The Q-106.5 Egg Ride Over The Years [VIDEO]
After roughly 30 years of riding a snowmobile with raw eggs in my suit, I can confidently say there's no other feeling like it.
If someone had told me, 35 years ago, that I would soon begin an annual tradition of loading raw eggs in my snowsuit and riding a snowmobile, I would have told them they were crazy. But that's exactly what I've been doing for somewhere in the vicinity of 30 years now. I wish I knew the exact number of rides I've participated in, but the fact is, by the time it occurred to me to start counting, I'd already lost track. This summer will mark 32 years with Q-106.5, and I've only missed a few rides over the years, so I'm getting close to the 30 year mark, I'm sure.
Back when we first started adding eggs to the Pine Tree Camp Ride-In, people could decide which of the DJ's carried the egg they donated. The Egg Ride's founder, Bob Duchesne, put an end to that, however, when he realized that he was carrying 100 eggs and I was carrying 14. Now, we all carry an equal number. And that number has continued to grow, over the decades. But that's great news! Every egg is worth $50 in donations, so the more eggs we carry, the more money is going to a wonderful cause.
The Pine Tree Camp in Rome, Maine allows children and adults with disabilities to have a full camp experience, with no barriers. They have a fully-accessible playground, that includes a platform where kids in wheelchairs can swing. There's a fully-accessible tree house that allows those same children the chance to see the world from high in the tree-tops. Add in the wonderful, caring staff, and the fact that the children can experience a week with others who face many of the same challenges they do, and it's a magical place.
I put together a video showing some of my own egg ride experiences over the years, and even some of the very first rides, when we started from the 'Big A' snowmobile club in Newport. I hope it will convince you to contribute to this year's ride. The Q-106.5 Pine Tree Camp Egg Ride is coming up on Saturday, February 2nd, so we need those donations this week. You can call in a pledge at (207) 991-9500, give a direct donation through our Firstgiving page, or buy cardboard eggs at many local businesses.
Finally, I want to leave you with this image. I found this video from the Pine Tree Camp about how the campers are greeted, when they arrive at the lake. This is what the fundraising is really all about. Making sure as many kids as possible get to experience this.