CASS COUNTY — Horse lovers and nature lovers alike will have their chance to shine at an upcoming fundraiser in Cass County.

On Saturday, Oct. 6, the We Can Ride 4-H Club will host its annual Ride and Walk-A-Thon at Russ Forest County Park, located eight miles outside of Dowagiac. Participants will ride through Russ Forest Park for pledges and donations that will be used to benefit the club.

Checks should be made payable to We Can Ride 4-H Club and returned with a form obtained during registration. Registration will be from 9 a.m. to noon on the day of the ride in the east entrance of the park. Parking, including parking for horse trailers, will also be at the east entrance. In addition to the walk/ride, the event will feature games and prizes in the park’s west pavilion. Lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m. at the east pavilion, and participant prizes and door prizes will be awarded at that time. Free T-shirts will be given on a first-come, first-served basis to those who collection $35 or more in pledges.

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” said Patti Dynes, club coordinator for We Can Ride 4-H. “It is a ride and walk through Russ Forest, which is gorgeous, and a way for us raise money for our club.”

Based in Berrien County, We Can Ride 4-H has a mission statement to enhance the lives of youth living with disabilities in the area. The group was organized in 1979 to offer therapeutic and recreational horseback riding lessons for the disabled. It was the first 4-H program in Michigan to win accreditation from the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International. Over the years, the group has served riders from both Berrien and Cass counties.

Today, the program serves approximately 30 students during the year, ranging in age from 5 to 26 years old.

“The club offers a wonderful, not only skill building, but social experience for both our riders and our volunteers,” Dynes said. “The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a human.”

The fundraiser at Russ Forest Park is vital to the club, as it helps provide general operating and insurance funds for the group. For the year, the group needs to raise at least $7,500, which Dynes is hoping to entirely raise at the Oct. 6 event.

“It costs a chunk to run our club, and though we host other fundraisers, this is our biggest one,” Dynes said. “Every little bit helps.”

Russ Forest Park was chosen as the location of the fundraiser, not only due to its ideal scenery, but because it reaches out to riders and volunteers in Cass and Van Buren counties, Dynes said.

“We are not just in Berrien County. We have riders all over,” she said. “It’s within our range, and it’s also probably the nicest trail riding area in that three-county area.”

Dynes said she hopes the public will turn out for the event to support the club.

“It’s a fun, gorgeous ride that benefits our youth,” Dynes said.

Reservations are recommended for those looking to attend the event. To RSVP, call or text Dynes at (269) 362-0485.