Caledon Equestrian School goes forward with fundraising event amid pandemic

July 23, 2020 · 0 Comments

Written By ALYSSA PARKHILL

Caledon Equestrian School is moving ahead with hosting its Summer McGregor Meat Fundraiser to help raise money for the local institution.

The event is held one or twice a year to help support the school and animals, as well as programs for those who attend the school. There, local residents can purchase an array of “delicious meats” sourced from Ontario farms.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event is proving to be a bit different, but owner Susan Fripp says the show must go on.

“The fundraiser is an event we hold once or twice a year. It is with North Country Meats, who used to be called McGregors, and they supply quality meat to restaurants like the Keg. So, the food is delicious. We get a percentage of the sales, which goes directly to farm expenses,” she said. “We do this event every year and have done so for the past five years. This year we are doing two sales due to business losses because of COVID-19 and popular demand.”

The school has struggled immensely during the pandemic, with financial hardships and emotional separation between the animals and their riders hitting hard.

As the school reopened back in May, Fripp plans on continuing fundraisers and relying on community support.

The Summer McGregor Meat Fundraiser is always highly anticipated for not only the school but for those looking to buy some meat.

“The costs are comparable or a little better than the grocery store, but the quality is fantastic. They offer everything from salmon and shrimp to burgers, hotdogs, roasts, and steaks,” explained Fripp. “This year the funds will be going to operating costs of the school. In the past we bought items like mirrors for the arena or equipment for the school. We don’t have that luxury this year.”

North Country Meat and Seafood have a fundraising program for organizations such as the Caledon Equestrian School to assist in raising funds for youth programs or organizations that involve sport, school and community connections.

The event will run until July 28 and will involve contactless pick-ups.

“We’d love for the community to get involved,” said Fripp. “They can ask us for the order forms and send their payment and order form to us by the end of the month.”

For more information please visit the Caledon Equestrian Facebook page, or call (905) 584-2022.