The 2nd Annual Mud Dog Ride for RIS coincided with the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association annual Winter Rendezvous, which will took place this year at Grand Casino Hinckley, February 11-14, 2010. You can still support the Mud Dog's "ride with a purpose" as they rode to find a cure for sarcoma cancers. Read more...
2010 Mud Dog Riders |
To Pledge, Click on Rider's Home Page |
| Pat Bourgeois' Home Page |
| Joel Mellenthin's Home Page |
| Eric Skogman's Home Page |
| Daniel Skallet's Home Page |
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With plenty of snow and pristine trails, the Mud Dogs zoomed north to their destination. Several hours later (after one snowmobile ran out of gas along the way) they arrived at their day one destination in Garrison, MN. The day's ride totaled 140 miles. Tired and weary, the Mud Dogs spent the night in Garrison to get ready for their final 90-mile ride to Hinckley.(Pictures from Day one and two of the Ride- Wednesday, Feb 10th and Thursday, Feb 11th)
Post from Eric on Day One - Feb 10th:
"Today we rode 130 miles from St. Michael to Garrison. All six of us in the ride made it safely. We only had one problem: we didn't time our gas stops and one sled ran out of gas. We siphoned some gas from from another machine. Anyway attached is a photo (Left) of us gassing up just before we hit the trail. (Center above)Taking a mid-day break and (Right) Taking a break by a shelter in Central Minnesota."
Post from Eric on Day Two- Feb 11th.
"We made it! Today we rode about 80 miles from Garrison to Hinckley. Today was filled with some additional issues. Just eight miles into our ride today a sled broke down in the middle of Lake Mille Lacs. After about an hour we got it fixed and were off and running again. The rest of the day was perfect. We pulled into Hinckley around 4:30 and will be getting some dinner soon. Anyway,the picture on the second row (left)from earlier today is at a trailside stop. The Center picture is Taking a break near McGrath, MN. The picture on the second row right is Making repairs on a broken sled in the middle of Lake Mille Lacs."
For the past 20 years, members of the state snowmobile association have been encouraged to ride to the Winter Rendezvous to promote snowmobiling in the state. This year, the annual Mud Dogs journey will again take on special meaning as it promotes Sarcoma awareness and raises funds for RIS.
Last year’s Mud Dog run, organized by Sarcoma patient Eric Skogman was a major success raising over $3,300 for Rein in Sarcoma. “To raise that much money the first year of this snowmobile charity ride is incredible,” said Sarcoma patient Eric Skogman, who also helped organize the ride. “The kindness and generosity of those who pledged to support the Rein In Sarcoma Foundation is unprecedented.”
The First RIS Mud Dog Ride “Riding with purpose...Press on regardless”
Our first Mud Dog run in February 2009 was featured in Mille Lacs Messenger - Click here to read article.
The 2nd Annual Mud Dogs Ride to Benefit the Karen Wyckoff Rein In Sarcoma Foundation (KWRISF) will be held in conjunction with the MN Snowmobile Association Annual Rendevous in February 2010. This will be a combination of a snowmobile ride and a fundraiser for the Foundation. All proceeds will be donated to the Karen Wyckoff Rein In Sarcoma Foundation.
About 20 years ago, C.J. Ramstad, then owner of Midwest Sports Publishing Network (MSPN), the official publisher of Minnesota Snowmobiling magazine, started the Mud Dogs ride to encourage snowmobilers from across the state to ride their snowmobiles to the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association’s (MnUSA) annual Winter Rendezvous. That event takes place each February and is in a different city or town each year.
For the 2010 Mud Dogs ride to the Winter Rendezvous, we are asking that riders get pledges to benefit the KWRISF. The MnUSA Winter Rendezvous will take place at Grand Casino Hinckley February 11-14, 2010. For the current program of this year's Rendevous, click here.
This year, like every other year, snowmobilers will begin from their own chosen starting points and ride their snowmobiles via legal snowmobile trails to the Winter Rendezvous to show their support for snowmobiling in the state and to honor the life of C.J. Ramstad, who along with his 17-year-old son, J.J., was killed in an automobile accident in May 2007. To read more about C.J. Ramstad, Click here.
Those that want to participate can do so and decide where to start your Mud Dogs adventure. You will then ride to the MnUSA Winter Rendezvous at Grand Casino Hinckley, Minnesota. For example, if you live in St. Cloud, Minnesota, you can decide to start your ride from there or nearby. You will plan your trip to Hinckley via legal snowmobile trails. Your trip should be planned to arrive at Grand Casino Hinckley on February 11 or 12. Once at the MnUSA Winter Rendezvous you can turn in your pledges.
In order to participate in the Mud Dogs Ride to Benefit the Karen Wyckoff Rein In Sarcoma Foundation you MUST be a member of MnUSA. To become a member, ($20 annual individual/family membership), log onto www.mnsnowmobiler.org to register or call MnUSA at 763-577-0185.
In March 2008, 38-year-old Eric Skogman was diagnosed with Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma. After an invasive surgery 
to remove a six-pound tumor from his abdomen in April 2008, he started going through chemotherapy treatments in August of that year to fight the life-threatening disease.
Like many, Eric and his family were shocked when he was diagnosed with the disease. He nor his family had never heard of Sarcoma and knew nothing about the subtype Liposarcoma. They all quickly learned how rare it is and that more funding is needed to fight the deadly disease. A snowmobiler for 25 years, Eric has worked as a magazine editor in that industry for more than a decade. Knowing that more funding for Sarcoma research is needed and that snowmobilers are very giving people, he contacted the Karen Wyckoff Rein in Sarcoma Foundation (KWRISF) to set up a snowmobile ride fundraiser.
In February 2010, the Mud Dogs Ride for Sarcoma will make its second run. The hope is to not only raise funds for research but to raise awareness about the disease. All donations to the 2010 Mud Dog Ride will be directed to the Erick Skogman Mud Dog Run Fund.
Pledges will be collected at the MnUSA Winter Rendezvous on February 13, 2010 at the Saturday night banquet. If you do not participate in the ride and cannot attend the banquet, please use the on-line form described below or mail in your pledges to the KWRISF at:
3312 Richmond Avenue
Shoreview, MN 55126
Pledges can also be paid by credit card using our secure online donation form.
1. Under the drop down listing for donation type pick: "Mud Dog Run" and
2. Indicate that the donation is in tribute to the name of particular rider for whom you are pledging.
Click here to go to the RIS secure donation form.
Rein in Sarcoma was created by Karen Wyckoff in 2001. Karen died from Synovial Sarcoma a month after the first Rein in Sarcoma event. For the last seven years, thousands of people touched by sarcoma have kept her vision of a world without sarcoma cancers alive.
The Karen Wyckoff Rein in Sarcoma Foundation (KWRISF) was incorporated in 2004 as a Minnesota non-profit organization to continue the mission that Karen established:
Educate physicians and public about sarcomas
Support sarcoma survivors and families directly affected by sarcoma
KWRISF has become the largest and best-known sarcoma fund for the Upper Midwest. Over the past seven years, with its three pronged commitment to sarcoma research, support and education, the Foundation, totally run by volunteers, has reached thousands of people and raised over $650,000.
If you have additional questions, please contact us by clicking here.