RUMFORD — The Poodunck Snowmobile Club and the Mexico Trailblazers will host the 17th annual Blessing of the Sleds at noon Saturday, Feb. 8, at Mountain Valley Middle School, club President Jon Holmes said.

The weather forecast for the blessing is “looking pretty good right now,” he said.

“Last year, we weren’t even able to have it at the school, since we got hit with a big storm that day. We ended up having to hold it at the Mexico groomer garage,” he said.

“This year, it looks like we’ll be getting a snowstorm on Wednesday, which will give us plenty of time to have the trails groomed.”

Unlike last year, Holmes said the club and the Mexico Trailblazers will not host a snowmobile swap shop.

“That was Nick Brown’s idea, and because of the accident he recently had, he won’t be running the swap shop,” Holmes said.

On the morning of Jan. 17, Brown was involved in a snowmobile accident that broke his leg.

Holmes said members of the Mexico Trailblazers and Poodunck Snowmobile Club will be at the school at 10:30 a.m. to cook food.

“As always, we’re going to be serving all sorts of food,” he said. “There’ll be sausages, hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries and all sorts of stuff.”

They will also sell blessing sweatshirts again.

“The blessing sweatshirts are how we raise the most money,” Holmes said. “Different companies will pay to be advertised on the back of the sweatshirts, and in return, we give them a sweatshirt. We’ll be selling them at the blessing. Right now, I think we have about 60 different companies who will be featured on the back.”

There will also be raffle prizes available.

The blessing will likely be led by David Willhoite, Holmes said.

“The priest we normally use will be leading a service for a snowmobile fatality that took place in Dixfield recently,” he said.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com