The Cody Buus Invitational Courage Snowmobile Ride presented a check to Shimia Nord, Cade Evan Schmidt and the Northern Lights Foundation on Thursday March 27th.

It was the inaugural year of this Duluth based snow mobile ride aiming to support families caring for children with severe illness. The fundraising event started with a group of just 7 people.

“We built an incredible team that all stuck together,” said John Archer, a member of the Cody Buus Invitational Courage Ride. “We work together. We play together. We vacation together. It’s a really close-knit group of people. It turned out to be one of the most successful teams I’ve ever been a part of.”

For John Archer, keeping the money local is a big part of the vison.

“It’s an incredible thing, and 100 percent of our money stays local, we know where every penny goes,” said Archer. “The Northern Lights foundation handles that side of it, and they are an incredible group that is really focused on the local help.”

The Northern Lights foundation is a local charity supporting children and families facing life threatening illnesses. Altogether, the first year of the ride raised $307,399.

You can check out more about the Northern Lights Foundation here.

You can learn more about the Cody Buus Invitational Courage Ride here.