December 4, 2020
The Mountain Shadows Foundation First-Ever Virtual Walk & Roll was a Huge Success!
by Sheryl Wilde
Nothing will deter us in our mission to enrich the lives of our Mountain Shadows’ residents and clients – not even 2020!
When the pandemic hit and our premier fundraising event, the Mountain Shadows Annual Golf Tournament, had to be postponed, we forged a new path to unite our families and community members in support of those we serve.
Our new event, the MSF Virtual Walk & Roll was a tremendous success. We all came together, virtually, to demonstrate our commitment to help our residents and clients live more active and fulfilling lives – and, together, we raised over $80,000!
Here are just a few of the ways our Mountain Shadows family came together, in loving and creative ways, to celebrate and reaffirm our dedication to supporting our residents and clients:
Riding Wilde Horses
“Are you going to be here next time?”
The words were those of a shy, eight-year-old girl, following one of her first horse-riding lessons.
“I like learning from you.”
When Mindy Siataga of the San Pasqual Valley Ranch heard those words, she knew she had found her calling.
“I’ve seen, time and again, how riding a horse changes people. I’ve seen how it touches the soul. I’ve seen the difference it makes in children. I’ve seen a timid child grow into a confident, bold, independent, and strong individual.
“That shy young girl now has five horses and is a competent barrel racer.
“We’re changing the world one horse at a time.”
Born into a multi-generational horse family, Mindy has been a trainer since she was fourteen years old.
Her family’s San Pasqual Valley Ranch offers boarding and training facilities for both Western and English riders, from beginner to advanced levels.
The ranch has five arenas and several smaller round pens. For Western riders, they also provide training for team roping, team penning, ranch sorting, calf roping, cutting and barrel racing. For English riders they offer hunter/jumper and dressage training.”
Wade Wilde, Executive Director/CFO, Mountain Shadows Support Group, has been training at San Pasqual Valley Ranch for nearly four years.
“We can train anyone, at any level,” says Mindy. “Wade had never ridden a horse before. Now he ropes and sorts at a highly competitive level.”
“When I mentioned the Mountain Shadows Foundation Walk & Roll fundraiser to Mindy, she jumped in and volunteered to organize a fundraiser at the ranch, all on her own,” says Wade.
“She did an outstanding job! Roughly forty people participated. Mindy organized the whole thing. There were drinks and snacks, there was merchandise for sale, even a petting station for goats. We are so grateful to Mindy and the San Pasqual Valley Ranch for all they did to help us with this event.”
“I really believe in Mountain Shadows and what they do,” adds Mindy. “They help individuals live more independently. That means a lot to me.”
Walking for Love
“Karen was born with a brain tumor and has a shunt,” says her mother, Chris Trogdon. “She has mild mental retardation and a seizure disorder. When you first meet Karen and talk to her, her verbal skills are very good. But after you are with her for a while, you see that her cognitive abilities and decision-making skills are not so good.
“She was lost in the school system. I had to fight to get her into special education. She was treated horribly by her peers – pushed down the stairs in school, shoved out of the lunch line. It was very hard. Then, one day, when Karen was 21-years-old, she came home and said, ‘It’s time for me to move out, mom.’”
Karen has lived at Mountain Shadows for more than 20 years.
“I’m thrilled with Mountain Shadows. I’m a retired nurse and I know all they have to do. I’m very grateful to them all.
“The response to the pandemic has been mind-boggling. People are fearful, but the staff has not quit, they are working overtime, they are staying away from their own families. The staff is phenomenal.
“Karen is active in everything at Mountain Shadows. She’s in Aktion Club, she does bible study, she advocates for clients’ rights, she goes to Outreach every day. She goes sit-skiing, and to Camp Able. She just loves doing things.
“She walks a lot at Mountain Shadows and when she heard about the Walk & Roll, she want
Karen also participated in the Carlsbad 5000 race several years ago. She was part of a team that raised money for a boy born with hydrocephalus, a disease affecting the brain.
When Karen heard about the race, she wanted to do it, because she related to the boy and wanted to help someone else with a brain disease.
“The Carlsbad 5000 is a 5k run. I wasn’t sure that Karen would be able to complete the run. She has an unsteady gait. But she finished and it was a very big achievement and victory for her. She had a lot of fun. People were cheering for her as she neared the finish line. Her friend gave her a medal to recognize her accomplishment. Karen was thrilled and very happy to have been able to support the cause.”
Karen and her family’s support of the Mountain Shadows Walk & Roll was important too.
“Karen walked 2.1 miles! It was a lot of fun. It was a sunny, beautiful day. Karen walked in front of Ken, my husband, and I. She had her Mountain Shadows’ shirt on. It was a lot of fun. And it felt good to raise money for our favorite place, Mountain Shadows, to benefit all of the residents.”
Climbing the Highest Peak
Sean Premeau, Mountain Shadows Foundation Board member, and Bryan Knox, General Manager at Catalent, committed to hiking more than 50 miles of “rugged trails and mountain tops” to support our residents and clients through the Walk & Roll.
Says Sean on his fundraising webpage, “I have seen firsthand, the warmth, love, and compassion that our residents receive from the dedicated Mountain Shadows staff and supporting community members.”ed to do it.”
Sean and Bryan surpassed their goal by hiking a total distance of 64.1 miles! Their hikes covered beautiful and breathtaking terrain, including Mission Trails, North and South Fortuna Mountains, Del Mar Mesa Preserve & Penasquitos Canyon, and culminated with a challenging climb of Mt. Humphreys, the tallest peak in Arizona at 12,635 feet.
The adventurous pair had originally been training to climb Mt. Whitney, but the trails were closed at the beginning of September due to fires and poor air quality.
“Mt. Humphreys was fantastic! It was a difficult hike, with rapid changes in elevation, but we did really well. The hike took five hours.
“I have a passion for the outdoors. I love hiking the mountains. It’s awesome to get outside!”
The Mountain Shadows Walk & Roll event was “a noble cause, and I know for certain that donations will help enrich the quality of our residents’ lives.”
Our heart-felt gratitude goes out to our generous sponsors, and to all of you who participated in our first Virtual Walk & Roll!
We look forward to seeing you at next year’s event.