This week the Southampton Snowmobile Club presented the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation with a cheque for $3,500 which represents the proceeds from the Brian Snyder Memorial Ride which was held in February.

To date, the Brian Snyder Memorial Ride has raised over $29,000 towards purchasing new equipment for the local Southampton hospital.

Local snowmobile club wraps up another successful season

It was no secret, that when you looked around town this winter, the snow banks seemed a little higher. Our infamous Highway 21 didn’t let us down and was closed almost as many days as it was open and the household driveway often times required shoveling numerous times a day.

Although most community members cringed at the abundance of snow that Bruce County received this winter, the significant snowfall provided the recipe for success and the Southampton Snowmobile Club and its 350 members are celebrating a successful 2010-2011 season.

“Snow conditions through the season were fantastic which allowed our grooming team to work their magic and provide ideal conditions throughout the season” says Kevin Virtue, Club President. “However, not only did Mother Nature cooperate, but overall our club experienced 20% growth this season, which meant more local community members were out enjoying the 160 kms of trail that we maintain through the surrounding area.”

 The 2010-2011 season also marked a significant achievement for the local snowmobile club, as they celebrated the 11^th anniversary of the Brian Snyder Memorial Ride this past February.

Brian was an avid snowmobiler and active member of the local club when he passed away eleven years ago. Since then the Southampton Snowmobile Club has been honouring the memory of their fellow member every February with a memorial ride and a day packed with activities at their clubhouse. The best part is that all proceeds raised at the event are donated to the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation in memory of Brian Snyder.

“The 2011 edition of the Brian Snyder ride did not disappoint and was probably one of the best to date, which really says something about the great supporters and members that we have throughout the Saugeen Shores community” says Virtue. “We are extremely proud of our accomplishments again this season which was capped off with our donation of $3,500 to the Hospital Foundation. A heart-felt thank you to all involved.”

Although the snow has melted, and the majority of trails have been taken out, there is still work to be done as a new set of challenges is on the horizon for the Southampton Snowmobile Club for the upcoming season. Everyone is invited to watch for future communications regarding clubhouse clean-up days and trail work improvement. This season the club has some proposed trail changes that will require volunteer support to make these required improvements.