Snowmobilers Ride in 16th Annual Blizzard Tour to Cure ALS

ALS Association Hopes to Raise $830,000

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Big name players with the Minnesota Twins and 200 snowmobilers are revving up their sleds in Proctor to help find a cure for ALS.

The 16th Annual Blackwoods Blizzard Tour kicks off early Thursday morning, but in the meantime, riders are remembering the reason they do it.

Wednesday evening, riders picked up their registration packets to check in for the weekend.

Big name riders include former Minnesota Twin Kent Hrbek, former Twins bench coach Terry Steinbach, and former Twins manager Ron Gardenhire.

The race started when a few guys took a trip around the lake to raise awareness for a friend who died from ALS, and now the event has blown up into the biggest snowmobile fundraiser in the world.

“This community has a number of people that unfortunately have lived with ALS and their journey has ended,” said executive director of the Midwest ALS Association, Jennifer Hjelle.

For the dedicated riders, the 350 mile journey on the trails of northern Minnesota is just beginning, and at the finish line is hope to find a cure.

“We all believe in the cause that’s we’re doing,” said Blizzard Tour board member, Jeff Trentman. “But we all have a whole lot of fun.”

It’s Trentman’s 10th year with the Blizzard Tour.

For the past nine years, he has been behind the scenes volunteering, and this year he’s decided to hop on a sled in memory of his wife Lisa.

“She’d be all for it,” Trentman smiled. “She’d be all for it absolutely. She’d probably be on a sled next to me if it was possible.”

Lisa Trentman lost her battle to the disease 10 years ago, and the ALS Association came to their rescue.

“They made my life easier and they gave her a better way of life all the way through the end,” said Trentman.

The mission to find a cure is what motivates former Minnesota Twin Kent Hrbek to hop on a sled to ride.

“He’s smiling I know that,” said Hrbek referring to his late father. “Along with a lot of other people that have died from ALS.”

Kent’s father, Ed lost his battle to ALS more than 30 years ago, and since then has joined fellow advocates to raise money for a cure.

“They all have some sort of connection to ALS in a way,” said Hrbek. “Whether it be a family member, friend or whatever and they’re all up here for one reason.”

It’s the passion that keeps them coming back, and the memory of too many loved ones lost that keeps them trucking forward.

“Never surrender. That’s our motto for this. Never surrender,” said Trentman. “We’re going to keep fighting until we find a cure.”

The ALS Association hopes to raise $830,000 to help families and victims suffering from the incurable disease.

For more information on the Blackwoods Blizzard Tour, click here.