Vanderhoof comes together for Madison Scott commemorative ride (from Prince George Citizen)


Frank Peebles
Citizen Staff
fpeebles@pgcitizen.ca
Original article in the citizen

The Vanderhoof community was “all in for Madison” on Saturday – hoofing, hiking and motoring around the Hogsback Lake trail system.

This was the area where Madison Scott, 20 at the time, was last seen. She attended a lakeside party with many of her friends. She was never seen again

. It was one year ago today.

Her family and friends organized a commemorative poker ride for the one-year anniversary, to raise awareness, show support, and get hundreds of new sets of eyes out on the terrain.

An estimated 600 people signed up at the Mapes Community Hall then rode quads, saddled up on horses, or set off on foot. Many paid into a poker contest, with cards drawn at various stations around the route, but that was just for fun. There were prizes for the best hands, and door prizes also, but people were there with the “All In For Madison” mantra at the top of mind.

“I’m just here to show support for Maddy’s family. I work with her cousin,” said one pedestrian pushing a baby jogger on the foot path.

“It’s a great day for a ride. I didn’t know Maddy but I know have awful it must be for her family to not know what happened,” said a dirty-faced participant. The ones with the dirtiest faces were the quad riders.

A lunch was provided, as was sunscreen and bug repellant, and a large team of volunteers in high-visibility shirts were visible all around the wooded course. There were numerous directional signs and forestry tape marking the routes, so even the off-road portions were easy to follow.

Although Scott’s family refused interviews and there was no visible police presence, several media outlets and a documentary film crew were on-site to record the event. A Facebook group exists for ongoing updates about the case of the missing girl, and a dedicated website (www.findmaddy.ca) is available for information.

“This investigation remains a priority for North District Major Crime,” said RCMP Const. Lesley Smith, North District Media Relations Officer. We believe that there is information out there and it is our hope that someone will come forward to help us determine what happened. The police need information and Maddy’s family needs answers.

If you have any information at all please call the Vanderhoof RCMP at 250-567-2222 or to remain anonymous call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

The winners at the poker ride:

  • Quads : 1st – Greg Hutt; 2nd – Dillon Penner; Brennan VanHorn
  • Horses: 1st – Kim Rempel; 2nd – Ashley Penner; 3rd – Randy Ophus
  • Walkers: 1st – Alex Pearson (sp); 2nd – Judy Pearson (sp); 3rd – Rhonda Kingsley
  • The winner of the “Find Maddy’s Picture and the Mystery prize” – which was an hour helicopter ride from Yellowhead Helicopter – was Kevin Stevensen!

Congratulations to all of the winners —– and this includes EVERYONE who participated and help our family have a winner of a day!

FYI* there were 13 Maddy pictures on each trail 🙂

Still no trace of missing Vanderhoof woman 1 year later (from CBC)

From CBC News Original CBC article

Madison Scott disappeared after attending bush party

Madison Scott, a 20-year-old B.C. woman, was last seen May 28, 2011, at a campsite 25 kilometres south of Vanderhoof. (CBC)

Police re-enactment 2:46

Police are no closer to finding a missing 20-year-old central B.C. woman one year after her disappearance.

Madison Scott went missing on May 28, 2011, after attending a bush party near Vanderhoof. Her truck and tent were later found at a campsite at Hogsback Lake, south of Vanderhoof.

“We’re looking at foul play here. There is no reason for her to leave,” said RCMP Const. Lesley Smith. “No connection at all to any gang affiliations. But it is unknown who was at that party at the time.”

Smith believes there are people who know where Scott is or what happened her.

“What we’re finding is that we’re hearing a lot of rumours,” she said.

“So we want to hear from that person — not the third person, not from the postman’s daughter’s boyfriend’s butcher

. We want to hear from that individual. If they saw something that they thought is not going to be important for RCMP, we want to hear from that individual.”

The Scott family has declined most media interviews, but Dawn and Eldon Scott posted a public plea for witnesses to come forward in a re-enactment video.

“Somebody out there has information. We need them to come forward,” Dawn Scott said.

“And soon,” Eldon Scott added. “Like now would be a good time.”

The Scott family is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Scott’s disappearance.

With files from the CBC’s Wil Fundal

Theresa P. > WOW! What an amazing day.


WOW! What an amazing day. Over 300 ATV’s, 90 Horses, and 130 Walkers, great weather, great news coverage and FANTASTIC PEOPLE! No event like this is pulled off without countless hours of time spent by so many volunteers. Time spend making trails, and organzing posters and trafic and food and the list goes on and on and on. Even more heartwarming were the number of people who wanted to help but we just didn’t have enough jobs to go around 🙂 So if you in anyway spent time to make this event possible we thank you from the bottom our hearts. The goal of this event was to continue to raise awareness that after 365 Maddy is still missing. I believe we did that – ♥ THANK YOU ♥ Continue reading »

Maddy Poker Ride Walk photos


A big thanks to all who participated, and volunteered in the help find Maddy poker ride walk. An estimated 500 to 600 people participated in the ride/walk

. The money raised from the poker ride went to the local Mapes community association.

Maddy Poker Ride/Walk photos

Today is Let’s go all in to FIND MADDY! Poker Ride


The sun is shining, the horses and riders are on the trails, and some should be close to being finished. Volunteers have shucked 800 cobs of corn, are ready to cook and serve the hungry poker riders and walkers. The registration tables and check points are manned, and I can hear the sound of quads in the distance

. The let’s go all in to find maddy poker ride is on! Thanks to all the volunteers, supporters, and participants.

The following is a text I received from Sandra Maddy’s Aunt:
It might be a hard day, but it will be a good day. So many people coming to help and the weather is beautiful. Thinking of you all, my beautiful and great family. See you early tonight.

