Snowmobile club members give back through blood donation, local fundraising

Members of the North Easthope Drifters snowmobile club take part in a group blood donation at the Rotary Complex in Stratford. From left are Andrew Bell, Tim Roth, Wayne Gerber, Ron Horst, Connor Hachborn, Brad Van Nes, Ron Baker, Chris Postma, Will Sebben, Jacob Robertson and Owen Hachborn. Absent from the photo are Matt Neeb, James Neeb, Dave Mohr, Devon Kipfer and Chad Hachborn. Contributed photo

By Gary West

Members of the North Easthope Drifters snowmobile club traded their sleds for sleeves recently, taking part in their second annual group blood donation at the Rotary Complex in Stratford.

The local club organized the outing as a way to help address ongoing blood shortages, bringing members together to give what organizer Ron Horst called the “gift of life.”

“This is the second year that the group has organized giving blood,” said Horst, a North Easthope farmer and longtime snowmobile enthusiast. “Everyone is glad to do their share to help.”

The Drifters date back to the early 1970s, when members first came together to stake and groom trails, as well as install signage and maps throughout North Easthope and surrounding townships. Around the same time, similar clubs were forming across the province, eventually becoming part of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs.

Today, through annual memberships, snowmobilers can access a network of maintained and groomed trails across Ontario, allowing for safe and organized riding throughout the winter months.

While trail maintenance remains a core focus, Drifters members say giving back to the community has become just as important.

In addition to their blood-donation efforts, the club recently contributed $1,000 each to two local boys – Carter Kuchma of Shakespeare, who is undergoing cancer treatment, and Liam Wagler of the Poole area, who is living with mobility challenges – to support their families during difficult times.

The club currently has 33 members and welcomes new participants each fall.

Members also expressed their appreciation to local landowners and farmers across Perth County who allow snowmobile trails to run through their properties each winter.

“We couldn’t do it without their ongoing support,” Horst said.

For the Drifters, the combination of outdoor recreation and community involvement continues to define the club.

“It makes for an enjoyable winter and helps make everything we do possible year after year,” Horst said.