner, raffle, 50/50, and Chinese auction to benefit the family of Arianna Evans.
The cost is $20.00 per rider. The dinner is $10.00 for adults, and the meal is free for kids 12 and under.
Arianna, the daughter of Bill and Laura Brent Evans, is fondly remembered as North Clarion’s biggest fan. She never missed a North Clarion basketball game, home or away. Born with Spina Bifida, Arianna was also an avid fan of outdoor sports who particularly enjoyed fishing and kayaking, as well as hunting with her father.
Following her passing, Tyler Thomas, one of Arianna’s classmates and one of the basketball players she cheered on, had the idea to hold a raffle to help raise money for Arianna’s family. He first approached two other former classmates, Christina Rizer and Dylan Huet, with the idea. It was Huet who suggested a memorial ride in addition to the raffle. Then, Joey LaCombe, who was a 2012 North Clarion graduate, and Andrew McCullough, who also graduated in Arianna’s class, became involved, helping Huet create the trails for the ride.
Although the family was unable to obtain life insurance for Arianna due to her pre-existing condition, Bill Evans said her funeral expenses were covered.
“The community came together, along with friends and family, so that’s essentially taken care of,” Evans said.
“However, the one thing that we would really like to do is to come up with some scholarships in her name for students at North Clarion.”
Evans said they would also like to begin sponsoring a child for a Hunt of a Lifetime program, which Arianna experienced in 2009, each year, as well as sponsoring a child at the Heavenly Gaits Therapeutic Riding Center, a program that also benefitted Arianna.
“Arianna did therapy there and she really enjoyed that, and we’d certainly like other kids to be able to enjoy that as well,” Evans said.
Registration for the ATV Memorial Ride begins at 8:00 a.m. at the Farmington Township Volunteer Fire Company located at 6785 Route 36 in Leeper. Parking for the ride will be at Car Mate Trailers located along State Route 66 in Leeper.
The 26-mile ride will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end around 2:00 p.m. Only four-wheel vehicles will be permitted. The organizers will have straps available to help if anyone becomes stuck, but they also encourage anyone participating to bring their own straps, as well.
The Evans family will be in attendance at the ride registration as well as the benefit dinner.
“We’d like to be there to send off all the riders as they go,” Evans said. “It’s Joey and Tyler and Dylan and the other people that are coordinating it, and we have the greatest amount of respect for those guys for doing it, but we’d like to have a presence there for people to see who they’re doing this for.”
The accompanying spaghetti dinner will be available at the Farmington Township Volunteer Fire Company from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a memorial service to follow at 5:00 p.m. Live music will be provided by East Creek Road, a band from Indiana, Pa.
At 5:30 p.m., the drawings for the 50/50, Chinese auction, and raffle prizes will be held. Raffle prizes include a Lake Erie Fishing Charter; a Thompson Center 30-06; a crossbow; a mystery tackle box; a $500.00 fireworks gift certificate; a two-night cabin stay package; a Cook Forest package; a custom fishing rod; a heritage revolver; a hand smithed hunting knife; and more, with the possibility of additional prizes still being added. Those drawn for the raffle prizes do not need to be present to win.
The Chinese auction has a number of gift baskets, gift certificates, and larger prizes available. The organizers are continuing to accept prize donations for the Chinese auction until Friday. Donations can be dropped off at the Farmington Township Fire Hall between 12:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
There are no advance tickets. Registration at the Farmington Township Volunteer Fire Company will include payment for the ride.
“We also will have volunteers from North Clarion High School that I just want to thank ahead of time as well as everyone that has donated and supported the cause,” Thomas said.
For more information, visit the Arianna’s Ride event page on Facebook.
Copyright © 2024 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited.
