37 tractors, 40 years and older, were part of this year's Visit the Villages Tractor Trek in support of the Eden Health Care Foundation.

The event is one of the foundation's top 3 annual fundraisers.The trek took riders from the Village of Reinland, a lunch stop in Gretna, and ended in the Village of Neubergthal for supper.

Director of Development for Eden Foundation, Earl Reimer says the tractor trekkers are the "shape of hope for a lot of people who are on a mental health journey."

Reimer said they (the trekkers) are making it possible for the foundation to create hope, healing, and community for all of us.

Generally, 1 in 5 people deal with with questions of mental health. Although1 in 5 people may be diagnosed, there are 4 other people in that family that are helping that person along, so we are all dealing with it, noted Reimer. "To have this kind of support from the community, from the drivers, and those who are supporting the drivers, is an absolute delight to see," said Reimer, referring the Visit the Villages Tractor Trek.

The funds raised from this year's event will be used in a number of ways. Reimer says the most predominant way, will be to help Recovery of Hope in the process of Counseling Services. He says last fiscal year, Recovery of Hope did its greatest amount of counseling sessions in its history. Reimer noted, according to the director of Recovery of Hope, they are currently on pace of exceeding that record number of sessions this year.

Randy Warkentine, participated in this year's tractor trek and drove a 54-year-old restored tractor in the parade of vintage machines. The tractor was a 1967 D17 Allis Chalmers, Series 4, which was the last year that model was made. Warkentine says his dad bought the tractor new in 1968, and it has been in the family since.

"There are a lot of people in need, and struggling with mental health...if I can do a small thing to contribute towards Eden, I think that's a good thing," said Warkentine.

With more donations still expected to come in - as of this weekend - the total revenue raised from the tractor trek was $49,515.