N49 Cruise for HopeThis past weekend, car lovers came together to fundraise for Pembina Counselling Centre (PCC) for its inaugural N49 Cruise for Hope. The event garnered an impressive show of support — over 90 vehicles participated.
“If we had had 50, I would have been very happy with that,” says Chris Derksen, Executive Director of Pembina Counselling Centre. “This totally blows my mind and exceeds my expectations.”
Driving, entertainment, and community
People of all ages and walks of life came to the event, which featured a pleasant drive through the area, a dinner, and a showing of Ford v Ferrari at Stardust Drive-In.
For Paul Penner, a counsellor at the centre, the ride portion of the day was a highlight.
“We had a tour through Southern Manitoba,” he says. “I want to do the same tour [again] because of the houses, the trees, everything — it was paved and [there was] beautiful farmland. It was just gorgeous. We live in a wonderful area.”
The event drew quite the crowd.
“It’s fantastic. We’ve got people from all over the community,” says Derksen, whose vehicle for the day was a 2024 Ford Bronco courtesy of Hometown Ford. “We’ve got a lot of people from Winnipeg — shout out to the Ferrari club of Winnipeg and the Porsche club . . . . We’ve got imports, we’ve got classics, it’s just great.”
Cruising for Hope
While cars were at the forefront of the day’s festivities, ultimately, the community gathered to support Pembina Counselling Centre, which has seen its appointments surge in the communities of Winkler, Morden, and Altona. In 2022, the centre had 2,200 bookings for the year. By the end of this year, that number is expected to reach over 5,000.
“Everybody gets stuck in life at some point. It’s inevitable. We are a resource for the community, for people who are stuck and want to get unstuck and have lost hope perhaps,” says Derksen. “Our message is that you are not alone. If you’re isolating, I encourage you to take courage, give a friend a call, give a family member a call, [or] give us a call because we want to help you. You’re not alone.”
Derksen adds that the turnout for the N49 Cruise for Hope is a testament to the fact that no one struggling is alone — there is a vibrant community that cares.
Uniting Communities
Morden-Winkler MLA Carrie Hiebert was one of the attendees at Saturday’s event. In Hiebert’s view, Pembina Counselling Centre is a beacon in the community, and because it has locations in Altona, Morden, and Winkler, the Cruise for Hope also acted as a way to unite the areas.
I’m doing it because [of] the organization. I support it. It’s a great one,” she says. “It’s [also] a lot of fun — you can just bring any car . . . . It’s just fun to come together with people, and we’re all here for the same reason — we’re all here to support our community.”
Hiebert adds that community events like N49 Cruise for Hope are in themselves good for mental health because they promote togetherness and a break from routine.
“I think that mental health [support] is such a big part of . . . what we need to do for our community,” she says. “Just to bring people outside [to] do something outside of what our regular day is — it’s fun to get together and hang out.”
Support makes a difference
Derksen thanks the sponsors who helped make the N49 Cruise for Hope possible, including Elias Woodwork, Charlie’s Coffee, Sunvalley Tire, Tangible Dreams, Gardenland Co-op, Icon Technologies, BDO Canada, ONE Insurance, Q-Line Trucking, and Bergmann Plumbing & Heating Ltd.
“Hats off to all the organizers, all the people that made this happen, all of our sponsors, and to the food trucks who [did] a great job of serving,” he says.
To keep up to date with what the Pembina Counselling Centre is doing in the community, bookmark its website.
~With files from Jayme Giesbrecht~