Posted by Boua Xiong

Fourteen truck loads of sand may not mean much to some. However, for
the folks at North Country R.I.D.E., it means they can put a gift that
keeps on giving to work.

The sandbags were originally bagged by volunteers during the flooding
of the Red River earlier this spring. The sandbags then traveled to
the 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth to be used for war training. Now, the
sand is at North Country RIDE and will continue its usefulness.

"We had just a grass arena which was a little bit slippery when it was
wet out," Cherie LeTourneau, executive director said.

A slippery arena is dangerous especially to the people North Country
serves. The individuals that ride at North Country R.I.D.E. often
have special needs and come for rehabilitation.

But now with the sand a slippery arena won't be a problem for the
safety of riders, or the horses.

"It's cool that the sand helped people through a hard time and now
it's helping us," Abbie Berndt, a volunteer instructor with R.I.D.E,
said.