Sarcoma Cancer is a rare disease, often misdiagnosed, often afflicting children and young adults.
The Karen Wyckoff Sarcoma Foundation is dedicated to Sarcoma Cancer research, support and education...and the fight to find a cure.

RIS Mud Dogs Make $6,900+!

Posted Thu, 03/03/2011 - 17:15 by pete

The 3rd Annual Mud Dog Ride for RIS coincided with the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association 30th annual Winter Rendezvous, at Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center in the Alexandria area, February 10-13, 2011. Over $6,900 has been contributed to date from over 130 supporters! You can honor Eric's life and still support the Mud Dog's "ride with a purpose" by making your pledge or making your donation now.  Read more.

Note: Eric died at peace with himself, his loved ones, his huge supportive community and his God on April 20, 2011.

You can honor Eric's life and make the 3rd Annual Mud Dogs Ride for Sarcoma an even larger Success

  

2011  Mud Dog Riders

To Pledge to all Riders, Click here*

or to pledge to individual riders

click on the names below
Pat Bourgeois' Home Page
Joel Mellenthin's Home Page
Eric Skogman's Home Page
Daniel Skallet's Home Page
Justin Klett's Home Page

 

MUD DOG RACE RECAP - February 9 -11

Arriving at AlexandriaThe Mud Dogs Ride for Sarcoma began Wednesday, Feb 9th with four intrepid dogs making the two-day journey to Alexandria, Minnesota. The ride began in Waconia, Minnesota, and the first leg of the ride took them northwest to Darwin, Minnesota, for a lunch stop and to see the World’s Largest Ball of Twine. The first night was spent in Paynesville. The Dogs continued their ride on Thursday arriving in Alexandria in mid afternoon. All together each rider covered over 270 miles! 

As of Friday, the end of the race, over $5,600 has been pledged and over $4,200 has been received from over 125 individuals! 

Eric Skogman, the creator of the RIS Mud Dog Ride, hoped to join the celebration on Saturday, Feb 13th  but could not because of his current chemo treatments. For current information on Eric, see his CareingBridge Site.  Remember there is still time to pledge and support the 2011 Mud Dogs!

MUD Dogs 2011 - Day 1

 

2011 Mud Dog Run - Day 2 - Heading to Alexandria

   

Overview

The 3nd Annual Mud Dogs Ride to Benefit the Karen Wyckoff Rein In Sarcoma Foundation (KWRISF) was held in conjunction with the MN Snowmobile Association Annual Rendezvous in February 2011. This was a combination of a snowmobile ride and a fundraiser for the Foundation. All proceeds are being donated to the Karen Wyckoff Rein In Sarcoma Foundation.

What is the Mud Dogs Ride?

Over 20 years ago, C.J. Ramstad, then owner of Midwest Sports Publishing Network (MSPN), the official publisher of Minnesota Snowmobiling magazine, started the Mud Dogs ride to encourage snowmobilers from across the state to ride their snowmobiles to the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association’s (MnUSA) annual Winter Rendezvous. That event, and the Mud Dogs ride, traditionally takes place each February and is in a different city or town each year. 

Sadly, C.J. and his 17-year-old son J.J. were killed in an automobile accident in May 2007, but the ride lives on with the memory of the legendary Ramstad and his son. To read more about C.J. Ramstad, Click here. 
 

This Year’s Ride: 

For 2011, the Mud Dogs embarked on their annual ride to the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association Winter Rendezvous the second week of February. This year, the MnUSA Winter Rendezvous took place at Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center in the Alexandria area, February 10-13, 2011.  
 
For the third year in a row, the Mud Dogs collected tax-deductible pledges for the Karen Wyckoff Rein in Sarcoma Foundation (KWRISF). The past two years, the Mud Dogs have combined to collect more than $5,000 in pledges to help find a cure of Sarcoma and with this year's great success the total contributions to RIS will total over $10,000!

