Women on a mission

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

A year after its conception, a new initiative is finally taking shape, encouraging women to become financially involved with a local charity, have fun, and strengthen their voice in a sport that until now has been predominantly male-dominated – chuckwagon racing.
Sweet Cheeks, the brainchild of Strathmore and District Agricultural Society’s Director Gwen Schneider, came to fruition this year when Schneider attended the 2016 WPCA tarp auction at the Grey Eagle Casino in Calgary and secured a driver for the cause.
The initiative aims to garner the involvement of Strathmore women and those in the surrounding areas to donate $250 for the exchange of their name on the tarp and to become part of a core group with decision-making rights; especially regarding the charity recipient of excess funds.
“This is about women wanting to do something great in the community,” said Schneider. “If you want something done, women get together, they go as a group, and they get it done. Everybody likes to have fun, but if you can have fun and help others at the same time that makes it all the better.”
Fourth generation chuckwagon driver Cody Fraser, who is following in his father Rick Fraser’s footsteps, will be racing for Sweet Cheeks at this year’s Strathmore Stampede.
Having acquired the prospective athlete for $3,250, the money raised will be allocated to recover the $1,000 cost of the tarp and recoup the cost of the driver. However, Schneider hopes that donations will reach beyond the initial costs and be redistributed to a local charity such as the Wheatland and Area Hospice Society.
Those women pledging the $250 this year will be the only ones with their name permanently displayed on the tarp.
“Gwen wanted to do this for the last two years, so this year she bit the bullet to bid and got a driver,” said Judi Wilson, a volunteer and former director of the Strathmore and District Agricultural Society. “The core group would be able to make all the decisions concerning charities and the extras. But if you don’t get in on it as a core group this year, they’ve lost their chance.”
While the target group is focused on women, anyone can make a donation of any amount to the cause and be considered an associate. Although Schneider realizes that $250 can be a large sum of money for some people to dish out, she hopes that families or women’s groups will pool their resources and sign the tarp under the group or family name.
“Next year we will not have to buy a tarp, which makes things a little cheaper, but we still need to invest in our rodeo and chuckwagons, then find the charity that is in the greatest need,” Schneider added. “If we have 100 women or maybe even 200 who donated $100 we could do a lot of different charities. Sweet Cheeks will be about women who want to have fun, who care, and are always on a mission to help others.”
For more information on how to get involved or to donate contact Judi Wilson at 403-361-0808 or via e-mail (wlw1947@yahoo.com), or contact Gwen Schneider at 403-901-5666 or via e-mail (itisme@telusplanet.net).