LAC PELLETIER, Sask. – Rock Solid Refuge received overwhelming support Saturday during its 20th anniversary celebration.
The Christian faith-based nonprofit, founded in 2005, helps teenage boys struggling with addiction, substance use and behavioural issues through structured programs rooted in faith and recovery.
To mark two decades of service, the organization hosted its first-ever Ride for Refuge at Lac Pelletier. Founder Dallas Block said he was surprised by the level of community support.
Dallas Block, founder of Rock Solid Refuge. “We were blown away by the people who came and participated,” Block said. “We started advertising it kind of mid-summer, and just through the month of September, people kept hopping on, with new team leaders and participants.”
The ride included a 10-kilometre route for cyclists—five kilometres to the far side of the lake and back. Walkers, joggers and runners used a separate trail through the Lac Pelletier Regional Golf Course.
Clint Hartog, a bike rider at the event, sets out at the start. Several runners, including members of Shaunavon District Fire & Rescue, completed the full 10-kilometre course alongside cyclists.
“Over 50 participants here this morning,” Block said. “We took a picture in front of our sign before we headed out. Just an amazing group of people for our first time doing this—it was really quite special.”
Another participating group included Lac Pelletier community members. In addition to hosting the event, they volunteered and joined the ride and walk.
“Lac Pelletier is about a 35-minute drive from our campus, so it’s really close,” Block said. “It’s a place a lot of people in the Southwest know and love—there are cabins, campgrounds and boating. People come here often.”
Everyone was able to enjoy a hot dog lunch and refreshments at the Lac Pelletier community hall. The event surpassed its fundraising goal early, bringing in more than $23,000—well above the initial $20,000 target.
“Even in the last couple of hours, people just kept giving,” Block said. “I have no idea who those people are who gave right through to the end—even during the ride and walk. We’re just so thankful for the support.”
Block founded Rock Solid Refuge after watching a family friend’s son struggle with addiction. What began with marijuana use quickly escalated into crystal meth addiction.
“That began a path where, within six months, he was a crystal meth addict,” Block said. “I knew his family really well. We walked a journey for three years with that young man being a meth addict. It was the darkest thing I’d ever seen in my life.”
During that time, Block realized there were no long-term faith-based recovery programs specifically for teens. He felt called to start one.
The Ride for Refuge banner, welcoming people to the event. “We just kind of asked the question—maybe there should be a long-term program for teenagers,” he said. “This weekend marks the 20-year anniversary of our incorporation.”
Over the past two decades, the program has expanded. Today, Block works alongside a dedicated team to meet the complex needs of their clients, all while maintaining a Christian-centred approach to healing and recovery.
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