This was submitted to us via contact form – I thought it should be shared with the class. I bet it would be a lot of fun, and of course it’s for a good cause!

First Annual VSMCRF Ride Against Cancer
Benefit Trail ride to raise funds for cancer research

On May 5th, 2007, friends of BlackHawk will host the First Annual Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund Ride Against Cancer benefit horseback trail ride at scenic Long C Trails in Westmoreland, Tennnessee.

The ride will take place from 10am-4pm, with a silent auction, raffle, and campfire sing-a-long as added events. Light refreshments will be provided, as will special pins commemorating the ride. Trail maps are available for those who have not ridden at Long C in the past, and all trails are well-marked with signs and colored tape. A $20 donation is requested for participation.

Long C Trails will have breakfast and supper available in their kitchen for an additional fee. Unlimited primitive camping is available; stalls and picketing for horses, and some campsites with RV hookups are also available with reservations recommended one week in advance. Additional fees apply to all camping.

Country music fans may remember Van Stephenson as the high harmony singer from the band BlackHawk, or as the hit songwriter behind many of their hits – and other bands’ hits like Restless Heart’s “Bluest Eyes in Texas” and “Big Dreams in a Small Town.” Van enjoyed cuts by artists as diverse as Dan Seals, Reba, Kenny Rogers, and Eric Clapton in his twenty-year career as a writer. Van lost his battle with Melanoma in 2001, and the memorial fund was one of his last wishes – that his friends help find a cure for cancer. 100% of the profits from the charity go directly to the Vanderbilt University Cancer Research Labs in Nashville.

For more information on the First Annual VSMCRF Ride Against Cancer, please call the hotline at 615-884-0276 or email littlebayroan@netzero.com.

For more information on Long C Trails, please visit www.longctrails.com.