Donut Dash 2022: 1st Fundraiser for the Leader Walking Trail Was a Success!

By Mallory Cawthra

On the morning of Saturday, May 14th, 71 enthusiastic participants of all ages, (a combination of individuals and teams), laced up their best sneakers with their pledge forms in tow, and headed to the Leader Community Centre to kick off the first fundraiser for the much-anticipated Leader Walking Trail: the 5-kilometer walk/run Donut Dash! Everyone who signed up by April 12th received a t-shirt included with their registration fee that featured a donut logo design created by Stephen Spence; the t-shirts were created by the talented Darrah Duchscherer. The day of the event, Laura Henderson and Trevor Dumont set up the rainbow arch that marked the beginning of the walk/run. Of course, The Donut Dash would not have been complete without 96 deliciously fresh-made donuts awaiting all participants at the end of the event, sponsored and made by the Leader Inn Bakery.

Spearheaded by the Leader Walking Trail Committee, The Donut Dash Fundraiser was a kick-starter for the creation of a 5-kilometer multi-purpose trail around the Town of Leader, showing the route the new trail will take. There have been many requests over the last few years for the creation of this trail, as there are currently no sidewalks or shoulders on narrow roads like the North Road Allowance (which spans the length of the Town of Leader), and this poses a safety risk for pedestrians and cyclists that use it. As well, farming machinery and semi-trucks frequently travel on North Road Allowance, which leaves little room for pedestrians and cyclists to maneuver safely.

Brooke Clary, Chair of the Leader Walking Trail Committee, explained that the Leader Walking Trail Committee, “…formed last November in preparation for the Federal Active Transport Grant that we knew would be released in 2022. To start, we focused on planning and designing the trail, having the trail surveyed by Milltek Surveys, and working with utilities companies for how to go over their services. We then presented the plan to the R.M. of Happyland and the Town of Leader, for permission to move forward with grant applications. From January to April our committee focused on applying for various grants. In total we have applied for seven grants, and are still awaiting responses for many of them. We have received $500 from the Saskatchewan Trails Association Membership Grant so far.”

While all of the participants were walking or running the Donut Dash, members of the Leader Walking Trail Committee did a live count of all of the pledges they had received. Once everyone was back, the total was read aloud: $5,850 had been raised from the event, with $4,480 having been derived from pledges. The top fundraising team was “Team Teen Revival,” who raised a total of $1,885, and the top individual fundraiser was Jana Kobelsky; both the top individual and the top fundraising team received a prize basket. Brooke Clary said, “Our local businesses and community members were amazing and donated so many items for the prize baskets. Events like the Donut Dash really would not be possible without our local community businesses!”

Brooke Clary further added, “I think when we read out the amount raised, everyone in the committee was slightly shocked at just how much was raised. It was really encouraging to see so many community members passionate about the creation of this trail.”

PHOTOS BY MALLORY CAWTHRA

The start of the 2022 Donut Dash in Leader.