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Donalda goes pink for final Wild Pink Yonder ride

Main Street in Donalda was brightly pink on Friday, Aug. 26, and much of the surrounding streets got in the spirit too of Wild Pink Yonder.
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A group of kids from the Donalda Library do a flash mob dance as part of the final celebration of Wild Pink Yonder in Donalda on Friday

Main Street in Donalda was brightly pink on Friday, Aug. 26, and much of the surrounding streets got in the spirit too as Wild Pink Yonder made its final appearance in the community.

The breast cancer awareness and fundraising event has taken place across Alberta for eight years, but this year was its last, and the first time it came to Donalda. Riders were able to tour the nearby coulees in one of two riding groups, while the village itself prepared for an evening barbecue.

Main Street was partially closed to traffic and picnic tables set up with bright pink table cloths. Paper pink ribbon decals decorated most local businesses and buckets of pink flowers were visible all around. According to Bruce Gartside, the Donalda Community Promotion Society worked hard to get the town in the pink mood, decorating in anticipation of the event.

A clothesline hung between two of the conifers growing on the divide between the north and south lane of Main Street, hung with brightly-coloured bras. While most were pink, some were spring-time yellow or black and red. All were hung as a reminder of what the day was for to bring awareness of how breast cancer affects victims, both women and men, as well as raise money to help with research to better battle the illness.

A group of children from the Donalda Library came out after the barbecue was well in effect, enlisting the aid of the radio station truck’s speakers as they performed a flash mob dance for the riders and barbecue-goers. The kids, both boys and girls, mostly youngsters and tweens, were joined by a smattering of teens for the dance, which was reminiscent of line dancing.

“I asked Naomi (librarian) if the kids could do something,” Gartside recalled. “I left it with her. I had no idea what they were planning.”

The event in Donalda, once all the fees are collected and the bills paid, is expected to come out with about $6,000 in donations for Wild Pink Yonder.