LANGSVILLE — The annual “Make-A-Wish” trail ride benefit was recently held in cowboy territory.
The scents of pork, beans, and horse combined together in the patrons’ nostrils. Riders stood alongside their trailers with their horses in toe, a group of picnic tables are bunched together for people to mingle, and a wooden stage with a “Make a Wish” banner set the scene. Many patrons had a smile on their face and nodded their heads in acknowledgement of one another for the cause.
Kenny Turley, along with his stepdaughter Georgina, thought up the idea for the “Make a Wish” benefit trail ride. Paul McDaniel, the president of the Meigs Chapter of Ohio Horsemen’s Council, provided access to 850 acres of the expansive landscape in which the ride took place.
The Make a Wish foundation grants a final wish to sick children. The wish can go many ways. For example, the child may travel to a certain destination, meet someone special, be someone for a day, or receive a gift. Everyone participating in the ride gives a donation.The ride lasts roughly two and a half hours and afterward the group joins together to eat home cooked fixings of pork roast and beans reflecting on the day’s achievements and giving recognition to donors with a few door prizes awarded.
For the third annual ride, the total amount of earnings reached $12,694.
The top three contributors were Shayla Hysell, Kenny Turley, and Ed Turley. Many of the horses in the ride were clad in saddles of local residents Connie and Mike Brothers. The Meigs OHC has 127 members so far and hosts events throughout the year.




Erin Perkins is a freelance writer for The Daily Sentinel.