Polish your boots, dust off your favorite hat and come enjoy our first annual Horse & Wagon Trail Ride benefiting the Sunshine Children’s Center and Kyle’s House this Saturday and Sunday.

The ride, originally scheduled to be at Glasscock Island, was moved to the Vidalia Riverfront due to the Mississippi River flooding.

The Riverview R.V. campground will be the site where the cowboys and cowgirls set up camp and will also be the starting point of the trail ride at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The horse and wagon train will proceed past the Vidalia Convention Center, Comfort Suites and Vidalia Elementary onto Concordia Avenue. Mayor Hyram Copeland will be the trail boss for the procession through Vidalia. The wagon train will then continue the 12-mile levy ride to enjoy the view of the Old River.

For those of you not familiar with the Sunshine Children’s Center or Kyle’s House, they are both organizations for children. The Sunshine Children’s Center shelters abused children ages babies to 18 years. These children often arrive, some with siblings, some alone, with only the clothes they are wearing. You can imagine their needs — clothing being the simplest problem to solve.

Kyle’s House is a new year-round day care only opened a year ago located at 19 Ridgeway Road designed especially for children with special needs although all children are welcome! Registration is now in progress for wonderful summer programs! The staff at the Sunshine Center and Kyle’s House, under the fabulous leadership and direction of Matilda Stephens, provide a wonderful educational and loving environment. We are proud of the love, support and help that they provide all our children.

The Sunshine Shelter and Kyle’s House invites all to come enjoy and support the fundraiser festivities. The dinner and dancing is open to “town folk” at the Vidalia Convention Center beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Sunday morning, Cowboy Church at 9 a.m. with master horseman David Carter and his mustang horse Silverado will be inspirational. Kailey Hutchins, along with friends, will lead the congregation in children’s hymns to help in our celebration.

For more information or reservations, please call the Sunshine Children’s Center at 601-445-8665.

We look forward to seeing you there! Oh, come enjoy the photo opportunity with John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe — they are ready to ride for the Sunshine Children’s Center and Kyle’s House!

Cynthia Parker Brumfield is an organizer of the trail ride.