Melanie Christianson Memorial Race next weekend

Christianson was an Enumclaw resident who was injured in a horse race and became quadriplegic.

Auburn’s Green River Saddle Club is gearing up for its sixth-annual race honoring an Enumclaw resident Melanie Christianson.

Before her death, Christianson was known for her passion toward riding horses. But in June 2010, she injured her spinal cord while competing and became quadriplegic.

Her injury led Christianson to join up with Pushing Boundaries, a Redmond, Washington-based nonprofit that provides exercise therapy for their clients. According to its website, exercise therapy’s goal is to work toward the “restoration of normal musculoskeletal function or to reduce pain” through various activities.

Christianson died in August 2013.

The sixth Melanie Christianson Memorial Race, to be hosted at the club at 16321 SE Lake Holm Road, is slated to begin at 11 a.m., with gates opening at 8. There is no entrance fee.

In addition to the races, there will also be a silent auction — both the auction and practice runs for the race begin at 9 a.m.

Auction items include handmade quilts, tickets to the Ellensburg rodeo, Pacific Science Center tickets, various prize baskets, and more, as the auction is expected to fill up multiple tables, said Pushing Boundaries’ Development and Communications Manager Suzette Hart.

For more information about the event: www.pushing-boundaries.org/melanie-christianson-memorial-barrel-race/