This past Saturday the Friendship wagon train stopped in Mazeppa for a lunch break. The Friendship Wagon Train is a group of horse drawn wagons and riders who are on the road for a week to raise funds for the Special Olympics. This was their fortieth year and they take a different route each time. There were about 45 in the group including ten wagons and fifteen riders. Most wagons had a couple extra passengers including kids and grandkids.
They were served breakfast in Zumbrota Saturday morning where they kicked off their 2023 tour. This year they will ride about 160 miles on their trip stopping for the evening at Oronoco, Elgin, St. Charles, Lanesboro, Whalen, Rushford and Houston.
The Mazeppa Lions Club served the group lunch in the park at noon. The horses and mules were rested and watered while everyone had a chance to stretch their legs and relax. Some of the dedicated participants have made the trek nearly every year. A truck follows the group to provide water for the horses at each stop and a trailer with a porta-potty provides facilities as well. The locals stop to see the horses and wagons and there are t-shirts and assorted items for sale as an additional fund raiser. Most riders get pledges from sponsors and as a whole they hope to raise $25,000 for the Special Olympics through this trip.
