Last year was our inaugural year in Alberta. We took an outrageously pink covered wagon and an entourage of outriders called The Hole in the Head Gang to 22 towns throughout central Alberta. Our purpose was (and still is) to raise money that will be used to fight breast cancer.

Riders came from far and wide to Ride Off Into the Wild Pink Yonder.

Towns along our route rose to the occasion, offering us a place to stay for the night and, in most cases, feeding our group.

We sweetened the pot for towns by incorporating a contest we call Pinkest Little Town in the West. It offers towns an opportunity to go wild (and pink) -- and potentially win a free country music concert. The winning town can throw open the doors for everyone in town or charge admission and use the money to, say, build a new playground. The concert is theirs to do with as they wish. (In 2009 our winner was Rimbey.) Our winner also wins bragging rights in the form of town entrance signs that proclaim them to be The Pinkest Little Town in the West.

In many towns the breakfasts and suppers weren’t just for our riders. They were for locals too, and became part of the town’s fundraising strategy to win Pinkest Little Town in the West. This was particularly beneficial because it raised significant funds for our cause while still making our visit fun for everyone -- and it helped us keep our costs down so that we could write a larger cheque for breast cancer research, treatment and education.

We now extend the challenge to Manitoba towns to top the "pinkness" of Alberta's towns!!