The Coyote Creek Ride & Fiesta had its start as a celebratory horseback ride of a newly married couple.
But the event, started when founder Peter Backus and his wife, Debbie, were married 22 years ago, has gradually evolved into quite a party and annual fundraising event.
This year, the duo hopes to funnel at least $55,000 into three of their favorite local causes: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Arizona, the Steele Children’s Research Center and a $5,000 UA scholarship for a student from Vail.
“We had so much fun that first year that we just decided to do another one and another. I thought, ‘If people are having this much fun, why not have them come out and have fun and pay a little extra and raise some money to help kids in the community?’” said Backus, the owner of PB Trading Co. and Backus Realty.
A longtime member of the board of directors for the local and national Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations, he has also volunteered three times as a mentor over the past three decades.
Backus said the impact on him and the youths he mentored was transformative. He planned outings and annual outdoor vacations with family members and his mentees as well as excursions with other “Bigs” and those they mentored. He also found that he was able to pass on the outdoor-centric attitude and strong philanthropic philosophy instilled by his own family.
“I got lucky with parents, aunts and uncles — some weren’t really uncles, but friends who were very kind — who taught me a whole bunch about work and helping others and outdoor life, which I really enjoy. I think now that if we can help a kid ride a horse or go fishing or hiking or spend some time outdoors together, then lots of the time we get as much out of it as the kid,” he said.
Backus encourages prospective mentors to consider volunteering their time to the program, which served 600 children last year and currently has a waiting list of more than 150 youths ranging in age from 6 to 20. He thinks they will find the experience more fulfilling than they can imagine.
