Airdronian Ryan Straschnitzki and his Straz Strong Foundation were showcased at this year's Calgary Stampede chuckwagon races.
He shared that it was an amazing opportunity to sponsor Mitch Sutherland.
"I thought it would be a good idea to sponsor the tarp to raise some awareness in hopes that people see Straz Strong and they would inquire to know more."
He explained the foundation helps remove financial barriers for those living with disabilities through adaptive sport and rehabilitation funding.
"We are also creating a bit of a storytelling project where we talk to recipients that have received donations from us for adaptive sport equipment, so that we can help promote their journey, their story, and to showcase to everyone that's helped out with the foundation to showcase where their money is going."
He explained a basketball chair costs around $10,000 while a racing chair is around the $12,000 mark.
"Our initiatives have been quite expensive, but we love doing it. We've been able to give out 10 donations this year alone. We plan to increase that number exponentially every year through help from the community."
Straschnitzki went on to talk about what it was like to see his foundation in the races.
"It's cool, I went to the Stampede every year growing up. My dad's a huge chuckwagon fan, so to have my family out there for the first time, seeing the tarp is special. I'm very grateful that we had the opportunity to do that."
The Calgary Stampede fell short this year of breaking its attendance record.
Event organizers say this year’s final attendance reached 1,470,288, with 121,704 visitors passing through the gates on the final Sunday of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
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