It wasn’t the usual sight in Salem on Saturday. A wagon train consisting of six covered wagons, along with horse and mule riders, made their way through town surprising motorists and those living along the route.
The wagon train was put together by Roy and Beth Landers as a fundraising effort.
“Had a couple of our friends that ran into some bad times and weren’t going to be able to work for a while. We figured things would get tough on them so we decided to have a benefit to get them some cash so they could survive while they are doing therapy and going through sickness.”
Landers says about 50 people paid to ride in the wagon train which traveled from the Iron Saddle to the Lud’s Pub, the Salem American Legion, the Red Dog Salon, and back to the Iron Saddle.
Landers says the wagon train was an apparent hit for spectators as well.
“We’ve had a lot of people standing on the road that knew we were coming that route. Had people standing and waiving and watching the animals all go by.”
Beth Landers says the benefit was for mule rider and trainer Daniel Carmon of Kentucky who is recovering along with his daughter from injuries sustained in a January traffic crash. The other friend, ‘Nay’ Owens of Indiana has been diagnosed with brain cancer and is currently undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.
The Landers say each of the stops helped raise money and a number of other businesses made donations as well to make the fundraiser a success. They hope to raise several thousand dollars.
One of the wagons making its way down the road. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
Tieing up the horses and mules during the stop at the Red Dog Saloon. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