Those that want to donate to this cause to help fight this deadly disease can do so via the KWRISF Web site, by clicking here.  All pledges are tax deductible and the money raised goes directly to the KWRISF. 

This year an anonymous donor issued a $1,000 Mud Dog Challenge Grant!  This donor has committed to match all new 2011 Mud Dog pledges and payments on pledges starting Tuesday, February 1st through Saturday, February 12th.  So support all the riders or your favorite rider and see your donation be doubled!

    *2011 Mud Dog Supporters and Pledgers

(Pledges to specific riders are listed on the rider's home page):

  • Pete and Sue Wyckoff - on 1/10/11
  • Kari Wells - on 1/26/11
  • Chris Carpenter - on 1/28/11
  • Marlys Knutson - on 1/28/11  "Looks like an easy ride this year with all of the snow."
  • Heather Heil - on 1/28/11
  • *J. Michael Cavitt - on 2/9/11

Eric's Story  

In March 2008, then 38-year-old Eric Skogman was diagnosed with Retroperitoneal Liposarcoma, a rare and deadly form of soft tissue cancer in his abdomen. In April 2008, a 6-pound tumor was removed from his abdomen, and in August 2008 he began chemotherapy treatments.
 
Since August 2008, he has endured more than 20 rounds of chemotherapy and continues to fight. Thankfully, thus far the disease has been stable, but a cure and/or new treatments for Sarcoma are desperately needed. 
 
A snowmobiler for more than 25 years, Eric has worked as a magazine editor in the snowmobile industry for more than a dozen years. Knowing that more funding for Sarcoma research is needed and that snowmobilers are very giving people, he contacted KWRISF to set up a snowmobile ride fundraiser.
 
In February 2011, the Mud Dogs Ride for Sarcoma will make its third run. The hope is to not only raise funds for research but to raise awareness about the disease. All donations to the 2011 Mud Dog Ride will be directed to the Eric Skogman Mud Dog Run Fund.
 

All pledges are tax deductible.

Pledges will be collected at the MnUSA Winter Rendezvous on February 12, 2010 at the Saturday night banquet. If you do not participate in the ride and cannot attend the banquet, please use the on-line form described below or mail in your pledges to the KWRISF at:

3312 Richmond Avenue

Shoreview, MN 55126

Pledges can also be paid by credit card using our secure online donation form.

1. Under the drop down listing for donation type pick: "Mud Dog Run" and

2. Indicate that the donation is in tribute to the name of particular rider for whom you are pledging.

Click here to go to the RIS secure donation form.

Introduction to the Rein in Sarcoma Foundation

Rein in Sarcoma was created by Karen Wyckoff in 2001. Karen died from Synovial Sarcoma a month after the first Rein in Sarcoma event. For the last seven years, thousands of people touched by sarcoma have kept her vision of a world without sarcoma cancers alive. 

The Karen Wyckoff Rein in Sarcoma Foundation (KWRISF) was incorporated in 2004 as a Minnesota non-profit organization to continue the mission that Karen established:

  • Find a cure for sarcoma cancers (raise funds for research through the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center) 

  • Educate physicians and public about sarcomas 

  • Support sarcoma survivors and families directly affected by sarcoma

KWRISF has become the largest and best-known sarcoma fund for the Upper Midwest. Over the past seven years, with its three pronged commitment to sarcoma research, support and education, the Foundation, totally run by volunteers, has reached thousands of people and raised over $800,000. 

If you have additional questions, please contact us by clicking here.

Sarcoma Cancers:

Sarcomas are highly malignant and rare types of cancers that occur in the connective tissues of the body. Approximately 9,800 new cases of soft tissue and bone sarcoma are diagnosed each year in the United States. While rare among adults (less than 2% of all adult cancers), sarcoma cancers are among the three most commonly diagnosed cancers affecting children. A sarcoma diagnosis is a particularly shattering for most patients as they rarely have heard of this type of cancer and feel they will have to wage their personal war against the disease without much public knowledge of the disorder.