Ompah’s spring ATV run draws a crowd

Apr 29, 2010

Paul Tyrrell, Dawn Parks, Joe Doran and Rob Doran rode 97 km in the Ompah volunteer fire fighters annual Spring ATV run on April 24.

The fourth Annual Ompah Volunteer Firefighters’ Spring ATV run took place on April 24. Over 625 participants took part in the 97 km run that took riders through a diverse trail, one of the run’s major draws.

The event attracted riders from all over Ontario and from as far away as Vars, Quebec. It has grown from 70 riders in its first year and its popularity has been spread mainly by word of mouth. The Ompah crew for the first time this year enlisted the help of the volunteer firefighters and FLAG Ladies from Snow Road, who put on the turkey supper which fed upwards of 400 diners; the volunteer firefighters from the Clar-Mill Volunteer Fire Department, who put on the lunch; plus a crew of students and staff from Clarendon Central Public School who ran an ATV bike wash. Between the four groups over $20,000 was raised.

The majority of funds will be put towards the building of the new fire hall in Ompah, which is set to begin in the fall, and towards the purchase of a thermal imaging camera that will allow fire fighters to locate people trapped in buildings.

The event is the single biggest fundraiser for the Ompah firefighters and according to ATV enthusiast Dawn Parks, who took part in the event, it was  “a very organized run with no congestion, great signage and a lot of volunteers who helped make it a really enjoyable ride.”

For those who missed out, the Ompah and area firefighters will be holding another run in the fall, on Saturday Sept. 18.