Poker Ride To Mark One Year Since Disappearance of Madison Scott (from Opinion 250 News)


By 250 News
Thursday, May 24, 2012 01:03 PM

Vanderhoof,B.C. – On Monday, May 28th, it will be one year since 20 year old Madison “Maddy” Scott disappeared from a party at Hogsback Lake, approximately 25 km south of Vanderhoof. Continue reading »

Sandra-Wayne K. > Get ready for the poker ride…


Get your quads filled up with gas, your horse groomed and saddled up and your walking shoes dusted off because the Poker Ride is about to happen! Get ready to FIND MADDY! We are going “all in for Maddy” this weekend and you don’t have to play poker to do it. You just hit the trails to look and see; if that is what you prefer, and there is no cost to participate if you choose not to buy a poker hand

. Poker hands are available, of course, for those who want to play. Your first hand is $25 (which includes lunch) and a second hand is $10. There are many great prizes to be won! For those of you who are not buying a hand, lunch is available to you for $10. It’s going to be a goodie. Your eyes, your ears, your sensibilities is what Team Maddy is hoping for… to help bring her home. So rev those engines, get in the saddle or stretch those legs and “let’s get on the trail to FIND MADDY”. A big shout out of THANKS to all participants and those who have donated to this event. We couldn’t manage without any of you. ♥ MGS ♥ Continue reading »

Family Holds Poker Ride for One Year Anniversary of Missing Daughter- Madison Scott (from RCMP)

RCMP Vanderhoof, B.C. North District

File # 2011-4852

2012-05-24 08:51 PDT

On May 28th 2011, 20 year old Madison Maddy Scott disappeared from a party at Hogsback Lake, approximately 25 km south of Vanderhoof B.C. She was last seen at around 3:00 a.m on the Saturday morning. Police located her tent and truck, but search efforts to date have not managed to find Madison.
This investigation remains a priority for North District Major Crime, says Cst. Lesley Smith, North District Media Relations Officer. We believe that there is information out there and it is our hope that someone will come forward to help us determine what happened. The police need information and Maddy’s family need answers.

Madison’s parents, Dawn and Eldon Scott have been struggling with their daughter’s disappearance and cannot believe a year has gone by with still no leads to her whereabouts. The family is now offering a $100,000 reward for information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for her disappearance.

To mark the one year anniversary of the disappearance of Maddy, the family has organized a Poker Ride to take place on May 26th, 2012 starting at the Hogsback Lake campsite.

Statement from the Scott Family
Written by Madison’s Aunt,
Sandra Kelly Klassen.

Almost one year ago, on May 28, 2011, Madison Scott, 20 years old at the time of her disappearance, went missing from the Hogsback Lake campground 25 kilometres southeast of Vanderhoof, which is one hour west of the city of Prince George in the Interior of British Columbia. Her family are in shock and disbelief at the anniversary of her disappearance this month.Madison, or Maddyas she is known to her family and friends, was camping with a group of young people who were celebrating a friend’s birthday. Everyone left the party by about 4:00 am and Maddy was left alone at the party; apparently spending the night alone, in her blue tent set up beside her older white Ford pick-up. Something happened that led to Maddy’s disappearance after everyone left the party and foul play is suspected.Maddy’s parents, Dawn and Eldon Scott, went to the campsite on the Sunday of that fateful weekend when they decided it was strange that she had not been in touch with them. Maddy is very close to her family and she would regularly check in with her mom and dad when she was away from home. An extensive search of the area was conducted by the RCMP, Search and Rescue, and family and friends. To this day, Maddy remains missing and many questions remain unanswered.After a long and difficult year, and despite an ongoing and in depth RCMP investigation in addition to the ongoing searches, awareness campaigns and pleas from her family and friends for her safe return, there has been no real evidence of what happened to Maddy. The family and their team of supporters continue to be hopeful that anyone with information will come forward; Someone knows where she is but they have not come forward with the truth.

To highlight the fact that Maddy is still missing a year later, the family and its supporters have organized a poker ride to take place starting at the Hogsback Lake campsite and covering the extensive network of trails radiating from the place where Maddy was last seen

. The trails have been divided into three groups; one for walkers, one set for those on horseback and another trail system for those on quads. The idea is that participants will bring fresh eyes and vast coverage of the trails in the area with the hope that someone will notice a clue that will lead to discovering where Maddy is. The poker ride is not a fundraiser; there will be prizes awarded as is usual at this type of event and the goal is to heighten awareness that she is still missing and to lead to new information that brings her home to her family.

The poker ride is aptly titled Let’s Go All In for Madison Scott with the sole purpose to FIND MADDY and bring her home. The poker ride takes place Saturday, May 26. Further information can be found on the Help Find Madison Scott Facebook page or madisonscott.ca, as well as on the numerous event posters on display in the Vanderhoof and Prince George area.

The family encourages the public to participate and help further the search. If anyone knows any information that will lead to the discovery of Maddy’s whereabouts they are asked to call the Vanderhoof RCMP detachment at 250-567-2222 or CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

A day without a loved one is uncomfortable, a month without a loved one is unbearable and a year without a loved one leads to despair, heartbreak and overwhelming grief. The Scott family appeals to the public, especially as people go out and about in the outdoors this coming summer holiday season, to report anything they find suspicious or of interest to the RCMP. The family is hoping that the break they need will come soon, and it will likely come from good people like you.

Sandra Kelly Klassen

Released by

Cst. Lesley Smith

Media Relations Officer
North District
4020 5th Avenue, Prince George B.C. V2M 7E7
Office: (250) 561-3166

Email: bcrcmp@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

Link to RCMP article

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