An Abbotsford couple intend to cycle a combined 550 kilometres over August to raise money for The Hospital for Sick Children’s SickKids Foundation.
Husband and wife team Bob and Heather Spencer will ride in the sixth annual Great Cycle Challenge Canada this summer. They’re each aiming to bring in $1,500 for the cause.
Both Bob and Heather are no strangers to the annual challenge – Bob has participated five times, Heather four times. They have ridden nearly 1,600 kilometres over the years, bringing in close to $11,000.
Heather said that they ride in honour of her sister, Barbie, whom she lost to cancer at age three.
Great Cycle Challenge Canada was founded in 2016 and has grown into one of the largest cycling events in the country.
Over 100,000 cyclists from all over the country have taken part, riding more than 15 million kilometres and raising over $21.7 million for research, care and treatment of childhood cancers.
The SickKids Foundation has hopes that more than 30,000 people will participate this year.
Jaimie Lamont, director of special events for the foundation, said thanks to riders like Bob and Heather, groundbreaking research is being funded which will save lives.
She said cancer kills more Canadian kids than any other disease, and over 1,400 are diagnosed every year.
The SickKids Foundation was established in 1972 and is the largest charitable funder of child-health research, and one of the world’s best pediatric health-care institutions.
Donations can be made online to Bob and/or Heather’s fundraising goals by searching their name at greatcyclechallenge.ca. If you want to participate yourself in August, more information can be found on the website.
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