Cook County News Herald

Annual Black Woods Blizzard Tour set for Feb. 3




Come out and meet Minnesota Twins legends Terry Steinbach and Kent Hrbek before they ride in the 2016 Black Woods Blizzard Tour, A Ride to Fight ALS.

The event begins with riders gathering Wednesday, Feb. 3, after 5 p.m. at Black Woods Banquet Center in Proctor. This will be the perfect opportunity to meet these past Major League Baseball players and perhaps other Twins legends in attendance. The snowmobile ride begins the following morning and continues through Saturday, Feb. 6, with all 200 riders ending up back in Proctor.

The idea of an annual fundraising tour started in 1999 when four riders rode their sleds around Lake Superior. Randy Bannor, Larry Bannor, Greg Sorenson and Dennis Nelson received $15,000 in monetary contributions, which was used to help those fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). A year later, a group of dedicated people banded together to form what is now the Black Woods Blizzard Tour.

That same year, Black Woods Bar & Grill jumped on board as title sponsor of the annual event. In its first year, 38 riders raised $46,000. Sixteen years later, 204 riders raised more than $855,000, bringing the lifetime event total to nearly $7 million.

The ALS Association is the only nonprofit organization fighting Lou Gehrig’s Disease on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers, and fostering government partnerships, the Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure.

For more information on the event or to donate to a rider, visit blackwoodsblizzardtour.com.



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