(Radio Iowa) – Whether it’s raining, snowing or sunny, the Pony Express Riders of Iowa are preparing to leave later today (Friday) for their annual horseback ride to Camp Sunnyside in central Iowa. Riders’ president Jason Linn of Estherville says they’ll meet up at the Easter Seals camp near Ankeny with funds raised from toll roads and dances across Iowa.
“We have riders that come from all corners of the state that have various rides as they make their way to Des Moines on a two-day ride, collecting donations at different places and along the road,” Linn says. “We bring it all into Camp Sunnyside for the handicapped children and adults so we can make sure that everybody gets to camp that needs to go there.”
After the ride concludes tomorrow (Saturday), Linn says the scene will shift to the Lake Robbins Ballroom for the annual victory dance tomorrow night. “We go out to Woodward, the ballroom out there, and we put on a big celebration, a big dance to celebrate what we accomplished through the year,” Linn says. “Just a big celebration with everybody from all corners of the state to come together and kind of appreciate what we’ve done throughout the year.”
The ride has been a tradition since 1968. Over the decades, nearly 11-million dollars has been raised for the Easter Seals camp. Located on 88 acres, Camp Sunnyside was designed, built and is staffed to meet the recreational needs of campers, both children and adults, with all types of disabilities.
