A local business is needed to take over sponsorship of the National Kids Cancer Ride during its rest stop at Sevenoaks Shopping Centre in Abbotsford on Wednesday, Sept. 6.
The ride was previously sponsored by Sears, but the company recently announced the closure of more than 50 stores in Canada, including its Abbotsford location.
This means that they are no longer the national sponsor of the cancer ride and will not be providing food and beverages for this year’s riders, said participant Bob Ahuja of Abbotsford.
The ride, now in its 10th year, begins in Vancouver on Sept. 6 and ends in Halifax on Sept. 23.
Riding in relay style, the 35 selected national riders each cycle approximately 150 to 220 kilometres each day. They are joined along the way by other caring cyclists who pedal shorter “stage ride” distances in major cities across Canada.
They also participate in community events and visit many of Canada’s 17 pediatric oncology centres and hospitals.
Together, they raise millions of dollars on behalf of charities that improve the quality of life for children, and their families, living with cancer.
Ahuja, 46, is one of only four participating riders from B.C. He first took part in the ride in 2012, raising $25,000 in memory of his 14-year-old cousin who died of cancer in 2010.
He has set a goal to raise $25,000 again this year.
“The event is more than the cycling; it is the reward of knowing we are helping to make lives better for children that are battling cancer,” he said.
Anyone interested in sponsoring the stop in Abbotsford is asked to contact Tim Douglas at 416-258-9058 or Bob at 604-897-3181.