By Lulu

Well 24 years ago I doubt even Bruce Rossmeyer had any idea what he was embarking on when he pledged to help with Camp Boggy Creek. Some commitments in life wane as time marches on, but the Rossmeyer children and staff haven’t let that happen, in spite of his untimely death in 2009. The Saturday night Gala and Sunday ride to Camp Boggy Creek are continuing to be one of the biggest rides of the year and grand fundraiser for the camp. This year the party theme was the Wild, Wild West with Six Gun Territory providing actors, props and can-can girls. The band was the awesome Hayfire. The food for the night was provided Bubbalou’s and was delicious. But the reason for the event was raising money for the camp, and the silent and live auction, along with impressive generosity from the folks in their top dollar seats accomplished that in a huge way. Mr. John Hamlin presented a check for $100,000 and continued to dig in his pocket that night and the following day!!! People were making donations to cover a week’s stay for 10 children at $25,000 and every other level down to covering just one child for a week which is $450/day. What makes Boggy Creek different than other camps is critical medical care is onsite. So, whether they have cancer to Sickle Cell they can have qualified medical staff see to their needs while experiencing being at camp like any normal healthy kid. Horseback riding, fishing, swimming, crafts, hanging out in cabins with kids that have similar health issues gives them two important life events: one is the chance to experience being away from home while having the camaraderie of playmates and knowing you are not the only one dealing with special needs. It also gives the parents a chance to have a week to enjoy themselves, knowing their child’s medical needs are being met while having the time of their life.

Paul Newman, Camp Boggy Creek founder, stated it best. “It’s not that the children say, Thank you for a wonderful time. It’s that they say Thank you for changing my life.” And that change comes by allowing them to accomplish things they didn’t know they could, to find strength they didn’t know they had, to have adventures and friendships…to just be a kid and have some fun, to forget for just a little bit they are different!!!

Robert White has donated his personal 2018 tricked out CVO Road Glide (valued at $47,000) as a sweepstakes item with a $15,000 cash prize! You can purchase your chance to win starting at $25 by texting “RIDE” to 855-202-2100 or visiting https://go.rallyup.com/campboggycreek.

So, thank you to Bruce and Paul for the vision. Thank you to the Rossmeyer family and their staff, to Camp Boggy Creek, to the sponsors, particularly

SR Perrott for quenching our thirst and Outback Steakhouse for our great meal. But most importantly to everyone who donates BIG and SMALL, every single dollar makes a whole lot of sunshine in some pretty, important lives!!!

Next year will be the 25th anniversary of the Ride for Children. Put your dollars in a mason jar and if you haven’t been on the ride or to the Gala PLEASE put it on your MUST do list. Little kids will love you for it. The date is October 5th and 6th, 2019!!