ESCANABA - Big Bay Pony Club, local club of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC) is seeking donations to raise money for various club activities. A fund-raiser will be held Tuesday at Culver's in Escanaba, where club members will help deliver food to dine-in or drive-through customers. For all food purchased on that day from 4-8 p.m., the club will receive a portion of the proceeds to help defray some of the costs of attending the national championships.
The USPC is a national 501(c)(3) organization which educates youth in the management of horses and ponies, and is the largest youth organization for teaching youth safe and responsible horsemanship - including care and riding abilities. Through its programs, youth learn valuable life lessons of personal responsibility and teamwork.
Several of the typical activities of the club are monthly riding lessons and unmounted horse care knowledge. They also compete in regional competitions called Rallies, in which various types of riding skill and horsemanship knowledge is tested on a team basis.
Also this year, several members are striving to attend national championships in Lexington, Va. This honor was earned as they had to qualify to be able to attend and compete in these competitions. A nearly week-long "summer camp" is held biannually, and is a time for intense education as well as fun learning activities - both on and off horses or ponies. Besides donations and contributions, other sources of club revenue are annual member fees and various fundraisers which are held each year.
Additional fund-raisers planned throughout the summer include a Tri-County Horse Association show in Norway on July 28-29, can bottle drives, and other fundraisers held in conjunction with one or more local businesses. Specially designed Sayklly's Pony Club candy bars are also sold during the year, along with other fund-raising actives that can be arranged.
Being under the umbrella of the national USPC, contributions to the local club are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
For more information on the local club or any of the activities listed above, contact club leader Sue Roll at 786-6600, or co-leaders, Jennifer King at (906) 399-0492 and Kim Gill at (715) 251-1852.
Additional information on USPC can be found on their website www.ponyclub.org.