As the community continues to rally in support of local domestic violence survivor Dawn Warden, an Aug. 11 motorcycle poker ride fundraising effort is planned to add to the aid.
“[The support] is really surreal,” Warden said. “Honestly, I’m almost speechless. People have been so, so good…. Airdrie’s always been my home [and] I couldn’t ask to live in a better place.”
Now out of the hospital, Warden continues to recover following a near-fatal domestic assault June 9 that, among a long list of other “life-altering injuries,” resulted in nine severed fingers, three of which doctors were unable to save.
Her recovery is going well but slow, she said – she continues to meet with a physiotherapist, and while she can do small things like brush her hair, she says recovering from her injuries will be “a long haul.”
“We want to give [Warden] and [her son] Kyle as much financial security as we possibly can,” said Nadene Wood, co-organizer of the fundraiser and Warden’s friend of more than 30 years. “At this point, we don’t know how long her therapy is going to take for her hands.”
Wood said the goal of the organizers is to surpass the $4,000 raised at a July 14 fundraiser at Bambino’s Neighbourhood Pub.
According to Wood, the Dawn Warden Support for Survivors Ride will see riders congregate at Tap & Vine prior to hitting the road at noon. With stops in Carstairs, Acme and Irricana before returning to Airdrie, Wood estimated the ride will last approximately three hours. Warden and Kyle will take part in the ride, bringing up the rear in a vehicle driven by Wood. Only motorcycle riders will be allowed to participate, Wood added.
“It’s just for bikers’ safety,” she said. “The less cars we have mixing with the bikes, the better.”
Wood said the fundraiser is structured a little differently than other poker rides. Instead of receiving cards at each stop, riders will purchase sealed envelopes for $20 at the start of the ride. Each envelope will contain a randomized card with the all suits and numbers from a regular deck of cards. At each stop along the route, riders will select one number on their envelopes to be hole-punched, not knowing what that number corresponds to on the card in the envelope. By the end of the ride, participants will have a complete unknown poker hand.
“We’re doing it this way so it’s not one hand per bike, which is usually the way these are done,” she said. “This way, you can buy however many hands you want to play.”
The envelopes will be opened at the end of the ride and the poker hand will be revealed. Any envelope opened before the final stop will be null. The winner will receive a $200 cash prize.
“It may not seem like a big prize, but for anybody who rides a bike, it’s not the prize that matters, it’s the ride,” Wood said.
Registration is not necessary, but Wood said it is appreciated as it allows organizers to have an idea of how many people to expect. Riders can indicate their participation through the event's Facebook page.
The fundraiser will also feature a silent auction – with bidding occurring throughout the day – and a live auction at 5 p.m. will include, among other items, two of Warden’s paintings.
Several items will also be raffled, Wood said, including two tickets to anywhere WestJet flies.
“There are restrictions – the taxes, the fees and all of that stuff will be the responsibility of the winner,” she said.
A limited number of raffle tickets for the flight are available and can be purchased through the event’s Facebook page for $10 while quantities last, Wood said. Other raffles can be entered at the event.
Wood said the Tap & Vine portion of the fundraiser is family friendly, and will also feature food specials and live entertainment.
Warden – who, after the assault, said she wanted to use her experience to advocate for others in similar positions – said she hopes the fundraiser can be more than a one-off in support of her.
“I’m really excited about this fundraiser, because I believe, if it’s successful, it’s going to be an ongoing thing, which is why we decided to call it Ride for Survivors,” she said, adding she hopes she’s able to raise funds for someone else next year.
