Prairie Women on Snowmobiles rolled into Melfort Sunday morning for a coffee break.

By Greg Wiseman
Tuesday February 07, 2006

Melfort Journal — With the whine and rumble of snowmobile engines the 10 core riders of the Prairie Women on Snowmobiles rolled into Melfort Sunday morning for a coffee break.
"It is only the start of Day 3, but there have just been wonderful receptions for us wherever we have gone on this tour," said first year rider Dodi McGunigal.
"There have been halls full of people and everybody has been really generous with their donations everywhere we go."
Diane Merkowsky, a second year rider from Kinistino, said the riding has also been favorable for the group who hail from across Saskatchewan.
"It has been wonderful so far, we have had a lot of great snow, you guys must have got some fresh powder last night, it is great for riding in," she said Sunday morning.
The group was fresh off a big celebration in Naicam Saturday night where they were escorted into the community by a fire truck.
Merkowsky said when they were just outside the community they expected to ride to the hall for the night's banquet.
"But, we were greeted by a fire truck who drove us through the town of Naicam. There were some elderly people who weren't able to get to the banquet and they really wanted to see us so the escort took us all the way through town," she said.
"It was so overwhelming and heart touching we all had tears under our helmets as we were going through town."
The day was special for McGunigal who grew up in the community.
She said it was wonderful to have the support of the community she called home.
"I haven't lived in Naicam since 1956 and to meet the people and they still remember you, some of the older people. I still have some relatives there too and everybody has been super with their support."
With the riders present the community held a banquet, silent auction and dance with a live band.
The celebrations along with the extra riders that are meeting the core riders at each community help make the experience even better.
"The crowds have just been wonderful joining us along the way. Seeing them come out and join us helps make all our efforts so much more worthwhile," Merkowsky said.
The support riders were not going very far with the core riders Sunday as they had to stop and trailer their snowmobiles because of a lack of snow.
Although it is somewhat disappointing not to be able to ride the whole 1,600 kilometre circuit the women still enjoy themselves when not riding.
"They stuff us in that support van like sardines and we still laugh and joke around, but it is not the same," McGunigal said.
Merkowsky agreed saying one of the biggest reasons the women are together is to ride their snowmobiles, but even if they are not riding they are still accomplishing their goal of spreading awareness of breast cancer.
"It is disappointing if we have to trailer because we really live to ride, that is what we are, Prairie Women on Snowmobiles, but the heart of the mission is raising money for breast cancer and awareness," Merkowsky said.
"We would rather be riding, but if we have to trailer in, we have to trailer in."
It is raising funds and focusing on finding a cure for breast cancer that helps drive McGunigal.
"I still believe that if we find a cure for breast cancer the other cures will be close behind," she said.
"I think it is important to do that, if we divided the money out evenly among all the different cancers there wouldn't be much money to go around and we probably wouldn't find a cure at all. But, if we focus on one the others will be solved shortly after that I think."

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